The Act of the British Parliament (1720) that banned the use of printed cotton textiles (chintz) in England was popularly known as the:

The Act passed by the British Parliament in 1720, which banned the use of printed cotton textiles (chintz) in England, was popularly known as the Calico Act.

Background:

• In the 17th and early 18th centuries, Indian cotton textiles became very popular in England and Europe.
• Indian calicos, chintz, muslins and other fabrics were fine, colourful, light and cheap.
• The word "calico" comes from Calicut (Kozhikode), the port on the Malabar coast from where the cloth was exported.

NCERT on the Calico Act:

• NCERT notes that by the early 18th century, worried by the popularity of Indian textiles, wool and silk makers in England began protesting against the import of Indian cotton textiles.
• In 1720, the British government enacted a legislation banning the use of printed cotton textiles, chintz, in England.
• Interestingly, this Act was known as the Calico Act.
• At this time, textile industries had just begun to develop in England.
• Unable to compete with Indian textiles, English producers wanted a secure market within the country by preventing the entry of Indian textiles.

Earlier and later measures:

• An earlier Act (1700) had banned the import of printed calicos, but plain calicos were still imported and printed in England.
• The Act of 1720 went further and banned the use and wearing of printed calicos.
• The Calico Acts were repealed in 1774.

The rise of British industry:

• NCERT notes that the competition with Indian textiles led to a search for technological innovation in England.
• In 1764, the spinning jenny was invented by John Hargreaves, which increased the productivity of the traditional spindles.
• The invention of the steam engine by Richard Arkwright (the water frame) and later James Watt revolutionised cotton textile weaving.
• Cloth could now be woven in immense quantities and cheaply too.

Results:

By the 19th century, British machine-made cloth flooded the Indian market, and Indian weavers lost both their export and domestic markets.

Why not the other options?

• ✗The Navigation Acts dealt with shipping, the Corn Laws with grain, and the Stamp Act with taxes in the American colonies.