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Difficulty: HardGlobal Spread of Industrialization

Source: Petition of the weavers of Dacca (Dhaka), Bengal, to the British Board of Trade, 1828.

"Our courts are now cold and our looms are silent. In former times, the cotton goods manufactured by the petitioners were exported to England and sold there, providing a livelihood for many thousands of families in Bengal. But of late years, the importation of British machine-made cotton yarn and cloth into India has increased to such an extent that the local markets are flooded with cheap British goods. The petitioners can no longer sell their hand-woven cloth at a price that allows them to survive. We are reduced to the deepest distress, and many of us face starvation."

The developments described in the petition best illustrate which of the following global economic transitions during the nineteenth century?

  1. The decline in the share of global manufacturing held by Asian states as Western industrialization expandedAnswer
  2. B
    The transition from coal-powered steam engines to petroleum-fueled internal combustion engines
  3. C
    The revival of mercantilist economic policies designed to maximize the accumulation of silver bullion by European states
  4. D
    The immediate migration of displaced Indian handloom weavers to European industrial centers to resolve factory labor shortages

Answer

The decline in the share of global manufacturing held by Asian states as Western industrialization expanded
The correct answer is correct because the industrialization of Great Britain's textile sector allowed British factories to mass-produce cheap cotton goods, which were then exported globally. This flooded markets in traditional manufacturing hubs like India, leading to deindustrialization and a significant shift in the global balance of manufacturing power away from Asia and toward Europe.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source to identify the regional context and the nature of the economic complaint.
The source is an 1828 petition from weavers in Bengal (India) describing how cheap British machine-made imports have flooded their local market and ruined their traditional handloom textile livelihoods.
Understanding the specific historical context and impact is necessary to connect it to broader global trends.
2
Connect the local deindustrialization of Bengal to the global spread of industrialization in the nineteenth century.
The rise of mechanized manufacturing in Western nations (specifically Great Britain) allowed them to outcompete traditional artisan manufacturing in non-industrialized regions, leading to a dramatic shift in global manufacturing dominance.
Linking local events to global patterns is a core cognitive skill in AP World History.
3
Evaluate the options to identify which macro-level economic transition is represented by the petition.
The correct option identifies the decline in the share of global manufacturing held by Asian states as Western industrialization expanded. The other options either refer to incorrect time periods (Second Industrial Revolution), incorrect economic theories (mercantilism), or incorrect migration patterns.
Ensures the selected answer is historically accurate and directly addresses the prompt's question.

Key Concept

Deindustrialization and the shifting shares of global manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution.
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Topics

Global Spread of Industrialization

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