British Imperialism In India

As we discussed during lecture, in the late 1500s many European superpowers were competing with one another to colonize as much land as they possibly could. These European superpowers all had common motives: the desire to make money, increase foreign trade and number of raw materials; the desire to gain power and military force, and the ideological belief that Europeans were superior to other races, among others. Although European trade led to a turning point in the subcontinent, the British controlled India's culture, politics, economics, advocacy. Therefore, the harmful effects of British imperialism in India clearly outweigh the benefits.
Between 1815 and 1857, ideological differences between the British and native Indians led to increased …show more content…
These people tend to overlook the ethical explanations of the British Raj, and they look toward the economic advantages. They argue that the Raj brought money into the subcontinent by further opening India’s trading systems. Some may also argue that the Raj cared for the wellbeing of the Indian community. As Judd explains it, the Raj tried “to enforce law and order, [to] improve public health and public education, to advance irrigation schemes, and to deal with [problems] like famine control and agricultural efficiency (96).” During the Raj, India became an industrial superpower of the world (Judd 100). Despite the fact that money was being brought into India, the money was not for India; it always went to the Raj. Some people may also argue that India benefited from the establishment of the railway system and the cultural blend with the British. For example, many Indians became skilled at the English game cricket, and they adopted the English language. Although there were some economic advantages of the Raj, the East India Company exploited India and their riches. The economic advantages of the Raj do not constitute that the British did more good in India. This is simply because the British were only in India due to their selfishness and greed. As previously mentioned, the Raj took pride in being superior to the Indians. Lord Curzon acknowledged that India did not need the British, the British needed …show more content…
In retaliation to the East India Company in 1857, traditional Indians started a rebellion that included soldiers as well as civilians; this uprising is known as Mutiny (Judd 72). This can be connected to Robert Clive’s warning to the East India Company that we discussed during lecture. After Mir Kasim convinced Shah Alam to attack the British, the Mughals lost to Clive and the British. Clive warned: ultimately, if the British keep heading in the same direction, they will have no allies in India, and the Indians will unify and arm against them. Clive was correct, and the Indians did ally against the British as the Mutiny. Essentially, Mutinists wanted to make a statement to the East India Company that they could not keep abusing their family and friends. The Mutiny put many British men, women, and children in danger for their lives because they were extremists (Judd 72). Some Mutinists participated in the Cawnpore massacre of British women and their offspring. This also happened in towns like Lucknow and Delhi. During British retaliation, Mutinists were “shot down, bayoneted, or hanged (Judd 82),” to say the least. The killing, the hatred, the racism, and the discriminations continued and much blood was shed in the process. The British took some pride in the fighting with the Mutiny because it made them feel superior to the Indians. This ideological

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