How did the East India Company procure regular supplies of cotton and silk textiles from Indian weavers?

Model Answer & Options

Source: Textbook

The East India Company used a new system of management and control to procure regular supplies. Once it established political power, it took several steps to eliminate competition and assert a monopoly.

  1. Appointment of Gomasthas: It appointed paid servants called gomasthas to supervise weavers, collect supplies, and examine the quality of cloth.
  2. The System of Advances: The Company prevented weavers from dealing with other buyers by giving them loans or advances to purchase raw materials. Those who took loans had to hand over the cloth they produced to the gomastha and could not sell it to anyone else. This tied the weavers to the Company.
  3. Fixed Prices: The prices offered to the weavers were low and non-negotiable, forcing them into a position of dependency and debt.

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