Cotton: The Fabric That Made the Modern World

469 Pages·2013·53.153 MB·English

by  Giorgio Riello

Cotton
Today’sworldtextileandgarmenttradeisvaluedatastaggering425billion
dollars.Wearetoldthatunderthepressureofincreasingglobalisation,itisIndia
andChinathatarethenewworld-manufacturingpowerhouses.However,thisis
notanewphenomenon:untiltheindustrialrevolution,Asiamanufacturedgreat
quantitiesofcolourfulprintedcottonsthatweresoldtoplacesasfarafieldas
Japan,WestAfricaandEurope.Cottonexploresthisearlierglobalisedeconomy
anditstransformationafter1750ascottonledthewayintheindustrialisationof
Europe.Bytheearlynineteenthcentury,India,ChinaandtheOttomanEmpire
switchedfromworldproducerstobuyersofEuropeancottontextiles,aposition
thattheyretainedforovertwohundredyears.Thisisafascinatingandinsightful
storywhichrangesfromAsianandEuropeantechnologiesandAfricanslaveryto
cottonplantationsintheAmericasandconsumerdesiresacrosstheglobe.
giorgio rielloisProfessorofGlobalHistoryattheUniversityofWarwickand
amemberofWarwick’sGlobalHistoryandCultureCentre.HeistheauthorofA
FootinthePast(2006)andhasco-editedseveralbooks,includingTheSpinning
World(2009),HowIndiaClothedtheWorld(2009)andGlobalDesignHistory
(2011).In2010hewasawardedthePhilipLeverhulmePrize.

