Sugarcane, jaggery, paddy, textiles and a small amount of silk business made Sindewahi prosperous.  But later, due to the economic imperialist policies of the British, the handloom business here, like other cities, came to a standstill.  The population of Sindevahi, which had a population of 4569 in 1881, was reduced to 3951 by 1891 due to migration and drought.  Due to two severe droughts and diseases in 1896 and 1899, the size of Sindevahi was halved in 1901 and only 2932 people remained, including more than half of the Telugu speakers.