The economic impacts, military conquest, as well as the implementation of Christianity and education were major factors contributing to the domination of India by Britain between 1757 and 1858. In essence, the British Empire is perceived as one of the biggest formal empire that the world had ever come to see.
Its economic, political and military power as well as influence extended all over the world; shaping and manipulating the diverse cultures considerably. The British Empire employed diverse political channels to gain over the natives or new colonies.
Some of these approaches concerned the creation of protectorates, colonies, dominions, mandates, as well as the exploitation of company rule. Along these lines religious, education and economic factors were in most instances given a greater consideration in regard to overcoming the lands controlled by the empire 1.
Practically, by controlling the masses through the dynamics of military, religion and economic supremacy the empire had a vivid picture of what she needed in India. Therefore, the period beginning from the wake of 1758 to 1558 is marked with what can be termed as British hegemony in India.
Overview
India was the largest as well as the longest colony dominated and equally exploited in regard to British conquests. With its rich fields, the British generated the incalculable plunder as well as profit 2.
This included becoming the base for Asiatic expansionism where the British exploited India citizens in her countless wars. Hence, the British Empire viewed India as her foundation of strategic objectives including being the key fulcrum of the empire as well as its global and local dominance.
This resulted in a trail of destruction where the Indians were subject to hunger, poverty, exploitation and diseases. Coupled with advanced production technologies the British abused the nation’s natural resources and equally destroyed the established economic frameworks.
Hence, the British dominance is plagued by economic abuses as well as military warfare and the conquest of Indian knowledge through religion and education.
Economic impact
Exploring the past history of India the British rule had a tremendous effect on the India’s economy. The major reason the British established a political control in India was chiefly linked to the exploitation of both economic as well as commercial circumstances of this nation.
The Britons anticipated instituting a colonial market allied to the British products. This illustrates why the British economic impact was both harmful and equally devastating.
This can be allied to the fact that the British Empire exploited the extreme and complicated techniques to exploits India’s economic reserves 3. This resulted in the country experiencing spells of extreme hunger, poverty as well as low income.
From a historical perspective, India’s major source of income was the land. The land was typically exploited for agricultural purposes.
It is from such an understanding that the British took over the authority concerning the land revenues as well as the land usage. This step played a central role in as far as British dominance was concerned in India.
Through the use of company rule, the British also began to control the country agriculture under the eye of East India Company. Though, the British desired that they attain cheap raw materials for their industries from India, the East India Company employed diverse but oppressive and repressive approaches to contain the peasants 4.
Therefore, it can thus be argued that the British influence on the land illustrates why they dominated India for such a long period. This is due to the fact that land played an integral role in the India economy.
Therefore, by controlling land they also controlled the resources which included the labor force. Hence, this setting resulted in what can be described as civilizing agenda in India. Through colonialism the Indians were subjected to British economic aspects which revolved with the concepts of capitalism.
The subsequent demonstrates that the British longed to influence the India’s political culture. However, this lead to the British handling the India’s economic segment. Equally, the introduction of rule of law, private property, as well as the aspects of western education including the individual freedom fuelled the manner the British remained in India.
Thus, it is from such observation that the Indian economic progress was hijacked and the British introduced their ideals. Therefore, by prohibiting the aspects of communal land use the British managed to colonize the Indians and more so exploit their resources for their own advantages.
It should be noted that by weakening the India’s economy they enjoyed a master-slave relationship. And this gave the Britons a considerable sway over Indians.
From the manner the British established her authority in rich Bengal province is also replicated in other Indian territories which were under East India Company.
By establishing complex trade within the Indian economy the British Empire ascertained that the traders enjoyed the effective rule provided by the Mughal emperors. In essence, by providing secure economic frameworks made the British dominance to be stretched in other areas of India’s economy resulting in the century old dominance.
It should also be noted that India proved to be a reliable pool of cheap labor as well as abundant resources which fuelled the growing British economy. Hence, by establishing the westernized economic platforms through East India Company, the British managed to influence the nation’s economy including some of the ruling dynasties.
Implementation of Christianity and education
Despite economic manipulation the British Empire also recognized that by controlling the community believes and perceptions the chances of controlling the masses remained higher. From such an observation it became essential for the East India Company to seek ways of maintaining the British Empire supremacy.
It is through the introduction of Christianity and education as the major British ideals among the Indians. This was done through forced conversion as well as forced schooling in some areas. It ought to be noted that the Indian traditions were viewed as despotism by the British.
And this made it paramount for them to establish structures which were favorable and could be manipulated. In essence, the ravenous interest in India materialized with the onset of trade undertaken by the East India Company.