COTTON
The Fabric that Made the Modern World
GIORGIO RIELLO
cambridge university press
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Firstpublished2013
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Riello,Giorgio.
Cotton:thefabricthatmadethemodernworld/GiorgioRiello.
pages cm
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
isbn978-1-107-00022-3(hardback)
1.Cottontextileindustry–History. 2.Cottontrade–History. 3.Cotton–History. I.Title.
hd9870.5.r54 2013
338.4′767721–dc23 2012034005
isbn978-1-107-00022-3Hardback
CambridgeUniversityPresshasnoresponsibilityforthepersistenceor
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CONTENTS
Listoffiguresandcolourplates vii
Listofmaps xxi
Listoftables xxii
Preface xxiv
Abbreviations xxviii
1
Introduction:globalcottonandglobalhistory 1
Part I The first cotton revolution: a centrifugal system,
circa1000–1500
2
Sellingtotheworld:Indiaandtheoldcottonsystem 17
3
‘Woolgrowingonwildtrees’:theglobalreachofcotton 37
4
Theworld’sbest:cottonmanufacturingandtheadvantageof
India 59
Part II Learning and connecting: making cottons global,
circa1500–1750
5
TheIndianapprenticeship:EuropeanstradinginIndiancottons 87
6
Newconsuminghabits:howcottonsenteredEuropeanhouses
andwardrobes 110
7
FromAsiatoAmerica:cottonsintheAtlanticworld 135
8
Learningandsubstituting:printingcottontextilesinEurope 160
vi/Contents
Part III The second cotton revolution: a centripetal system,
circa1750–2000
9
Cotton,slaveryandplantationsintheNewWorld 187
10
CompetingwithIndia:cottonandEuropeanindustrialisation 211
11
‘Thewolfinsheep’sclothing’:thepotentialofcotton 238
12
Globaloutcomes:theWestandthenewcottonsystem 264
13
Conclusion:fromsystemtosystem;fromdivergenceto
convergence 288
Notes 296
Selectbibliography 371
Index 395
FIGURES AND COLOUR PLATES
Thefollowinglistoffiguresalsoindicatesthoseillustrationsthatarereproduced
incolour.Colourplatesarelocatedbetweenpages228and229.
1.1 ComparativeGDPpercapitainChinaandWesternEurope,
1400–2050.Source:AngusMaddison,TheWorldEconomy:A
MillennialPerspective(Paris:DevelopmentCentreStudies,2001),
p.44. 9
1.2 Explainingdivergence:between‘exceptionalism’and‘contingency’.
Sources:DavidS.Landes,TheWealthandPovertyofNations:Why
areSomesoRichandOtherssoPoor?(NewYork:W.W.Norton,
1998);E.L.Jones,TheEuropeanMiracle:Environments,Economies,
andGeopoliticsintheHistoryofEuropeandAsia,3rdedn
(CambridgeUniversityPress,2003);JoelMokyr,TheGiftsofAthena:
HistoricalOriginsoftheKnowledgeEconomy(PrincetonUniversity
Press,2002);JoelMokyr,TheEnlightenedEconomy:AnEconomic
HistoryofBritain,1700–1850(NewHaven,CT:YaleUniversityPress,
2009);RobertC.Allen,TheBritishIndustrialRevolutioninGlobal
Perspective(CambridgeUniversityPress,2009);MaxineBerg,‘In
PursuitofLuxury:GlobalHistoryandBritishConsumerGoodsinthe
EighteenthCentury’,P&P132(2004):85–142;MaxineBerg,Luxury
andPleasureinEighteenth-CenturyBritain(OxfordUniversityPress,
2005);PrasannanParthasarathi,WhyEuropeGrewRichandAsiadid
Not:GlobalEconomicDivergence,1600–1850(CambridgeUniversity
Press,2011);KennethPomeranz,TheGreatDivergence:China,
EuropeandtheMakingoftheModernWorldEconomy(Princeton
UniversityPress,2000). 9
viii/Listoffigures
2.1 Cottontextilefragment,resist-dyedandmordant-dyedredand
resist-dyedblue,fourteenthcentury.ProducedinGujarat,India,and
excavatedinOldFustat,Egypt.39.5×23cm.PresentedbyProfessor
PercyNewberry,1946.AshmoleanMuseum,Oxford,EA1990.1129.
(Seecolourplate.) 18
2.2 Cottoncloth,block-printedwithresistandmordant-dyedblue,
producedinGujaratc.1340(plusorminusfortyyears)andtradedto
theSulawesiIslandsinSoutheastAsia.VictoriaandAlbertMuseum,
purchasedwiththeassistanceoftheArtFund,IS.96–1993.
(Seecolourplate.) 19
2.3 Cottonsash(patka)producedinBurhanpur.Printed,paintedand
dyedcotton,eighteenthcentury.VictoriaandAlbertMuseum,
IM.311–1921. 22
2.4 Ceremonialhangingwithahuntingscene.Blockprintedand
mordant-dyedcotton.MadeinGujaratfortheIndonesianmarketinthe
styleofaGujaratisilkpatola,lateseventeenthtoeighteenthcentury.
VictoriaandAlbertMuseum,IS.97–1990.(Seecolourplate.) 28
2.5 Jacket(baju).Paintedmordant-dyedandresist-dyedcottoncloth
producedontheCoromandelcoastandtailoredintoajacketin
Sumatra,lateeighteenthcentury.VictoriaandAlbertMuseum,
purchasedwiththeassistanceoftheArtFund,IS.101–1993.
(Seecolourplate.) 28
2.6 RaiSurjanHada,therulerofRanthambhor,northwestIndia,
submittingtotheMughalemperorAkbar(r.1556–1605)in1569.This
scenefromtheAkbarnama(BookofAkbar)wasdesignedbythe
MughalcourtartistMukundandpaintedbyShankar;itshowsthe
profusionoftextilesusedbythecourt.VictoriaandAlbertMuseum,
IS.2:75–1896.(Seecolourplate.) 31
2.7 PagefromanalbumofsketchesofcostumesofSouthIndia.Opaque
watercolourwithletterpress.Companyschool,c.1842.(cid:2)C The
TrusteesoftheBritishMuseum,AsiaDepartment1951,1006,0.1.7.
(Seecolourplate.) 32
3.1 AcottontreeasdepictedbyJohnMandeville. 38
ix/Listoffigures
3.2 (aandb)Twonineteenth-centurypaintingsinCompanystyle
representingginningwithacharkhaandthebowingofcotton,1851.
23×18.7cm.(cid:2)C TheTrusteesoftheBritishMuseum,London,funded
bytheBrookeSewellPermanentFund1984.0124.1.1.44and
1984.0124.1.1.56.(Seecolourplate.) 51
3.3 Bowing:technologicaldiffusion(numbersarecenturiesCEofinvention
anddiffusion).Source:seeChapter3,notes68–76. 52
3.4 Anineteenth-centurypaintinginCompanystylerepresentingthe
spinningandweavingofcottonyarn,1851.23×18.7cm.(cid:2)C The
TrusteesoftheBritishMuseum,London,fundedbyBrooke
SewellPermanentFund1984.0124.1.1.35.(Seecolourplate.) 53
3.5 Thespinningwheel:technologicaldiffusion(numbersare
centuriesADofinvention/adoption).Sources:seeChapter3
notes77–84. 53
3.6 Treadle-operatedmulti-spindlewheelusedfordoublingcottonyarn.
IllustrationfromShui-chuanta-fang-chhe(1313),1530edition,ch.25,
p.9a;reproducedinDieterKuhn,ScienceandCivilisationinChina,
vol.V,ChemistryandChemicalTechnology.PartIX.Textile
Technology:SpinningandReeling(CambridgeUniversityPress,1998),
p.217. 54
3.7 Water-poweredmultiplespinningframeusedinChinaprobablyfor
ramie,IllustrationfromShui-chuanta-fang-chhe(1313),1530edition,
ch.20,pp.17ab;reproducedinDieterKuhn,ScienceandCivilisation
inChina,vol.V, ChemistryandChemicalTechnology.PartIX.Textile
Technology:SpinningandReeling(CambridgeUniversityPress,1998),
p.228. 55
3.8 ‘WeaverSeatedataLoom’.Paintingonmica,Companyschool,
c.1800–50.(cid:2)C TheTrusteesoftheBritishMuseum1989,1225,0.18,In
MemoryofMrsDick.(Seecolourplate.) 57
4.1 Brushdrawingoftheweaver-saintKabir.Colourwashonpapermade
inPanjab(Pakistan),latenineteenthcentury.VictoriaandAlbert
MuseumIM.2:59–1917.(Seecolourplate.) 60