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Describe major aspects of British Colonialism in India and its influence on the Indian population
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The British rule over India changed the course of history in India. The British came to India at the start of the seventeenth century. This was the time when the British East India Company was established in India to break the Dutch monopoly over spice trade. With time the East India Company increased its power and started to administer the country. However its policies were disliked by Indians and together they revolted against the company. This led to the downfall of the company and the administration of India went directly under the Queen.
By 1800, the Mughals had been reduced by British Military power to its former greatness. During the next few decades, the British sought to the control over the Indian sub-continent, expanding from their base areas along the coast into the interior. Some territories were ...view middle of the document...
The British captured many charitable states and formed laws and policies of their own. Slowly but rapidly the entire Indian sub-continent came under the British rule. By mid nineteenth century, the British introduced the railways, telegraph and postal service in India. This was a move to establish their rule permanently in India. The first railway line was Howrah in Calcutta to Raniganj in Bihar. The introduction of telegraph and postal services simplified communication all over the country. British rule also brought an end to some of the aspects of Indian tradition. The practice of Sati was outlawed, and widows were legally permitted to remarry.
The Indian people paid a high price for the peace and stability brought by the British raj. The most flagrant cost was economic. While British entrepreneurs and a small percentage of the Indian population attached to the imperial system gained financial benefits from British rule, it brought hardship to millions of others in both the cities and the rural areas. The British Textiles put thousands of Bengali women out of work and severely damaged the local textile industry.
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The British pass many acts that were met with dissatisfaction and resentment by the Indians. As a result the Indians formed large groups and revolted against the British. Each movement was brutally crushed by the British forces, leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lala Rajpat Rai, and Subhash Chandra Bose, arose and openly condemned the British. They were the people’s leaders who inspired the masses not to be afraid of the forces.
Finally after 200 years of British rule, India gained Independence from them on the fifteenth of August, 1947. Many innocent lives were sacrificed for this achievement and India was also separated from Pakistan spread incidents of brutality and horror in both the countries. But due to the leaders and the ever sacrificing masses, India was able to gain freedom from the British and progress till the present time.
World Civilization ii HS250
