Karnataka > Economic Trends and Planning of Karnataka
Advent of British
With the advent of the British, an increase in roads, bridges and communication facilities resulted in fostering trade. Railways gave a further fillip to this activity. But Industrial Revolution in England and British colonial policies gave a severe blow to spinning industry which till then provided jobs to lakhs of women engaged in weaving and textiles; besides gunny bag manufacture, iron industry and paper industries also. Salt monopoly threw thousands of salt makers out of job and introduction of kerosene weakened indigenous oil extractors, which resulted in affecting their prosperity. Thus pressure on land and dependence solely on agriculture increased. But coffee plantations and public works gave job to thousands. Famines and epidemics like plague during the later half of the 19th century killed lakhs depleting the labour force. The newly started textile factories in Bangalore had to be closed for some months for want of labour. But famine relief works provided jobs to many. Abolition of Slavery Act (1843) also brought about many changes in labour supply, especially in plantations and public works.
The British, according to their colonial policies, were encouraging the raising of crops which served as raw material, required for their industrial productions. They introduced American long fibre cotton into Karnataka. The Cotton Boom of the 1860's (American Civil War days) had its own impact. In the long run it helped in creating cotton processing units. As a result, Cotton weaving not only received a setback, but its massive foreign market was also lost.
The administrative policies of the British helped the expansion of urban centres like Bangalore, Bangalore Cantonment, Mysore, Mangalore, Davangere, Hubli, Gadag, Hospet, Gulbarga etc., This was due to increased industrial activity and concentration of offices or units like railway workshops. Mangalore saw tile factories started by Basel Mission. During the first half of the 20th century, new towns like Mandya, Bhadravati, Raichur, Harihar, Chikmagalur, etc., expanded. New towns saw starting of hotels, giving a fillip to demand for milk in bulk. Mysore's economic planners were to start a process of economic activity not seen earlier by raising dams and starting industries and by generating power. The process had been set afoot by Dewan Sheshadri Iyer. In the meanwhile co-operative movement and banking expanded during the first quarter of the 20th century. Beedi rolling, a domestic industry emerged by providing labour to the needy. Related Informations on Economic Trends and Planning
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