NCERT Class 8 History Solutions: Weavers, Iron Smelters and Factory Owners Chapter 7 | Part 1

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NCERT Class 8 History Chapter 7: Weavers, Iron Smelters and Factory Owners -Examrace|English

Question 1:

What kinds of cloth had a large market in Europe?

Answer:

• Cotton and silk textiles had a large market in Europe. Indian textiles were famous for its fine quality and exquisite craftsmanship. Chintz, bandanna, jamdani etc. were some varieties of cloths which were sold to the people in Europe. There was also the demand of Indian cotton textiles with printed floral designs in the European markets.

Question 2:

What is Jamdani?

Answer:

• Jamdani is one of the finest muslin textiles on which decorative motifs are woven on the loom particularly in grey and white colures.
• They are woven generally with cotton and gold threads.

Question 3:

What is Bandanna?

Answer:

• The word “bandanna” originally referred to variety of brightly coloured cloth which was produced through a method of tying and dying. Currently, ‘bandanna’ refers to brightly coloured printed scarf for the neck or the head.

Question 4:

Who are the Agaria?

Answer:

• Agaria are a community from Chhattisgarh. They were the expert iron smelters in the Chhotanagpur plateau.

Question 5:

Fill in the Blank:

(a) The word chintz comes from the word ________.

(b) Tipu՚s sword was made of ________ steel.

(c) India՚s textile exports declined in the ________ century.

Answer:

• The word chintz comes from the word chhint.
• Tipu՚s sword was made of Wootz steel.
• India՚s textile exports declined in the nineteenth century.

Question 6:

How do the names of different textiles tell us about their histories?

Answer:

Tracing the origin of the names of certain textiles is interesting as it tells about the history of the textiles.

• Muslin: European traders first encountered fine cotton cloth from India carried by Arab merchants in Mosul in present-day Iraq. They began referring to all finely woven textiles as “muslin”.
• Calico: When the Portuguese first came to India in search of spices they landed in Calicut on the Kerala coast in south-west India. They took back to Europe cotton textiles which they called “calico” (derived from Calicut) and subsequently calico became the general name for all cotton textiles.
• Chintz: It is derived from the Hindi word chhint, a cloth with small and colorful flowery designs.
• Bandanna: now refers to any brightly coloured and printed scarf for the neck or head. Originally, the term derived from the word “bandhna” (Hindi for tying), and referred to a variety of brightly coloured cloth produced through a method of tying and dying
• Other cloth and textiles from India were named and ordered by their place of origin: Kasimbazar, Patna, Calcutta, Orissa, Charpoore.
• The widespread use of these words shows how popular Indian textiles had become in different parts of the world.