The company was not only involved in commerce but it also became the ruling force in India. Hence, through tribal wars and annexations a considerable ratio of India was under the company’s control. Therefore, those under the jurisdiction of the company were thus expected to follow the queen’s religion without questioning.
In order to have control on the Indians the British exploited the aspect of emotional as well as intellectual colonization, this was tied to administrative colonization. The purpose of this objective was to pool the elite segment of the greater Indian community to the British culture, ideology as well as education.
This allowed the British to psychologically shape the India’s mindset. This is well demonstrated by the fact that the 1833 charter recognized English as the official language.
Despite that the British governments choose and exploited the academic system as a tool for reinforcing her missions. The British thus fortified their dominance by advocating the westernized education as being the most apposite and beneficial to the nation.
Basically, the British ideologies as well as their superiority over the oriental knowledge maintained the empires influence. It is thus through the use of English that facilitated the implementation of both Christianity and education 5.
These two features were extremely exploited to shape the political, economic as well as social scope of India. Hence, from such an approach the British churned translators as well as clerks to work in her Indian colony. Eventually, this translated in offering British education to the natives who were later used as judges as well as collectors.
The purpose of this class which was formulated under the scope of Christian faith was to help in matters regarding administration.
To sustain the tempo of its dominance the British government opted to consider Christianity as the vehicle by which the natives could be educated. To gauge the pulse of the populace they exploited the implementation of education as the medium of connecting the Indians with the British authorities.
Christianity was exported to the Indians as a superior supported with financial inducements the British managed to attract the poor Indians and hence converting them. The approach of implementing Christianity was allied to the scope of winning the natives.
The British exploited the religious impact to drive the natives into unfamiliar religion. This was followed by the establishment of churches in almost every region of India. It is through such seamless efforts of implementing Christianity that such port towns as Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai attained such great prominence 6.
Exploring the innate relationship between Christianity and education one cannot fail to note the impact the two had in sustaining the British dominance in India.
By introducing European education the British had one thing in mind to contain and change the Indians mindset. The British failed to supply adequate manpower to support her latest colony with its infrastructures.
Hence, the Indians who had attained British education were absorbed into the empires system. It should be noted that the British thus promoted the western education so as to sustain the presence and her dominance.
Also the natives were convinced that the British education would bring equality.
This promise which was fuelled by the implementation of education atheistically reacted to the British promise. That is why the native reform organizations as well as religious trusts rapidly established academic institutions along the British lines.
This saw the emergence of anglicized India citizens who were tied to the British perception. In essence, this considerably fuelled the British dominance in India. Despite that those who were converted to Christianity and had attained the westernized education sustained the British stay.
This can be allied to the fact that the British had introduced Christianity as well as western education as the key features of governing the natives. Therefore, these factors illustrates that the western education was seen to be essential towards the British anticipation to reshape the country.
British based education served to blend together the codes of authority and traditions. Basically this brought forth the prestige as well as status to the individuals who were perceived to speak the queen’s language.
Typically, the British had managed to control the Indian knowledge and the manner they were worshipping. And this considerably made them to continue pressuring the natives who were not yet civilized as the Britons.
Hence, one famous British administrator asserted “We must do our best to form a class who may be interpreters between us and the millions whom we govern, a class of persons Indian in blood and color, but English in taste, in opinions, words and intellect”.7This demonstrates why the British Empire was after cheap labor, but effective.
This resulted in a situation where they created an economically affluent colony which was creating colossal wealth including cheap labor. Though, in essence the British were implementing Christianity and education while anticipating making India a purely agrarian economy.
Due to this consideration the British persisted in their desire to reshape the nation. And after the East India Company was stripped the mandate of running the British India, the British authority continued stamping its authority by absorbing the natives to run the administrative duties under her supervision.
Military conquest
British military conquest as well as the dominion of India basically refers to British Raj in regard to the Indian subcontinent. Also this touches on the areas controlled by the crown as well as the regions administered expressly by the United Kingdom.
Most historians assert that the British or the East India Company managed to conquer India due to her military superiority. Also it is argued that the flourishing mistrust among the Indian regimes provided a fertile ground for manipulation.
Despite that the company had better and superior military intelligence. More so, the Indian regimes were practically short-sided and had no plan for long-term effects of the company. The company had run its operation in India since the dawn of 17th century but on commercial dispensations.
However, the poor and unstable political circumstances ushered in the era of military dominance. The military was employed to guard the company’s trade including protecting its commercial settlements. However, with the time the local regimes were attracted by this arrangement.
