In the 18th century, the Industrial Revolution had significant influence worldwide, causing countries to compete against each other for industrial power. The British were the first to be heavily involved in industrialization, making huge technological advancements, which made them superior in strength compared to other countries. They made use of this advantage and sought to increase their power all around the world. Japan and India’s path to industrialization were caused by Britain’s influences. Japan was forced to open its trade ports to the Western powers in the mid-19th century, and India was colonized by Britain, which made them subject to factory work and exploitation. India and Japan from the 1880s to the 1930s both were similar in …show more content…
The amount of machine-spun yarn in India went from 151 million pounds in 1884, to 652 pounds in 1914 (Doc 1). In Japan, the production of cotton yarn was 5 million pounds in 1884, and 668 million pounds in 1914 (Doc 2). Both countries experienced a huge growth in their textile production due to the machinery that the Industrial revolution had brought. Machines were faster and more efficient than handwork, which made hand-spun yarn and cotton less of a common practice. The increase in Japan’s production was partly due to the Meiji government, which heavily promoted industrialization and the use of Western technologies to gain power. The government invested heavily in transportation networks such as railroads and ports, which helped to connect industrial centers and aid the movement of goods and …show more content…
In India, more men would be doing textile work, and in Japan, it was the majority of the female population working in textile factories. In the table shown, it shows that in India, about 20% percent of the labor force in cotton textile industries were female, while in Japan, it shows about 80% of the laborers were female (Doc 6). The difference in percentage was due to India’s cultural differences and gender norms, where it was common to see women in more domestic roles, taking care of the house, and raising children. In Japan, there was also the introduction of other industries, which were seen as more masculine jobs, compared to the textile industry. In the picture, three Indian men are working in an Indian textile mill (Doc 8). There were fewer females in the Indian cotton