ADALYA JOURNAL ISSN NO: 1301-2746

ORIGIN OF THE TEXTILE INDUSTRIES WITH REGARDS TO THE DEVELOPMENT IN DISTRICT

Smitha.K, PhD Research Scholar, Department of History, Government Arts College, Coimbatore, India, Email:[email protected])

ABSTRACT: Trade in Indian Textile was very ancient. It was in practice time immemorial. Coimbatore became a trade center where trade and commerce flourished. Kongu country had a very old history. It was known to the west as early as 1000 years B.C. The cotton Textile Industry was a cottage industry dating back to the Christian era. Also, it was a rural industry in the . The first textile mill called as “The Coimbatore Spinning and Weaving mill” was founded in 1888.Very soon many number of mills began to be started in and around Coimbatore district pertaining to the growth and developments of the textile mills. The textile mills had developed socio & economic conditions of the people as a whole in Coimbatore district.

KEY WORDS: Origin and growth of the cotton mills, spinning and weaving, cottage industry, economic changes, educational growth and social welfare up liftments.

INTRODUCTION: The Kongu country in which Coimbatore was a part of had a very old history. Wilkinson and Heath (1837) pointed o ut that the Kongu country was famous for steel from early times. The instruments made in Salem* were buried in the Egyptian Pyramids many centuries ago even BCE. (Salem Manual). The Kongu country was considered as a separate kingdom. M. Arokia Samy (1956) noted that different kinds of trade flourished there. So it was well known to the western countries during the Sangam age, which is also called as the ‘Augustan Age’ in South India. Harris Jennifer said that there are constant references to Indian Cottons and other textiles brought from Barygoza (Broach) near Gujarat. The cotton textile industry in India is of very ancient origin dating back to the Christian era. Even today it is solely confined in the rural areas. The industry has a historical back ground. It is mostly considered as a cottage industry or a small scale industry (Baliga 1966, p.585). The Coimbatore district is still retaining its hold on a large section of the population even agriculturists getting into textile related works as off seasonal occupation (Census 1951). Textile industry had grown enormously during the medieval period. It was found in the states of India. Towards the end of the 18th century, the Industrial Revolution had brought out many changes throughout the world. Vascoda Gama arrived in Calicut in 1499. After that many traders from Europe flooded to Indian territories for trade (Allan Wolsely and Rodwell 1969, p.481). The term of modern era in India started; when the British acquired monopoly overall trade in Bengal and Gujarat. The Indian cotton trade became a three continent spinning enterprise. “Cotton from India, Slaves from Africa and Sugar from the Caribbean moved across the planet in a complex commercial dance (Beckart). The Indian mill industry was started in 1818 by the founding of a mill by the British in Calcutta (Textile 1858, p1). The Second World War brought out many changes in the field of cotton textile industry. In South

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India, Madras State had been undergoing spectacular growth of the textile industry. The Buckingham and Carnatic company a famous textile unit was established in the Madras city in 1878(Textile Industry 1957, p.50). *Salem is one of the district in Tamilnadu, which is very famous Industry in India

Sir Robert Stanes, who settled in Coimbatore, founded the Coimbatore spinning and weaving mills in 1888.In 1900, the Mall Mills was established. The starting of the C.S&W. mills inspired other aspiring people to start such mills in Coimbatore town. Soon there were more than 36 cotton spinning and weaving mills established within a radius of seven mills from the heart of the town Coimbatore (Census 1951, p 69). In 1945 there existed 45 mills in Coimbatore district. The mills had employed 46,000 workers; of them 75% workers were employed in the Coimbatore (Baliga 1966). The establishment of such mills in the Coimbatore district automatically created sister concerns like Textool Company limited, The Rama Krishna industries Private limited, The P.S.G and Sons Charities Industrial Institute etc. as Auxiliary companies were created (Baliga 1966).The units produced textile mill tools and small machines like Centrifugal pumps, Electrical motors, Agricultural machineries etc.

