Name: SHAHEDUL ISLAM ID:20-42081-1

SECTION:A2 A2

COLONIAL RULE IN INDIA

Our subcontinent had a plenty of natural resources. European countries were
competing with each other for natural resources.They competed for natural
resources such as gold, silk, and spices. Spices were especially valuable. Many
of these things could be found in India. Traders had to travel great distances
over land to get these natural resources. Transporting goods across these great
distances was costly.Everyone along the way had to be paid and wanted to
earn a profit. By the time the spices and goods reached Europe, they had to be
sold at extremely high prices. European Merchants knew that if they would
trade directly with people in Asia, they could make enormous profits. Europeans
began searching for a sea route to Asia. Some Europeans believed it was their
duty to spread the Christian faith throughout the world.

The very idea of the British Raj—the British rule over India—seems inexplicable
today. Consider the fact that Indian written history stretches back almost 4,000
years, to the civilization centers of the Indus Valley Culture at Harappa and
Mohenjo-Daro. Also, by 1850, India had a population of at least 200 million.
Britain had been trading in India since about 1600, but it did not begin to seize
large sections of land until 1757, after the Battle of Plassey. This battle pitted
3,000 soldiers of the British East India Company against the 50,000-strong
army of the young Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud Daulah, and his French East India
Company allies.

Britain, on the other hand, had no indigenous written language until the 9th
century CE (almost 3,000 years after India). Its population was about 21 million
in 1850.

After the Portuguese rounded the Cape of Good Hope on Africa's southern tip
in 1488, opening sea lanes to the Far East by piracy on ancient trade lines in
the Indian Ocean, the European powers strove to acquire Asian trading posts of
their own.

For centuries, the Viennese had controlled the European branch of the Silk
Road, reaping enormous profits from the sale of silk, spices, fine china, and
precious metals. The Viennese monopoly ended with the establishment of
European incursions in the sea trade. At first, the European powers in Asia
were solely interested in trade, but over time they became more interested in
acquiring territory. Among the nations looking for a piece of the action was
Britain.

Fighting began on the morning of June 23, 1757. Heavy rain spoiled the
Nawab's cannon powder (the British covered theirs), leading to his defeat. The
Nawab lost at least 500 troops, while Britain lost only 22. Britain seized the
modern equivalent of about $5 million from the Bengali treasury and used it to
finance further expansion.

The East India Company was primarily interested in the trade of cotton, silk,
tea, and opium, but following the Battle of Plassey, it functioned as the military
authority in growing sections of India as well.

By 1770, heavy Company taxation and other policies had left millions of
Bengalis impoverished. While British soldiers and traders made their fortunes,
the Indians starved. Between 1770 and 1773, about 10 million people (one-
third of the population) died of famine in Bengal.

At this time, Indians were also barred from holding high office in their own land.
The British considered them inherently corrupt and untrustworthy.
Many Indians were distressed by the rapid cultural changes imposed by the
British. They worried that Hindu and Muslim India would be Christianized. In
1857, a new type of rifle cartridge was given to the soldiers of the British Indian
Army. Rumors spread that the cartridges had been greased with pig and cow
fat, an abomination to both major Indian religions.

On May 10, 1857, the Indian Revolt began, with Bengali Muslim troops

marching to Delhi and pledging their support to the Mughal emperor. After a
year-long struggle, the rebels surrendered on June 20, 1858.

Following the rebellion, the British government abolished the remaining

vestiges of the Mughal Dynasty and the East India Company. The Emperor,
Bahadur Shah, was convicted of sedition and exiled to Burma.

Control of India was given to a British Governor-General, who reported back to

the British Parliament.

It should be noted that the British Raj included only about two-thirds of modern
India, with the other portions under the control of local princes. However, Britain
exerted great pressure on these princes, effectively controlling all of India.

Queen Victoria promised that the British government would work to "better" its
Indian subjects. To the British, this meant educating the Indians in British
modes of thought and stamping out cultural practices such as sati—the practice
of immolating a widow on the death of her husband. The British thought of their
rule as a form of "autocratic paternalism."

