The Rise of the Jute Manufacturing Industry in Colonial India: A Global Perspective

The rise of a jute manufacturing industry in India presents a case where, with respect to the industrial production of jute and its share in the world market, a colony outstripped an imperial metropolis (Dundee, once known as "Juteopolis"). Ironically, this rise contributed to only limited growth of industrialization and capital accumulation in India. This study underscores the complex connection between colonialism and development by highlighting the interplay of forces that operated in the context of changing patterns of global trade and economy. It also outlines the role played by Indian raw jute in the growth of industrialization and capital accumulation in Dundee and the critical role of Indian jute products in balancing trade in the British empire.