Explain the concept of industrial Revolution.

Industrial Revolution, in modern history, the process of change from an agrarian and handicraft economy to one dominated by industry and machine manufacturing. This process began in Britain in the 18th century and from there spread to other parts of the world. Although used earlier by French writers, the term Industrial Revolution was first popularized by the English economic historian Arnold Toynbee (1852-83) to describe Britain’s economic development from 1760 to 1840. Since Toynbee's time the term has been more broadly applied. The main features involved in the Industrial Revolution were technological socioeconomic, and cultural. The technological changes included the following:

(i) The use of new basic materials, chiefly iron and steel,

(ii) The use of new energy sources, including both fuels and motive power, such as coal, the steam engine, e1ectricity, petroleum, and the internal combustion engine.

(iii) The invention of new machines, such as the spinning jenny and the power loom that permitted increased production with a smaller expenditure of human energy.

(iv) A new organization of work known as the factory system, which entailed increased division of labour and specialization of function.

(v) Important developments in transportation and communication, including the steam locomotive, steamship, automobile, airplane, telegraph, and radio, and 

(vi) The increasing application of science to industry. These technological changes made possible a tremendously increased use of natural resources and the mass production of manufactured goods.

The First Industrial Revolution: In the period 1760 to 1830 the industrial Revolution was largely confined to Britain. Aware of their head start the British forbade the export of machinery, skilled workers, and, manufacturing techniques. The British monopoly could not last forever, especially since some Britons saw profitable industrial opportunities abroad, while Continental European businessmen sought to lu1e British know how to their countries.

The Second Industrial Revolution: Despite considerable overlapping with the “old,” there was mounting evidence for a "new" industrial Revolution in the late 19th and 20th centuries. In terms of basic materials, modern industry began, to exploit many natural and synthetic resources not hitherto utilized: lighter metals, new alloys, and synthetic products such as plastics, as well as new energy sources. Combined with these were developments in machines, tools, and computers that gave rise to the automatic factory. Although some segments of industry were almost completely mechanized in the early to mid 19th century, automatic operation, as distinct from the assembly line, first achieved major significance in the second half of the 20th century.