India was seen as a country that could supply cotton to _____ if the American supply dried up.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Lancashire
India was seen as a country that could supply cotton to Lancashire if the American supply dried up, since it had suitable soil, a climate favourable to cotton and cheap labour.
NCERT (2026-27): “3.4 Then came the cotton boom … India was seen as a country that could supply cotton to Lancashire if the American supply dried up. It possessed suitable soil, a climate favourable to cotton cultivation, and cheap labour. When the American Civil War broke out in 1861, a wave of panic spread through cotton circles in Britain. Raw cotton imports from America fell to less than three per cent of the normal: from over 2,000,000 bales (of 400 lbs each) in 1861 to 55,000 bales in 1862. Frantic messages were sent to India and elsewhere to increase cotton exports to Britain.…” |