WEAVING SECTOR: Both spinning and weaving were the integral part of the cotton textile industry. Like that of Spinning, weaving was also an oldest profession of the world. The handloom weaving industry was a Universal profession especially a hereditary one in India. Karunganni* variety of Cotton and the regular support of the spinners Association provided a new trend for the weaving industry in the Coimbatore district. Handloom weaving had been an important occupation of many people in Coimbatore district from time immemorial (G.O.2211, 1929). It was a full time profession for the people of the area. They had made it as a family profession. For example, not less than 63,700 people were doing the profession in 1950’s and 1960’s. In Dharapuram Taluk alone in Coimbatore district, 18000 people were engaged in weaving (Census 1951, p 13). The main weaving centers of the district were Coimbatore, Ondiputhur, Bhavani, Sennimalai, Sivagiri, Satyamangalam, Dharapuram, Puliampatti, Jalathur and Kundadam. Silk weaving was also an important profession in centers like Coimbatore and Dharapuram. Silk fabric was a part and parcel of the textile sector. The weaving of silk was practically skillful and lace was interwoven so as to appear on one side only. Fret work of all kinds with figures of parrots were finely woven with lace in the richest varieties.(Baliga1966, p.325).Eri silk is considered as vital fabric found and used by a designer from Hyderabad. Many varieties of silk were produced in Centers of Negamam, Jalathur, Pulavady, Malayandipattinam, Chennimalai, Kangeyam, Sivagiri etc. Different varieties of clothes were produced in Coimbatore District. Most of the yarn used here was a ready dyed item. Coimbatore District was famous for the Urumals of turban clothes which was the popular name of the variety. It was the combination of both cotton and silk mixed variety. These verities were produced in Coimbatore, Sathyamangalam and Mettupalayam (G.O.2296, 1940. p.13-16). Fine and nice upper grey and lace cloths were manufactured from best quality yarns 100 to 150 in Sathyamangalam, Jalathur, Pulavady and Erode. The Bhavani town in the Coimbatore District was famous for the production of fine cotton carpets (Baliga1966, p.327). The Bhavani carpets known as “ Bhavani Jamukalam” had won a first prize in the Annual Exhibition held in Madras in the year 1883 (Baliga1966). It was mostly exported to Bombay and Ceylon.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: The Coimbatore District soon attained developments almost in all fields due to the mushroom growth of textile mills. The speedy growth of education, communication, social welfare and patriotic fervor began to grow.

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Thanks to the origin and growth of mills in the District. First of all there was sudden rise of the Standard of living of the labour class. The wage earning class had attained an upliftment in the society which in turn made a nation building process. *Karunganni cottons was a peculiar type of cotton variety cultivated in Palladam, Avinashi, Dharmapuram and Gobichettipalayam in Coimbatore. The growth of communication network in the modern India played an important role in shaping her in the socio- economic field. During the British Administration around 1800 AD roads were constructed all over India. In the early period of incursions of the British there found not fully developed communication system. Moreover in the beginning stage the Textile Mills had to procure their raw materials, machineries, even man powers from their neighboring places. During the beginning of the 20th century there were hardly few roads and railway lines in the Coimbatore District. All such systems were developed in due course owing to the efforts of the British administration. Travelers were carried on the backs of bullocks and ponies (Census 1951, p 3-4). It is estimated that there was 3609 miles of roads in the Coimbatore District, consisting of National Highways, Provincial Highways, District roads and Municipal roads. All of these High way roads passed through important cities, towns and intermittent villages. Extension of roads was made because of the passing of the Madras Local Forest Act of 1871. The Act of 1884 created the District Boards and Taluk Boards which later developed both District Railway played an imminent role in the Coimbatore District. The total miles of railway lines formed was 202 ½ miles only. This was under the control of the South Indian Railway Company (Baliga1966, p.405).Both broad gauge and meter gauge railway lines were laid connecting important towns with Coimbatore, the head quarters of the Coimbatore District. Soon Coimbatore town became an industrial centre mostly because of the installation of textile units as spinning, weaving, cotton dyeing and bleaching units of both cotton and woolen processing units, Therefore a direct connection was established by means of ‘Chord line’ from Singanallur to Coimbatore for easy movements of textile products and goods of transport in 1939(G.O.2481, 1939).During this period Coimbatore town began to develop further. Chord Line was replaced by another Long Chord Line in 1953. It was from Irayur to Coimbatore north in the Coimbatore Mettupalayam line (Census 1951, p.4).

EDUCATION: Education is the back bone of a nation. During the early period of the British rule, education was important in the house of Verandah School in Coimbatore District. In 1813, the British Parliament sanctioned Rs One Lakh for uniform system of education in India. In 1822 Sir Thomas Munro then Governor of Madras state began a state wide education enquiry in the state of Madras (Baliga1966, p.432).Soon one Collectorate School and two Thahsildar schools were started in Coimbatore. During the academic year 1900-1901 there were 8 upper Secondary schools, 16 Lower Secondary schools, 22 Primary schools and 1243 Primary schools for boys and girls in the Coimbatore district. Soon the Coimbatore District was very much developed in the establishment of Panchayat Schools under District board, 17 schools under Municipalities and 36 schools under Missionary and other Private agencies. Mill owners like P.S.G. Groups started Arts College at Peelamedu in 1947. Another family founded Maharaja College in Erode. Sri.G.V.G. Vishalakshi College for women was started by another mill group in Udumalapet in 1952. Nirmala College for women was established in 1948(Report- Public Instruction 1950-51, p.25). Thus many schools and colleges even for women were started in the Coimbatore District owing to the growth of textile mills. Within a short period, the Coimbatore District became a hub of educational institutions.

