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The earliest traces of cotton come from Mehrgarh’s Neolithic site in Pakistan. It was tragic that the subcontinent known for its textile throughout the ancient and medieval world took a backseat during the colonial period. It was in this context that the Bombay Spinning and Weaving Company’s cotton mill was floated.
Happened on 7th July 1854
A cabbage seller in some distant Indian town went to sleep one day. When he woke up the next morning, an announcement was made, ”Lo and behold! The industrial revolution is here.”
Well, this is certainly how the industrial revolution did not begin anywhere in the world. Like any other transformative process that left a deep impact on society, it also unfolded over a long time. It was only after decades had passed that humans realised how drastically their lives have been changed en masse.
When the countries of Western Europe were going through the process of industrialisation, India and other colonies did not witness a similar form of manufacturing boom or large scale prosperity.
The British intended to keep the country their source for affordable raw material and a market to make profits. Local producers were soon marginalised because they didn’t stand a chance against cheap mass-manufactured goods from Britain and thus the native market collapsed. During the colonial period, India’s production capacity was systematically destroyed.
But there were some affluent merchants who had made profits from export trading and were ready to have a slice of the industrial revolution. These were the first Indians to open factories and one of the most important of these was the Bombay Spinning and Weaving Company’s cotton mill that came into existence on 7 July 1854. This mill laid the foundation of the modern cotton industry in the country.
Cowaszee Nanabhoy Davar, the man behind the mill, belonged to the Parsi family that can be compared to the Tatas in their wealth and prestige. Alongside his associates, he opened multiple mills.
The first of these, Bombay Spinning and Weaving Company was located at Tardeo in South Bombay. Its foundation was laid on 7 July 1854 and the production with a capacity of 17000 spindles began in 1856.
This proved to be a milestone in India’s journey towards cotton manufacturing excellence. While this was the second mill of the country, it helped in the economic development of Bombay considerably. Many soon followed suit and various other cotton cloth manufacturing centres sprang up across the country.
These eventually contributed to the re-establishment of India as a global textile producer but it still fell short of the pre-colonial levels. It would take the nation many more decades to regain its lost glory.
Through and thorough, the number of mills increased and so did the country’s exports. In fact, it said that the word dungaree traces its origin from Dungri, where the cotton textile for this clothing item was produced.
India still has a long way to go in terms of manufacturing and gain a healthy momentum in developing the economy.
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