SILK 



Trade 



INDIAN SILKS 



Revolution. 



Decline of 

 Bengal Supply. 



Appearance of 

 Waste Silks. 

 Indian Exports 

 Changed. 



Decline in Value. 



Haw Silk. 



Exports. 



from other parts ; while under thrown silk, the total receipts were 

 234,906 Ib. Twenty years later the corresponding figures were, total 

 imports 1,261,963 Ib., of which (raw silk) Bengal supplied 736,081 Ib. ; 

 China, 165,435 Ib. ; Italy and Turkey, 110,276 Ib. ; and other parts 

 8,216 Ib. ; with fully one quarter of the total consisting of thrown silk, 

 viz. 241,954 Ib. But shortly after a complete revolution took place. The 

 silkworm was acclimatised in both France and Italy, and immediately there- 

 after the demand for silk in Europe not only increased very rapidly but the 

 demand for the Indian fibre declined. The returns of the exports of raw 

 silk from Bengal to England about this time began also to manifest a new 

 feature, viz., it was referred to two sections, Company's and Private exports. 

 In 1805 the total exports came to 835,904 Ib., of which 460,303 Ib. were 

 made by the Company. In 1825 the total exports were 919,436 Ib., of 

 which the Company's share came to 699,230 Ib. In 1835 the total exports 

 of raw silk came to 727,535 Ib., of which the Company exported 721,509 Ib. 



From 1857, when the utilisation of waste silk began to be understood 

 and practised in Europe, the exports of India changed their character. 

 The returns rapidly manifested a decline in value, due largely to the 

 growth of the traffic in chasam (waste silk) and cocoons, in place of the 

 reeled silk of former times. In 1867-8 the exports of raw silk from India 

 were 2,226,201 Ib., valued at Us. 1,55,32,290. In 1877-8 the total ex- 

 ports from India were 1,512,819 Ib., valued at Rs. 70,35,493 ; in 1880-1 

 they were 551,000 Ib. reeled silk, plus 788,000 Ib. waste silk and chasam, 

 valued at 55 lakhs. Thus in twenty years from 1867-8, the exports de- 

 clined from a valuation of 1 millions to a million sterling. In 1900-1 

 the figures were 560,000 Ib. reeled and 1,031,000 Ib. waste, with a total 

 value of 51 lakhs. 



RAW SILK. 



It is not always possible to refer the traffic in Raw Silk to the two 

 important sections Wild and Domesticated, but where this can be done, 

 the proportion which the former bears to the total will be exemplified. 



Exports. The following table exhibits the Foreign Exports for the 

 past seven years, arranged under the three chief classes, viz. Reeled Silk, 

 Chasam or Waste, and Cocoons. 



1022 



