British Cloth Boycott

1. British Cloth Boycott Tim Lee Daniel Kim Jay Kim Jason Kim

2. Before Imperialism: India • Indians used to buy and make clothing manufactured in their own country. • The cloth was called Khadi, and it was a homemade Indian cloth.

3. Britain Takes Over India’s Clothing Market • As the British imperialized India, India’s cotton was exported to the British. • After the British made clothing using Indian cotton, they exported it back to India. • This is how India got dependent on British cloth.

4. Monopoly • Since the British dominated the cloth industry, India had no choice but to buy British cloth. • Indians didn’t get to make decisions very much. (Where else would they get their cloth?)

5. One Solution: British Cloth Boycott • This was part of the “Civil Disobedience.” • Mahatma Gandhi started a fight against the British, through boycotting British clothing. • Supporters of Gandhi began to wear homemade clothing.

6. How? • Where else would you get your clothes, when you had no where to buy them? • You make your OWN. • Remember, India did make their own cloth before getting imperialized.

7. Gandhi suggested that boycotters should spin their own cotton to make clothes, for at least an hour a day.

8. What he did: • Banned Western clothing • By 1921 Gandhi simplified his robe/dress to totally white. Simple. • Promoted "Swardeshi" which is making home grown products.

9. The Gandhi supporters started burning British clothing. This was not very favored by Gandhi since he was a non-violent person. • Even in the congress or nationalist meetings, Gandhi spun clothes, and the sound of spinning could be heard in the meeting. • Until his death, he spun 200 yards of cotton each day.

10. Effects: • This weakened the economy of Britain since India was Britain’s one of the biggest market. • There were many causes for India’s independence, but the boycotting was one of the causes.