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How did the 1914 War Affect Indian Handloom Production?

By Chuppala Nagesh Bhushan



The 1914-18 War significantly impacted Indian handloom production, primarily by exposing the industry's precarious dependence on mills for its yarn supply.

Shortage of Raw Materials

The war led to a sharp decrease in cloth imports and a corresponding increase in internal demand. Indian mills responded by consuming a larger portion of their own yarn production, which left considerably less "free yarn" available for handloom weavers. In the quinquennium of 1916-17 to 1920-21, mills consumed 1,644 million lbs. of yarn, while the amount reaching handlooms dropped to 1,097 million lbs..

Additionally, the scarcity and high cost of dyes severely hampered the production of coloured goods, such as saris, kailis, and lungis. Net imports of dyes fell from a pre-war average of over 15 million lbs. to just 0.7 million lbs. in 1915-16, causing dye prices to rise nine-fold.

Decline in Production

As a result of these shortages, total handloom production saw a dramatic decline.

  • 1914-15: 1,088 million yards
  • 1916-17: 598 million yards
  • 1919-20: 506 million yards,.

By contrast, Indian mills took advantage of the lack of foreign competition to increase their production and capture a larger share of the home market.

Socio-Economic Impact on Weavers

The scarcity and high price of yarn forced many weavers to sacrifice their independence. Large numbers of weavers who previously worked for themselves were compelled to:

  • Take up contract work under mahajans (middlemen).
  • Work as wage labourers in karkhanas (small factories).
  • Abandon the craft entirely in some centres where systems of production disrupted due to the inability to raise wages.

Localized Prosperity and Resilience

Despite the general decline, the industry showed resilience in specific areas. Because Indian mills were preoccupied with war supplies and lacked the machinery to efficiently produce specialized garments, handloom weavers in certain centres like Sholapur, Malegaon, and Cannanore actually experienced a "revival of prosperity". These weavers were able to maintain and even expand their production in the field of women’s garments, where they faced less direct competition from mills

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