The British also created "divide and rule" policies, pitting Hindu and Muslim
Indians against one another. In 1905, the colonial government divided Bengal
into Hindu and Muslim sections; this division was revoked after strong protests.
Britain also encouraged the formation of the Muslim League of India in 1907.

During World War I, Britain declared war on Germany on India's behalf, without

consulting Indian leaders. About 1.5 million Indian soldiers and laborers were
serving in the British Indian Army by the time of the Armistice. A total of 60,000
Indian soldiers were killed or reported missing.

Although most of India rallied to the British flag, Bengal and Punjab were less
easy to control. Many Indians were eager for independence, and they were led
in their struggle by an Indian lawyer and political newcomer known
as Mohandas Gandhi (1869–1948).

In April 1919, more than 15,000 unarmed protesters gathered at Amritsar, in

Punjab.7 British troops fired on the crowd, killing hundreds of men, women, and
children, even though the official death toll of the Amritsar Massacre as
reported was 379.

When World War II broke out, India once again contributed hugely to the British
war effort. In addition to troops, the princely states donated substantial amounts
of cash. By the end of the war, India had an incredible volunteer army of 2.5
million men. About 87,000 Indian soldiers died in combat.

The Indian independence movement was very strong by this time, and British
rule was widely resented. Some 40,000 Indian POWs were recruited by the
Japanese to fight against the Allies in exchange for the hope of Indian
independence.11 Most Indians, however, remained loyal. Indian troops fought
in Burma, North Africa, Italy, and elsewhere.

Even as World War II raged on, Gandhi and other members of the Indian
National Congress (INC) demonstrated against British rule.

The 1935 Government of India Act had provided for the establishment of
provincial legislatures across the colony. The Act also created a federal
government for the provinces and princely states and granted the right to vote
to about 10% of India's male population.12 These moves toward limited self-
governance only made India more impatient for true self-rule.

In 1942, Britain sent an envoy to India, led by the British Labour politician
Stafford Cripps (1889–1952), offering future dominion status in return for help
recruiting more soldiers. Cripps may have made a secret agreement with the
Muslim League, allowing Muslims to opt out of a future Indian state.

The soldiers who had joined Japan and Germany in fighting the British were put
on trial at Delhi's Red Fort in early 1946. A series of court-martial trials were
held for 45 prisoners charged with treason, murder, and torture. The men were
convicted, but huge public protests forced the commutation of their sentences.

On August 17, 1946, violent fighting broke out between Hindus and Muslims in
Calcutta. The trouble quickly spread across India. Meanwhile, cash-strapped
Britain announced its decision to withdraw from India by June 1948.

Sectarian violence flared again as independence approached. In June 1947,

representatives of the Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs agreed to divide India along
sectarian lines. Hindu and Sikh areas remained part of India, while
predominantly Muslim areas in the north became the nation of Pakistan. This
division of territory was known as the Partition.
Millions of refugees flooded across the border in each direction, and up to 2
million people were killed in sectarian violence. Pakistan became independent
on August 14, 1947. India followed the next day.

The bristish rule in india completely changed the course of history in

india.british came to india at beggining of 17 century.it was the when british
east india company was established in india to break the dutch monopoly on
spice trades.with time east india companyincreased its power and started to
administer the country.however its policies were disliked by our indians and
they together revolted against the company.

British firstly occupied only some princely states of india but later all parts of
india came under the control of the british.they introduced railways,telegraph
and the postal service were the move to establish their rule permanantly in
india.

finally after 200 years of their rule india got independence on 15 august 1947
after a hard struggle of great leaders like gandhiji , bhagat singh , nehru and
many others.

British rule was very un pleasant and some were good. because of britishers
we lost our kohinoor diamond, peacock throne, our valuable resources, etc. we
were suppressed for about 200 years, we lost our forests, our original and
handloom industries, etc. we even got some benefit like railways even though it
was for their benefit then also we were profited, we got our proverb's original
meaning unity is strength, modern clothings, etc. overall it had some benefit
and huge disadvantages.

Many European ruled our subcontinent. We got many things and lost many
things. Finally, we got freedom in 1971.

THE END