The concept of proto-industrialisation challenges the traditional view that industrialisation began with the factory system. Instead, it points to a period of large-scale industrial production for international markets that existed before the first factories were established. This production was not factory-based but was a dispersed system involving a complex web of commercial relationships.

1.Rural Manufacturing

Merchants moved to rural areas to sidestep the powerful urban guilds that had a monopoly over specific trades. In rural areas, merchants could freely recruit peasants and artisans to work for them.

2.Symbiosis With Agriculture

The proto-industrial system allowed peasants to supplement their shrinking agricultural incomes with manufacturing work, offering a more efficient use of their labour resources. They could cultivate their small plots of land while also engaging in some form of manufacturing for extra income.

3.Exploitation Of Common Lands

The privatisation and enclosure of common lands meant that the traditional livelihoods of peasants were disrupted. Proto-industrial production came as a relief for those who were struggling due to the loss of common resources.

4.Complex Supply Chain