The silk industry in Bengal during colonial rule

Abstract

This article examines two hypotheses on Bengal's silk industry during the colonial period: (a) whether the industry declined during the first half of the nineteenth century, and (b) whether the discriminatory colonial policies caused its decay. Discussing the East India Company's involvement in Bengal's silk trade before 1757 as a prelude, it analyses in depth various government policies on raw silk manufacturing and silk weaving during the Company raj. There are discussions on the marketability, technology and organisation of the industry as well as its employment opportunities and capital structure. In contrast to the prevailing hypotheses, the study shows that the industry entered into the declining phase during the third quarter of the nineteenth century. It also suggests that while policy discriminations were present, the hypothesis of discriminatory colonial policies as an explanation for the decline of the industry is not tenable. Rather, the industry collapsed under the adverse impact of the market.