DADABHAI NAOROJI: THE BENEFITS

OF BRITISH RULE, 1871

British has ruled over the South Asia for a long period of time throughout which they have changed the
trends and systems of the Nation. There were many benefits and detriments of British rule in India
(according to Dadabhai Naoroji). In this time, British Government improved the movement of people and
goods. The market access was made pretty easier and eventually it has led to the start of the trade from
Indian market to the other regions of the world. They even improved the transportation system of India by
facilitating the construction of roads and the railways.

British has benefited the Indian community the most in the field of Humanity. Abolition of suttee and
infanticide, destruction of dacoits, thugs and pindarees. They also started the practice of remarriage of
Hindu-widows and charitable aid is give in the times of poverty to those who need it. In the field of
civilization, they allowed the education for both men and women. Politically, they spread peace and order
everywhere. Freedom of speech and the press, with higher political knowledge and desires. There was
even equality in justice of men and women. Also, the life and property were secured. They also benefited
India through the loans of railroads and irrigation to increase its development, along with the Indigo, tea,
coffee and silk. Trough all these, there was an amazing increase in export of these goods. Generally, there
was a growing desire to treat India equally and hold the country with value. Britishers told that India has
achieved the greatest glory ever in the history of the world.

Now having a look to the controversial side, for the Humanity, Indians claim that nothing is in their
favour or to their side. For the civilization, there was nothing much done as it might have been done at
that time. Although, so many things were still done. On the Political side, Natives complaint that they
were not given their share of administrative and political power, which was earlier promised by the
Britishers. There was also a disregard for the natives and they were even not treated as the British
subjects. Indian people also faced financial crisis in this era as the taxes imposed by the British
Government were much higher. There was also no proper way for the peasants to pay in a proper manner.
Materially, there was impoverishment and exhaustion of the country. Poverty was also spread among the
majority of the Indians. At this time, there was also a political drain of over 500,000,000 at even the
lowest calculations, in the principal alone, in which the interest would cross over thousand millions. This
was continued later and at present it is somewhat more than 12,000,000 with having the tendency to even
increase more. In short, India was only a bit relieved by the rails and irrigation loans. There was also a
loss of manufacturing industry and the skills. India was also downed in the debt of 100,000,000 with the
political debt and also the home charges and the British Exchequer contributed only 3000,000 to the
expense of these colonies.
Overall, it is clear that though British Government imposed heavy taxes on Indians, it has provided them
with modernised thinking and customs by abolishing all the social evils like suttee and others. It has even
made Indians to learn about the trades, exportation of goods from one country to the other and also
earning huge profits from it. They made the Indians to learn about the development of Indigo, tea, coffee
and silk. They even improved the transport system of the country by introducing the railway system in
India, which made the transport of people and goods pretty easier from one place to the other but they
imposed heavy debts on the shoulders on India, on the other hand. The natives also called the British
system as “ Sakar ki Churi”, which means the knife of sugar. Though it is smooth and wet, but it is a knife
indeed. They were held responsible for the decline and downfall of the industrialisation and the skills in
India. They played a major role in the development as well as the declination of the countries in some
specific fields.

WORK CITED:

From: Dadabhai Naoroji, Essays, Speeches, Addresses and Writings, (Bombay: Caxton Printing Works, 1887), pp.
131-136.

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