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OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: Some of the Employers in the Textile mill sector had paid much attention for the welfare of their employees. They provided the housing facilities for their mill workers. But the Central and State Government had devised schemes as Industrial Housing Schemes for the construction of houses for workers. The Co Operative Societies of the Madras State announced loans with easy installments for the construction of houses. One of the notes worthy schemes of the State Government was the women’s welfare scheme. It was started in 1941. In 1948 a Women’s welfare Department was created with a women’s welfare officer. In 1955, a Director of Rural Welfare was appointed. This department rendered field work services like maternity services, industrial training, regular house to house visit pertaining to health hygiene, child care, nutrition, cooking, gardening and means of earning supplementary income by poultry farming, handicrafts etc, (Baliga1966, p.386-87). For the first time in 1938, the Court of Enquiry in Coimbatore recommended the Textile mills should set apart 5 percent of the net profits of each year for payment to all classes of workers as bonus (Raguraj Singh 1955, p.191). Also SIMA, South India Mill owner’s Association requested the member mills to pay bonus for the year 1947 to all workers including those who were retrenched as a matter of gratis payment, where mills declared dividend in 1947-1948 (Raguraj Singh 1955, p.191).It nearly amounted to 25%of the basic earnings of the Workers. The Coimbatore Industrial Tribunal finally decided to give six months bonus as against its early award of four months. It was believed and estimated that the textile mills had been enjoying bounding proximity that it could afford to increase the wages of the workers, systematically. In the early days all the mills were functioning with the help of steam power till the end of the year 1933(Census 1951, p.69). The Pykara Hydro Electric power generation in the Nilgiris was started in 1933 and was made available for the cotton mills at cheaper rate. It was a great boon for the mill industries in the Coimbatore district. Electrical supply under the Madras Electricity undertaking (Acquisition) Act XL III of 1949 was regulated for the unstopping supply of electrical power in the State of Madras (Baliga 1966, p.391).Thus the Madras state led all other states in rural electrification and a large number of villages in the Coimbatore District had been electrified till 31st March 1957(G.O.NO 162, 1951).

Table. I Consumption of Cotton in Mills (Sources: Mill Owners Association Bombay)

No. ofNo. of Spindles Looms Cotton Mills consumption 1. Madras State 104 24,37,579 9,528 8,12,804

2. Mysore 11 2,36,864 3,706 1,16,822

3. Kerala 10 1,36,504 718 51,316

4. Pondicherry 3 77,128 2,326 30,504

Total South India 128 28,87,895 16,278 10,11,536

Indian Unions 465 1,23,75,805 2,06,580 49,79,810

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CONCLUSION: The cotton textile mills played a very essential role to uplift the livelihood of common people in Coimbatore. The very important of the development is to enhance the standard of living of the people of this region. Poor people from various backgrounds enrolled themselves into the cotton mill industries which in turn advanced them in terms of having a quality life. The other areas like housing, education, and infrastructure have grown due to the invention of cotton textile industries. The growth in textile industries made a unique strategic position to Coimbatore in India which gave a tile named Cosmopolitan city.

BIBLIGRAPHY

Baliga B.S, Gazetteer of the Coimbatore District Vol.II

Harrison John B, Salivan Richard.E. Sherman Dennis, Short history of Western Civilization, McGraw Hill,

New York P.556

Nicholson P.A, Manual of Coimbatore District, 1887, Vol. II P.158

Administration Report of the Highways Department 1956-57 (Annexure 5).

Based on the information furnished by the Controller of Aerodromes Madras Region.

Census of India, 1951 Madras and Coimbatore Govt. Press, Madras P.2, PP. 7 -8, P. 52, PP.69-70.

Report of the Survey of Cottage Industries of the Coimbatore District P.2, p.16

Gazetteer of the Coimbatore District.

G.O. (Government Orders) GI Health Education and Local Administration 1951 Census Handbook, Coimbatore

District P.4.

G.O.No.3644 Public Works dated 28th Sep

G.O.M.S.No.1282, development dated 27th July 1929 also Gazette of the Coimbatore District Vol-II 1933 PP.142. 142

History of Indian Railways 1924 P.184.

Information supplied by the post and Telegraphs Department of Madras.

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