Why did iron production in India stop?

Rick · 23rd April 2005, 04:14 PM

I could agree with Tom , in that the idea for the colonizing powers was to open new markets for the products of their homeland/s .

A lot of the Great Game (aside from the potential invasion of India by Russia) was all about who got to sell their national wares in the disputed territories .

I would not be surprised if the British discouraged , or did not support , ore mining and smelting in India . That was not what they were after as they had plenty of good steel at home . England wanted the exotic stuff that only India and the Far East could offer .

I often wonder how prized the wootz of India really was to the English , they must have destroyed a hell of a lot of it when they broke up the nation states .

Why bother making steel in India when you had masses of unemployed at home who needed jobs ?

23rd April 2005, 04:14 PM	#4
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,336	I could agree with Tom , in that the idea for the colonizing powers was to open new markets for the products of their homeland/s . A lot of the Great Game (aside from the potential invasion of India by Russia) was all about who got to sell their national wares in the disputed territories . I would not be surprised if the British discouraged , or did not support , ore mining and smelting in India . That was not what they were after as they had plenty of good steel at home . England wanted the exotic stuff that only India and the Far East could offer . I often wonder how prized the wootz of India really was to the English , they must have destroyed a hell of a lot of it when they broke up the nation states . Why bother making steel in India when you had masses of unemployed at home who needed jobs ?