CBSE Class 8 Answered

Following are five important causes of the Industrial Revolution:

1. Congenial Atmosphere - After the Renaissance and the Reformation, there was an atmosphere of relative freedom of thought and expression in England. This increased the scope for experimentation since government and Church interference had reduced. The conditions were just right for the Englishmen to think of new methods of production in different fields. As a result, there were a large number of inventions made by the British scientists.
2. Colonial Empire - England had developed a large colonial empire. The colonies served as an unlimited source of cheap raw material for factories as well as a ready market for British manufactured products.
3. Availability of Natural Resources - Iron; which was used in making machines, and Coal; which was used as fuel for running machines, were available in huge quantities in England. The availability of these two helped to a great extent in the development of industries. England’s geographical location was also suitable for world trade. The climate of England was moderate and suitable for the development of the textile industry.
4. Increase in the Demand for Goods - British manufactured cheap goods like woolen and linen cloth, iron and wood articles were in great demand as a result of the capture of colonial markets. In order to meet this increased demand, new machines and new techniques of production were developed by inventors.
5. Availability of Labour - After the breakdown of the feudal system and the conclusion of the Agrarian Revolution, a large mass of peasants had found themselves unemployed. These peasants and landless workers began to migrate to cities in search of work and became readily available as a labour force.