Meaning of Industrial Revolution:-
- By the middle of the 18th century, a series of remarkable inventions led to an economic revolution in England which transformed the entire economy and society.- This great and radical transformation in industry which fundamentally altered all the methods, techniques and organization of production and distribution is known as the Industrial Revolution.
Features of Industrial Revolution:-
- Domestic system of production was replaced by the factory system.
- Manual labour was replaced by the machines.
- Small-scale production gave way to large scale production.
Causes of the Industrial Revolution in England:-
- Surplus Capital:- Surplus capital from trade and commerce used in setting up new industries.- Stable Government:- Political stability led to economic growth.
- Agricultural Revolutions:- Consolidation of landholdings, newer agricultural methods and new machinery sparked agricultural revolution.
- Availability of Cheap Labour:- Mechanization of agriculture and Enclosure Movement led to unemployment of farmers who migrated to towns and cities in search of employment in factories. They provided cheap labour to the industries.
- Availability of Coal and Iron:- Coal and iron were available in abundance in northern England which led to many industrial towns and cities in this region.
- Major Inventions:- Lancashire became the centre of the cotton industry. New machines and better transport facilities and communication improved the textile industry.
Name of Inventors and their Inventions
1. Hargreave - Spinning Jenny
2. John Kay - Flying Shuttle
3. Cartwright - Power Loom
4. Eli Whitney - Cotton Gin
5. Newcomen - Pump
6. James Watt - Steam Engine
7. Davy - Safety Lamp
8. George Stephenson - Steam Locomotive
9. John Macadam - Road building technique
10. Thomas Edison - Incandescent Lamp
11. Graham Bell - Telephone
12. Marconi - Telegraph
- Naval Supremacy:- With the help of a powerful navy, England had acquired a large number of colonies which were used as suppliers of cheap raw material and as ready markets for finishedproducts.
Spread of the Industrial Revolution:-
- After the revolution in England, other countries such as France, Germany, USA and Japan followed the same suit.
-USA surged ahead of Britain (England).
- Germany progressed after its unification in 1871.
- Russian countries came up after Russian Revolution in 1917.
- Japan was the first Asian country to become industrialized.
Impact of Industrial Revolution:-
Economic Impact:-
• Urbanization: - Growth of towns and cities.
• Factory System: - Manufacture of machine made goods on a large scale.
• Division of Labour:- Rise of a labour class that performed a specialized
task.
• Capitalism and Economic Disparitv:- Division of society into haves
(capitalists) and have-nots (workers).
• Expansion of Trade and Commerce:- Larqe-scale production of goods and
increasing profits made the industrialized nations rich and prosperous
which led to competition among them to acquire colonies in distant land.
• Socialism:- Social equality by owning the means of production by society
and no private ownership of capital.
Social Impact:-
• Social Inequality:- Gap between rich capitalists and poor workers.
• Harsh Living Conditions of the Workers:- Overcrowded cities and slums without paper sanitation facilities which led to diseases and epidemics.
• Exploitation of Workers:- No job security, low wages, employment of women and children in deep and dangerous coal mines, no compensation, stressful working and living conditions led to decline of moral values.
-Political Impact:-
• Rise of Capitalists:- Wealthy and powerful capitalist class as a dominant force in the British Parliament which influence the government policies.
• Trade Unions:- Formation of united trade unions in response to exploitation of workers which made the government to pass several factory laws to improve their conditions and grant them their rights.
Rise of Imperialism:-
Meaning of Imperialism:-
• Imperialism is a policy of extending a country's power and influence to other countries through the use of military force, colonization or other means.
Causes of Imperialism:-
• Industrial Revolution sparked off colonization in India and Africa.
• Colonies were to serve as sources of raw material, markets for finished products and fields for investment.
Impacts of Imperialism:-
• Intense rivalry, fierce competition, numerous wars among imperial powers.
• International tensions and crisis which led to First World War.
• Conquering India which became a colonial economy of the British in the 19th Century.