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You know how industrialisation sounds like a boring chapter full of machines, mills, and dates? But once you actually get into it, you realise it’s not just about factories - it’s about people. Workers losing jobs, industries rising and falling, and countries changing forever.
The Age of Industrialisation tells the story of how production shifted from homes to factories, how workers struggled during this change, and how countries like India were affected under British rule.
In this blog, we’ve broken down the Class 10 The Age of Industrialisation summary and notes in a way that actually makes sense - no heavy language, no overthinking, just clear explanations you can remember in exams.
History chapters can get confusing when you’re jumping between random sites and half-explained notes. This blog cuts through all that. You get a clean chapter breakdown, important ideas explained properly, and just the stuff you actually need before an exam.
These Class 10 The Age of Industrialisation notes are designed to make revision easier, not stressful. No heavy textbook talk, no unnecessary details - just clear explanations that actually stay in your head.
Before we jump into the details, here’s the big picture: the Age of Industrialisation didn’t begin overnight with factories and machines. It slowly evolved through different stages, each changing how people worked, earned, and lived their daily lives.
Before big factories and machines came in, production was already happening - just not in factories. This phase is called proto-industrialisation.
Merchants supplied raw materials to peasants and artisans, who worked from their homes or small workshops. Farming alone wasn’t enough to support families, so this extra work helped them earn more. It also helped merchants avoid strict guild rules in towns. So basically, large - scale production existed before factories - just in a very different form.
Factories began to appear in Britain around the mid-18th century. Cotton became the first big industry of this new era.
One major name here is Richard Arkwright, who invented the water frame and played a key role in developing the factory system. Machines were placed under one roof, which meant better control, faster production, and cheaper goods.
But here’s the important part - factory growth was slow. Even by the mid-19th century, less than 20% of Britain’s workers were employed in factories. Many people still worked from home or small workshops.
We often imagine industrialisation as something fast and dramatic - but that’s not true.
Only a few industries like cotton and iron saw rapid change. In many others, traditional methods continued for a long time. New inventions like the spinning jenny and power loom transformed textiles, and steam engines became symbols of progress - but they weren’t used everywhere immediately.
Industrial growth was uneven, slow, and depended on demand, cost, and availability of labour.
In Victorian Britain, labour was cheap and easily available. There were many unemployed people looking for work.
Machines were expensive, difficult to maintain, and not flexible. Demand for goods was also seasonal, so employers preferred hiring workers when needed and letting them go later.
That’s why hand labour remained important, especially for luxury goods. For a long time, machines did not completely replace humans.
For workers, industrialisation was not easy at all.
They faced:
When machines replaced skilled workers, many people lost their jobs. This led to protests like the Luddite Movement (1811–1817), where workers destroyed machines they believed were taking away their livelihood.
Now you know that Industrial progress came with a heavy human cost.
India had a long tradition of handloom and craft industries. Indian cotton and silk fabrics were famous across the world.
But British rule changed everything.
Cheap, machine-made British goods flooded Indian markets. Indian industries struggled because trade policies favoured Britain. As a result, many Indian weavers lost work and income.
Still, Indian handicrafts didn’t disappear completely. Some artisans adapted by using new techniques or focusing on local markets.
Indian factories began to grow after the 1850s.
Indian industries got a boost during:
Indian businessmen played a major role in industrial growth.
Here are the names that stand out:
The Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) was set up in 1907 at Jamshedpur. Even then, Indian industrialists faced restrictions under British rule and didn’t get the same support as British companies.
Most factory workers in India came from villages and had no prior industrial experience.
They:
Workers were recruited through jobbers, who often exploited them by demanding money or favors in return for jobs.
Success in the market wasn’t just about price or quality.
Branding helped shape consumer choices.
Q1. How were Indian weavers affected by British industrialisation?
Ans. Indian weavers lost their markets as cheap machine-made cloth from Britain flooded India, causing poverty and unemployment.
Q2. What were the early industries in India?
Ans. Cotton and jute textiles were the first major industries in India, followed by coal, iron and steel.
Q3. Who were jobbers in factories?
Ans. Jobbers were middlemen who recruited workers for factories, often exploiting them for money or personal favours.
Q4. How did technology change during the Industrial Revolution?
Ans. New machines like the spinning jenny, steam engine and power looms made production faster and cheaper.
Q5. What was the role of Indian entrepreneurs in industries?
Ans. Merchants like Dwarkanath Tagore and Parsis set up mills and banks, though they faced restrictions from British policies.
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