Chapter+2-+Colonial+India

Chapter Overview: What lead up to Colonial India, what it was like, and how it effect the history of India.
 * Colonial India**

Pre-Colonial India Before colonization by the European powers, it had very little contact to the western world due to it’s geography. Although the southern half of the country is bordered by water, there was no direct waterway connecting it to Europe easily. Also, to the north are the Himalayas and various deserts, making it India very separate from Europe and the rest of Asia. This made relations with non-Indian cultures more open, but more difficult, as India was protected by its geography, but hard to contact. India has had a long and varied history. Ranging from the early **Indus Valley Civilizations**, to the Aryan Civilization, and it’s peak during the **Gupta Empire**. **Sanskrit**, an ancient Indian language and basis of Hindu and Buddhist writings brought by the Aryan Migration, was developed around the 4th century BC. One of the most pivotal events before **colonization**, The Gupta Empire enters a golden age of prosperity and unprecedented development in the fields of science and art. However, India soon began to decline in the **Mughal Empire** in which the divide between Muslims and Hindus arose, weakening the central government and it’s ability to unify the country. It was one of the last empires be fore and during the colonization of India by Britain Before the colonization of India by the British, India has had many other nations take up trading posts in their land. European powers such as the Dutch and French had set up ports and other trading ports in India, as well as extending their influence into the country itself. However, none of them ever extended their control into the government too far. This changed when the East India Company, a London based trading company in charge of most of the English Colonies, took prominence.

The East India Company During the 18th and 19th century, **imperialism** dominated Europe, expanded various European power’s influence all across the globe. One of the major reasons the British wanted to colonize India was to secure resources and trade routes, as well as to prevent other European powers from cutting the British off from its India and South-East Asian interests. Many important trade routes from China and East Asia must either cross though the north of Indian, or though the Indian Ocean. During the years leading up to the entire colonization of India, the British had rivalries with other competing European powers in India, especially with the French and the Netherlands and French. The British focused much of their attention in the **East India Company**, who had it’s own army and influence. The company was supported by the British government, and enforced British Interests. Beginning around 1758, The Company, along with some British Navel forces, expanded their control throughout India in the Seven Year’s war, the Anglo-Mysore Wars, and the Anglo-Maratha Wars. These pivotal events, expanded British colonial rule even further into India, and by 1818, it had extended their control to most of India south of the Sutlej River. The company’s primary purpose was to gather resources and oversee the **spice trade**, a trade route from Asia and India to that of Europe that mostly trade various Eastern Spices. Many British colonial cities, such as Calcutta, were major trading and industrial centers for the British trade in India and the rest of Asia as well. However, it also oversaw the opium trade into China, which would eventually lead to the Opium Wars. With the ever-increasing rise of the Industrial Revolution though the western would, India supplied Britain with many raw resources and luxury items now in higher demand as more people gained wealth. Although the British Government did not directly control the company, it did have a huge overall influence. However, the many native Indians and Sepoys, India soldiers who were apart of the East India Company’s army, were angry over the harsh laws imposed on them and intolerance by the British. When a law was passed that was particularly offensive to many Hindus and Muslims, it started a rebellion in 1857, called the Sepoy Rebellion. When the Sepoy rebellion ended in 1858, the British Parliament passed the Government of India Act of 1858, which removed the East India Company from government power. These pivotal events lead to the change of power of Colonial India from the East India Compantto the direct British Government, **The British Raj.**

British Rule: The British Raj Up until 1858, the British Government had never directly rule India, but instead focused their influence though the East India Company. However, after the Sepoy rebellion in 1858, the British decide to take direct control of the Indian Colony. This then formed the British Raj, the British Government that presided over the colony in India. Many of its goals pretty much remained unchanged from that of the East India Company. They were mainly there to oversee the spice trade and gather resources. However, British Influence and rule extended even further into Indian culture. Now, public schools, hospitals, government buildings, and other public and government institutions were set up. There was also an increase in the amount of roads, pipes and railways in India, built by the British to speed up transportation and improve infrastructure. One of the most important aspects the British did was the laying of the expansive railways and roads across India, which is now used widely by many to transport goods or people. This helped India a lot and benefited the people, and to quote Curson, the Vicory of India in 1892:

"I do not see how Englishmen, contrasting with India as it is with what it was or might have been, can fail to see that we came her in obedience to what I call a degree of Providence, for the lasting benefit of millions of the human race." (James, p219)

The military also started to enlist Indians under the British flag, and fight in British wars. One of the most notable and pivotal events in Colonial India’s history under the British Raj was World War I. Thousands of Indians fought for the British in the British Army, against the Turks and Axis Powers in the Middle East and North India, and to a lesser degree in World War II. Another pivotal event was the increase of farming and mining done. During much of the 19th century, Britain was depended on India for raw goods, such as cotton, tea, etc. Many of the raw materials that were produced or gathered in India were then further shipped off to far away nations. This caused a massive increase of large-scale farms and small industries for years to come. However, this also caused large-scale famines though India, mainly due to mismanagement by local authorities and too much emphasis on nonfood-based agriculture, which became known as the **Indian Famines**. Many other events, such as the Amritsar Massacre, including these events were pivotal in the leading up to Indian Independence.

The Effects of Colonialism The British Raj would remain in power for about a century, lasting from 1858 to 1948. However, their effect on Indian society as a whole would last for years and helped shape what is today modern India. One of the most immediate impacts of the Colonization of India was that it had untied the country. India was never completely united by one ruler or nation, and this changed dramatically when Britain unified the subcontinent. India for a long time, and still is, a divided country in terms of religion, that still continues to this day. However, it was still important, as it was a huge step in the creation of modern India’s geography and reach. Another effect of the colonial rule was the economy. Previously, India was an agricultural society, with few educated jobs or high-end businesses. With the introduction of the British, India began developing in the manufacturing and industrial divisions. Later in the 20th century, India has a dramatic growth in economy, with in no small part thanks to the British. Finally, one of the most influential aspects the British had on India was its government. When the British colonized India, they brought along a new form of government, constitutional democracy. During the early 20th century, India was looking towards self-governance and independence, many leaders and organizations had to decide on what form of government the country should take. Many decided to mimic that of the British government, which had a parliament and a prime minister. Thanks to the British presence, it was easier for them to set up such a government, and not have to change too much in its political structure. This is one of the most important impact on modern India, shaping it into what is today the largest democracy on earth. Chapter Review: What was the main purpose of colonizing India and what effects did it have on India then and now? What was the differences between the East India Company and British Raj? What is Imperialism and how did it effect India?

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Slide Show of various pictures of Balochistan, a region in Pakistan, including various leaders and British families. http://www.desivideonetwork.com/view/d1bhe8455/british-colonial-rule-in-balochistan/

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