The History of Shipbuilding in India
In the present era, the shipbuilding industry is being dominated by players from the US, European, and Eastern Asia. But there was a time in the ancient past, when shipbuilding in India was a major and thriving industry.
Some of the most important aspects of the Indian maritime history can be recounted as follows.
Ancient India
The maritime history of Indian shipbuilding begins right from the time of civilisation in Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. The Rig-Veda – one of the four Vedas (Hindu holy writings) – documents about the variously termed parts of a vessel in the oldest existing Indian language: the Sanskrit.
Also, other detailing about the ancient marine industry is documented in the Arthashastra and various other writings of the ancient Indian folk-lore. In the context of these documentations, it needs to be noted that the ancient maritime India was also majorly influenced by the then-prevailing system of societal superiority.
Since the boats of that era were built of wood, there were stringent specifications and protocols laid down for the materials to be used. There were also numerous other superstitious beliefs that were documented in a book known as the Yuktikalpataru, regarded to be published around the 6th century AD.
The shipbuilding industry in India was mainly carried on in the coastal territories like Bombay, Cochin, Tuticorin, Mandvi and Cuddalore. The ships and the shipyards that existed in Ancient India were used to carry out and further the existing international trade with the then existing European empires. In addition to the European empires, trading through the oceanic routes also existed between India and some of the other South Asian territories
Colonisation
With the advent of the European voyagers like Vasco da Gama in the 13th century, shipbuilding in India suffered as these voyagers laid the foundation stone of colonisation in the country. However due to the political alliance formed between the Indian rulers in the Western part of the country to counter the shipbuilding and naval efforts of the Westerners, shipbuilding in India saw a resurgence of sorts towards the 17th century.
But during the British colonisation of the country in the 17th and 18th century, because of lack of competent rulers to hold the Indian maritime industry fort, Indian shipbuilding suffered. This lack of competence from the Indian perspective also ensured a further oppression for the Indians from the British rulers.
But while on one hand the Indian shipbuilding industry suffered a backlash, construction of several British ships were awarded to the Indian ship yards which kept alive the hopes and promises of the Indian ship construction industry in the chaotic times.
Present Scenario
The Indian shipbuilding industry does not feature among the top Asian nations in the shipping sector. This deficit in its international contribution has been taken as a majorly problematic area by the Indian government and all efforts are being made to change this debilitative statistics.
A very important aspect of the Indian shipbuilding sector however, is about its ship breaking yard located in the Western state of Gujarat. Alang has around 170 yards of which 50 are currently functional as ship breaking yards. Yet, because of lack of proper infrastructural support from the government authorities, the condition of the workers in the ship breaking yard is really poor and remains an arena needing to be addressed as a priority.
The Indian peninsula enables a strong viability for the marine industry. Owing to certain factors, while the full potential of the same has been failed to be capitalised contemporarily, it can be hoped that in the days to come, the situation will be substantially reversed.
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The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. While we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
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Please write correctly about the cause of Decline of Shipbuilding Industry in India. The British rather encouraged shipbuilding at Calcutta, Bombay, Cochin, etc. They gave contracts to the Indian shipbuilders to construct warships, transport and load-carrying ships. There were more than 200 warships in the Royal Navy, they were better and sturdier than other European warships for being built of teakwood that could withstand enemy cannon balls much better than the other European oak-wood ships.
The large carrying capacity of Indian built ships also helped the British merchants in transporting large quantity of goods.
It was the British government that stopped the shipbuilding in India. Please refer to the following:-
Board of Directors of East India Company records:
“The workers at the London port were among the first to make hue and cry and said that ‘all our work will be ruined and families will starve to death.’ All the fear and respect that the Indian seamen had towards European behaviour was lost when they saw our social life once they come here. When they return to their country, they will propagate bad things about us amongst the Asians and we will lose our superiority and the effect will be harmful.”
British Parliamentary Committee under Chairmanship of Sir Robert Peel:-
“Despite agreement amongst the members of the committee on the basis of this report, a law was passed in 1814 according to which the Indians lost the right to become British sailors and it became compulsory to employ at least three-fourth British sailors on British ships. No ship which did not have a British master was allowed to enter London port and a rule was made that only ships made by the British in England could bring goods to England. For many reasons, there was laxity in enforcing these rules, but from 1863 they were observed strictly. Such rules which would end the ancient art of ship building were formulated in India also. Tax on goods brought in Indian ships was raised and efforts were made to isolate them from trade. Sir William Digby has rightly written, ‘This way, the Queen of the Western world killed the Queen of the Eastern Oceans.’ In short, this is the story about the destruction of the Indian art of ship-building.”