INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

The Industrial Revolution was one of the most important changes in the history of mankind, which brought about changes in social, economic, cultural and political life of the people. The word ‘Industrial Revolution’ was first used by British Economic Historian Arnold Toynbee (1852) to describe the economic development of England from 1760 – 1840. 

Industrial Revolution as defined by Charles Beard is: “ By the industrial revolution, we mean that great transformation, which has been brought about during the past 150 years, by discoveries and inventions, which have altered fundamentally, all the methods of production and distribution, of means of life and consequently revolutionized all the economic functions of the society”.

NATURE OF INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION 

• It was completely economic in nature
• It was a peaceful revolution
• It resulted in mass production
• It was a silent but mighty upheaval
• It was a continuous process and is still going on
• It caused great suffering to the workers
• It produced many sources of happiness for the capitalists.

 

CAUSES OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

The industrial revolution first started in England and gradually spread to other countries.

1. Geographical Discoveries: The geographical discoveries of new trade routes to new lands which took place from the late 15^th century resulted in expansion of trade and commerce. This provided raw materials and created a demand for manufactured goods.
2. Scientific Progress: The invention of new machines, tools and implements by scientists from England enabled large-scale production of goods. E.g. Samuel Crompton, James Watt, etc.
3. Political and Administrative Stability: Another important cause of the industrial revolution was political and administrative stability that prevailed in England in the 18^th century. Politically England was free. Her parliamentary system of government promoted democracy and domestic peace. The peaceful condition in England and law and order created a favorable condition for capitalists to invest their wealth in factories and machines.
4. Social Flexibility: The English society was more flexible than other European countries such as France. So it was bale to adjust itself to the changing socio economic pattern. The English landlords increased their wealth by shifting their attention from land to trade and business. They also invested in industry.
5. Promotion of Trade and colonization: An important factor of the industrial revolution was England’s policy of promoting trade, commerce and colonization. The Parliament passed Navigation Act in order to protect British shipping from other European rival powers. The British government did not take up commercial activities, but these were carried on by private bodies like the East India Company. These companies made large profits and the country prospered.
6. Immigration of Artisans: There was religious intolerance in France and Spain. The Protestants were persecuted. A large number of Protestants migrated to England with wealth and skills. Their craftsmanship especially in textile industry gave an impetus to industrial revolution in England.
7. Availability of natural resources: England was rich in natural resources like iron and coal. They were required to produce materials such as steel to be used in the manufacture of machines. Coal was used to produce steam, which was used to run heavy machines.
8. Availability of cheap labor: With the coming of new technology, a lot of farm laborers were jobless. The peasants from the village came to the town in search of jobs. This led to the availability of cheap labor to work in industries.

 

IMPACT / EFFECTS OF INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION 

The industrial revolution was a great landmark in the history of the world. It revolutionized the industries and deeply affected the economic, social, political and cultural lives of the people.

Economic effects

1.        Large scale production – The use of machinery and division of labor helped to produce goods on a large scale. Goods were now manufactured more rapidly, cost of production was low and production of goods was standardized. Therefore people could get quality goods at cheaper rates.

2.        Development of banking – The progress in industry and commerce was responsible for the growth of Trading Companies which carried on their business with the help of banks. The agriculturalists also required loans for the improvement of agriculture. This led to the development of banks.

3.        National and international markets – The different governments began to levy heavy taxes on imported goods in order to safeguard their national industries. This led to the development of national markets. The industrial revolution also led to the production of goods on large scale which necessitated export to other countries. Thus, the import export business led to the development of international markets.

4.        Growth of Capitalism – Capital means money or any other form of wealth including land, machines and factories, used productively in business. A capitalist is an owner or manager of such wealth, land, machinery and other means of production. He invests his wealth, owns machines and factories, employs skilled as well as unskilled workers, buys raw materials and transforms them into finished products and sells them at a handsome margin of profit. Capitalism, thus, is a business system in which capital as well as capitalists are the sole controlling factors. The industrial revolution led to the development of capitalism and made capitalists the supreme masters.

5.        Capitalist and Laboring Class – The industrial revolution created two new types of classes – the capitalist class and the laboring class. The masters of industries, the managers of mills and the proprietors of workshops were capitalists, who amassed great wealth by a high margin of profit on goods sold and paying very low wages to workers and compelling them to put in long hours of work in their factories. The laboring class acted merely as a tool in factories. Under these conditions, the poor people became poorer and the rich became richer. Thus the gap between the capitalists and workers went on widening with the passage of time. This caused social disharmony.

6.        England rolled in wealth – England, the mother of the industrial revolution began to roll in wealth on account of industrialization. She became a leading country in the field of industry, trade, commerce and finance, so much so that, she was not only able to withstand the strain of the various wars she participated in, but could also afford to give financial assistance to those countries that approached her.

 

Social effects

1.        Urbanization of culture – The most harmful effect of the industrial revolution was on family life. Before industrial revolution all members of the family helped the head of the family in the family profession. But after industrial revolution, the father and sometimes the whole family shifted to the city in search of employment. The shifting population led to the growth of new cities in Great Britain such as Manchester, Sheffield etc., which became centers of industry, trade and commerce. City life broadened the outlook of people and culture, and civilization became more urban in character.

2.        Development of City Slums – With the establishment of factories, cities got overcrowded, partly because of migration from villages and partly because of high birth rate. The shortage of houses in cities forced many families to stay in slums. These slums caused fevers and a variety of diseases and premature deaths.

3.        Women and children in factories – Factory owners employed women and children on a large scale as they were thought to be more docile and nimbler than men and exploited them by paying low wages for long working hours. They were treated cruelly.

4.        Immorality – There was moral downfall of society and incidences of crime and prostitution increased. The women and children imitated the vices of men and began to drink alcohol more than was necessary.

5.        Unemployment – There was widespread unemployment, as not all those who came to the cities could find work, and many of the industries were seasonal. Job security was nonexistent.

6.        Comforts and luxuries of life – The inventions in the various fields during the period of industrial revolution multiplied the comforts, conveniences and luxuries of life. Life became more convenient and luxurious. New means of transport and communication, railways etc proved to be a boon to mankind.

Political effects

1.        England was the birthplace of the industrial revolution and so it became a dominant power in world trade.

2.        European countries search for new markets for surplus manufactured goods and their need for raw materials led to the rise of imperialism and the economic exploitation of colonies.

3.        Capitalists became the political leaders of the world because they had a large number of colonies under their control, and they had gained enormous wealth from the colonies

4.        Nationalism and Internationalism arose as a result of industrial revolution, which also acted as the trigger of globalization.

5.        Political ideas and Isms such as Marxism, Socialism, Communism etc spread as the various sections of society affected by the revolution tried to uphold their own interests

 

Cultural effects 

The industrial revolution gave an impetus to literary activities. Some of the classics it inspired are ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, ‘David Copperfield’ and ‘Oliver Twist’ by Charles Dickens.