The historiography of the Industrial Revolution has undergone a significant shift in recent decades. Earlier accounts focused almost exclusively on technological breakthroughs in Britain, such as the steam engine and the power loom, presenting the revolution as a sudden and uniquely European phenomenon. However, global historians now emphasize that the Industrial Revolution was made possible by the vast networks of trade and resources extracted from colonies in the Americas and Asia. They argue that the capital and raw materials provided by these colonies were essential for the development of the British textile industry. Furthermore, research into the 'great divergence' between East and West has shown that parts of China and India were as economically advanced as Europe until the late 18th century. This suggests that the rise of the West was not a result of inherent cultural or scientific superiority but of a specific set of geopolitical and ecological circumstances. While technological innovation was certainly important, it is now seen as part of a much larger, global economic system. Ultimately, understanding the Industrial Revolution requires a perspective that acknowledges the role of global inequality and colonial extraction.