This book explores the effects that the British Industrial Revolution had on Bengal's traditional industries in the first half of the nineteenth century. Although colonial ambivalence is often cited as an explanation, this study also shows that a series of new industries emerged during this period.
The book reappraises the thesis of India's de-industrialisation, and discusses the development status of those traditional industries in the early nineteenth century, examines their technology, employment opportunities and marketing, and finally, analyses the underlying reasons for their decay. It offers a study of how traditional industries transcended to modern enterprises in a British colony, and contributes to the broader discussion on the global history of industrialisation.