Hence, gradually they began to approach the company seeking military intervention in their disputes. However, the major twist was fuelled by the rivalry involving the French company for local political influence. This resulted in the East India Company getting involved in India’s politics.
For instance, in the wake of 1775, after the clash with the Nawab of Bengal, the company fought and won the Battle of Plassey, and the years later the company managed to consolidate its supremacy in Bengal. Also, it overcame and launched as a client domain, the North Indian state of Awadh.
Despite the company’s military aggressiveness there were also other equally strong military establishments. These players were the Marthas, and Mysore.
The ascendancy of the company to military dominance was facilitated by the technological support from the British to the company. This arrangement helped to weaken the company rivals paving a broader scope of British dominance.
In essence, India faced three military rivals, the Company, Mysore as well as Marathas. However, these forces were intermittently ever at war in diverse regions from the wake of 1760 to the dawn of late 1780.
However, East India Company being the representative of the British subdued other forces and it became the dominant military authority. This was achieved through weakening the rival armies.
The company thus illustrates the image of British dominance in India. This can be allied to the fact that British had superior war technology as well as advanced intelligence experts. With the well trained and disciplined forces they managed to reign and defeat forces that were against the Empire.
Looking at the manner the East India Company conquered such armies as Tipu it is evident that the British had no intention of leaving India. It is thus instrumental to point that the challenges which were fuelled by such military as Mysore necessitated the British to be militarily prepared.
Another notable factor that helped the British to be a major force in India regards alliance building. This involved bringing the rivals together while make sure their military capability was quite destroyed.
Therefore, with the natives being lured to join the British forces, the empire remained a dominant military power in India. And this is testified by the manner they local regimes were defeated and their territories occupied by the British.
Basically, the military involvement in British domination in India entailed a considerable deal which went beyond mere acquisition of India’s territories, destruction of the antique land, as well as the expansion of British commerce.
The British dominance can be allied to the conquest of knowledge, this also entailed charting the land as well as codifying the law. Thus the major role of the military was to subdue the defiant regimes or contain any emerging opposition.
It should be noted that the British anticipated making India an agrarian economy. Military supremacy paved way for the unchallenged dominance of British Empire in India. Without the military conquest the British dominance would have not taken root.
Therefore, as the political historians point the emergence of East India Company played a central role in preparing the military conquests which facilitated the British dominance.
The military conquest was thus tied to the principal of divide and rule. This involved exploiting the dynamics of expansionism and annexation. From such approach the British reinforced its presence and this culminated into what came to be recognized as British dominance in India.
Conclusion
The British occupation of India does not merely fall into any plain or simple model of imperialist expansionism. More so, India was not in essence seized by Britain as a consequence of cataclysmic defeat in any way, nor was it obtained through independent and deliberate policies by the British authority in London. In essence, British dominance in India is attributed to the gradual expansion of East India Company.
The company’s expansion which took almost over a hundred years helped in establishing the British dominance in India’s social, political, and economic spheres. From a social-economic perspective the British dominance is thus rooted in the manner diverse aspects such as economics, education, religion and commerce were linked.
Bibliography
Campbell, Sir Colin. Narrative of the Indian Revolt. London: George Vickers, 1858.
Collier, Richard. The Great Indian Mutiny. New York: Dutton, 1964.
Kaye, John William. A History of the Sepoy War In India. London: W.H. Allen & Co., 1878.
Keene, George. British Administration During the Revolt of 1857. New Delhi: Inter-India Publications, 1985.
Fenn, Robert. For the Old Flag: A Tale of the Mutiny. London: Sampson Low, 1899.
Stokes, Eric. The Peasant Armed: The Indian Revolt of 1857. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2003.
Ward, Andrew. Our Bones Are Scattered. New York: Holt & Co.2002.
Footnotes
1. Robert Fenn. For the Old Flag: A Tale of the Mutiny. (London: Sampson , 1899),200.
2. George Keene. British Administration During the Revolt of 1857. (New Delhi: Inter- India Publications, 1985), 130.
3. Eric Stokes. The Peasant Armed: The Indian Revolt of 1857 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2003), 173.
4. Andrew Ward. Our Bones Are Scattered. (New York: Holt & Co, 2002), 88.
5. Sir Colin Campbell. Narrative of the Indian Revolt. (London: George Vickers, 1858),26.
6. Richard Collier. The Great Indian Mutiny. (New York: Dutton, 1964), 103.
7. John William Kaye. A History of the Sepoy War In India ( London: W.H. Allen & Co., 1878),111.