Write the causes of decline of traditional cottage industries in India.

Causes of the Decline of Traditional Cottage Industries in Colonial India (De-Industrialization):

During the 19th century, British colonial economic policies systematically destroyed India's world-renowned artisanal handicrafts and cottage handlooms:

• 1. Influx of Machine-Made British Goods: Flooding of Indian markets with cheap, mass-produced textile factory goods from Manchester and Lancashire post-Industrial Revolution.
• 2. One-Way Free Trade & Tariff Discrimination: British imposed crippling import tariffs (up to 70–80%) on Indian handloom exports into Britain, while British goods entered India virtually duty-free.
• 3. Disappearance of Princely Royal Courts: British annexation of Indian princely states destroyed the primary royal patron class that commissioned fine muslins, silks, and artistic metalwares.
• 4. Colonial Drain of Raw Materials: British monopolized raw cotton and silk exports to feed English mills, creating severe domestic raw material shortages for Indian weavers.
• 5. Railway Penetration: Railways transported British goods to the deepest interior Indian villages, ruining local rural village self-sufficiency.