Proto-Industrialisation

1. What term do historians use to describe the phase of industrialisation before the establishment of factories?  

   a) Post-industrialisation  

   b) Proto-industrialisation  

   c) Neo-industrialisation  

   d) Urban industrialisation  

   Answer: b) Proto-industrialisation  

   Explanation: Proto-industrialisation refers to the phase before the establishment of factories when production was done in rural households for international markets.

2. Why did merchants in Europe move to the countryside during the 17th and 18th centuries?  

   a) Lack of demand in towns  

   b) Better machinery in villages  

   c) Restrictions imposed by urban guilds  

   d) Cheaper transportation  

   Answer: c) Restrictions imposed by urban guilds  

   Explanation: Urban guilds controlled production and restricted new merchants from setting up businesses, forcing them to shift to rural areas.

3. Which of the following was NOT a feature of proto-industrialisation?  

   a) Home-based production  

   b) Use of simple tools  

   c) Centralised factory systems  

   d) Production for international markets  

   Answer: c) Centralised factory systems  

   Explanation: Proto-industrialisation involved decentralized, home-based production, not factory-based centralised systems.

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 2. Relationship Between Town and Countryside

1. In the proto-industrial system, where were most merchants based?  

   a) Rural areas  

   b) Port cities  

   c) Towns  

   d) Remote villages  

   Answer: c) Towns  

   Explanation: Merchants were based in towns while the actual production was carried out in the countryside.

2. What role did merchants play in the proto-industrial system?  

   a) Manufacturing goods  

   b) Training artisans  

   c) Supplying raw materials and managing production  

   d) Restricting international trade  

   Answer: c) Supplying raw materials and managing production  

   Explanation: Merchants provided raw materials, advanced payments, and managed the production process, while peasants and artisans handled manufacturing.

3. Which of the following cities was known as a finishing center for cloth in England during proto-industrialisation?  

   a) Manchester  

   b) Birmingham  

   c) London  

   d) Liverpool  

   Answer: c) London  

   Explanation: London became known as a finishing center where the final stages of cloth production took place before being exported.

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 3. Impact on Peasants and Artisans

1. Why did poor peasants and artisans in the countryside agree to work for merchants?  

   a) High agricultural income  

   b) Abundance of common lands  

   c) Decline in agricultural opportunities  

   d) Industrial growth in rural areas  

   Answer: c) Decline in agricultural opportunities  

   Explanation: Enclosure of common lands and limited agricultural opportunities forced peasants and artisans to seek alternative income through proto-industrial production.

2. What benefit did proto-industrialisation provide to peasant households?  

   a) Elimination of agricultural work  

   b) Opportunity to migrate to cities  

   c) Supplementary income alongside farming  

   d) Complete independence from merchants  

   Answer: c) Supplementary income alongside farming  

   Explanation: Peasant households could continue farming small plots while earning additional income from proto-industrial work.

3. What was the main challenge for peasants after the enclosure movement in Europe?  

   a) Shortage of labor  

   b) Overproduction of crops  

   c) Loss of access to common lands  

   d) High agricultural taxes  

   Answer: c) Loss of access to common lands  

   Explanation: The enclosure movement led to the disappearance of common lands, forcing peasants to find new income sources.