The Keys to British Success in South Asia

Submitted by: Sankalp Bibyan

Introduction:
For more than a century, the British had direct authority over the Indian subcontinent. How did a little
island country on the North Atlantic's edge come to rule over a far bigger continent? Sir John Robert
Seeley, a historian, stated that the British Empire was gained in "a fit of insanity" to illustrate that it
was achieved gradually. piece-by-piece. The following article looked at some of the key reasons why
the British were able to effectively capture and keep each "piece" of India. It also looked at the
conditions in India before the British came, including a collapsing central governmental power, strong
rivalry from European rivals, and Mughal neglect of some segments of Indian society. The British
also utilised economic dominance as a means of control. The article also highlighted how commercial
deals between the British and the Indians benefited the British. Military dominance was also crucial,
and the article describes how the British military's victory was due to more than just their
overwhelming might. Britain's formidable fleet, ability to pit Indian groups against one another, and
employment of indigenous troops were all important factors in military success.
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The Mughal Empire's Downfall

The majority of Indian subcontinent was held together by a patchwork of Muslim Mughal kings,
princes, and bureaucrats when the East India Company first arrived in India. For various economic,
political, and military reasons, the East India Company was seduced into a piecemeal purchase of
territory and alliances. When the Mughal administration fell apart, the Company took advantage of
the resulting tensions and succession problems. Its goals revolve upon commerce, tariff-free cross-
border goods flow, and the protection of both. With no need to divide them because they were already
plenty. Following Pitt's Act, which placed the Company under British Government administration in
1784, growing divides among the Indian population became hostile to Company and British
Government interests.
When the split was advantageous, the British took advantage of it, but not always. The downfall of the
Mughal empire in India had nothing to do with the British. In reality, internal strife was a key factor in
their downfall. Aurangzeb's last 30 years in reign were marked by a near-constant fight against the
Marathas, who nearly bankrupted the Mughal empire. It consisted of a series of clashes and
skirmishes, none of which were decisive in the end. Territories were continually changing hands, as
Aurangzeb would send his large Mughal force to seize a specific town or fort, only for the Marathas
to reclaim it, and the process would repeat itself. The Mughal army found it more difficult to defend
Maratha territory toward the end, and after Aurangzeb's death, the Marathas launched their own attack
on the Mughal Empire, breaking it apart and the Maratha Empire took its place.
Trade Advantages & Scarcity of Silver
In comparison to Indian traders, the British followed a far more pure capitalist system. The East India
Company would use every trick in the book to get lower costs. To expand their pepper trade they
knew, dealing with many merchants would result in price increases due to competition. Hence, they
purchased peppers from a single, reputable Indian dealer in order to get the best deal possible.

Due to a massive fundamental shift in Indian exports, Indian shipping declined dramatically at the
start of the nineteenth century. Well before Napoleonic Wars, India's finished cloth was a big export
across Europe. Cotton, jute, tea, and wheat were the principal Indian exports as the nineteenth century
proceeded; these products were utilised as raw materials for luxury items in Europe and were prone to
severe drops in demand during times of economic hardship.

British industrialisation had a significant impact on Indian imports. The East India Company's
monopoly on trading with India was broken by the Charter Act of 1813. This allowed India to import
goods from the United Kingdom's mainland. This resulted in India's "deindustrialization."

The lack of silver was the fundamental reason for the empire's near-bankruptcy. The British paid the
Mughals with silver for commerce at the start of the Indo-European trade Bengal, Plassey, Midnapore,
Burdwan and Chittagong were all taken over by the East India Company between 1757 and 1760.
They might make a lot of money from this source. They don't need to export silver to India any
longer. The Mughal empire was harmed by the abrupt reduction in silver imports, as the Mughals had
built a luxury lifestyle and large constructions such as the Taj Mahal, as well as continuous wars with
the Marathas. The Mughal ramies relied heavily on mobile cavalry, but the Europeans encouraged the
use of firearms. While the British forces were gathering ammo to reload the weapons, the archers
could shoot more arrows.

The Military Power of the British in India

In 1624, Thomas Roe and Prince Khurram concluded a treaty in the port of Surat that gave the British
the right to trade in India for the first time. Local Indian merchants, fearful of the British's tactics of
dealing at reduced rates, sent a petition to the prince. Following the boycott, the British retaliated with
‘Gun Boat Diplomacy,' in which they robbed Indian ships in broad daylight.

The Gunj-I-Suwaee, a ship owned by Aurangzeb, was assaulted by British pirates in 1688. Stole over
£180,000 in cash and raped the ladies on board. The emperor declared full-scale war against the
British and claimed a resounding victory over them. Instead of eliminating the British, he let them to
continue to trade while obtaining security for his vessels in the open sea for an annual fee.

Around the turn of the century, English traders entering the Indian Ocean had to battle with other
European powers such as the Dutch, Portuguese, and, subsequently, the French. The European
nations, of course, fought several conflicts to secure the rich Indian trading colonies. A crucial
sequence of engagements that took place between 1744 and 1763 in The Carnatic Wars, it solidified
the East India Company's hold over India. The crucial fight between the East India Company and the
French-backed Nawab of Bengal took place in 1757, with the East India Company's victory allowing
them to seize control of Bengal's wealthy territory while crippling the French.
The notion of Invalid Thanas was one of the main motives for Indians entering the British army. The
senior sepoys were retired after a set amount of time and given a modest plot of land to begin civilian
life. The lands were distributed in areas that were far from the main settlement and in a contested
location. Because the Thanas had a distinct governing body and legislation, this provided the British a
major advantage. This tactic was particularly successful in allowing the British to gain a firm footing
in the contested territories.

The British were likewise culturally aware. The British strongly encouraged soldiers to take time off
for cultural festivities. Officers in the British army were supposed to be conversant with the culture of
the sepoys they were leading. They would frequently take part in religious events, making the sepoys
feel valued. Because they were given the chance to represent their community and faith, this action
brought them together and motivated them to work harder.

Naval Superiority
The East India Company was able to flee to the relative safety of the open waters after failing to
defeat the Imperial soldiers on land. Aurangzeb was unable to retaliate to British piracy because he
lacked a navy. The British eventually agreed to pay an indemnity and offer “protection” for Indian
warships in exchange for an annual charge. When it came to affairs of the sea, the British fleet was
always completely dominating, and the Indians had no option but to defer to them.

The Invalid Thanahs

The 1857 insurgency demonstrated how concerned the British had to be for the sepoys' religious
beliefs and culture. If it worked, it was only a matter of time until the British took advantage of the
dispersed empires and regained authority. Not to add that, due to decentralised control, it would have
been extremely difficult for a nation like India to stand up to the most powerful nation at the time,
such as Britain. To get the situation under control, the British would have despatched a massive
number of form from Europe. For the Europeans, India was just too crucial to lose.

The British used the "Martial Race Theory" to prevent future rebellions. In their attempts to reinstate
power in India, the British met with fierce resistance in certain places while seizing others with ease.
British officials were seeking for'martial races' from hilly or mountainous areas with a history of
fighting who were used to hunting or agricultural cultures. Several were denied entry because to their
'comfort of life' or were labelled as seditious agitators. The concept of martial races' asserted that the
characteristics that constitute a successful soldier are inherited, and that most Indians, with the
exception of the designated tribes, lacked the requisite characteristics to be fighters.
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My personal takeaways and key learnings from the article:
I had the good pleasure of reading Colin Waterson's article "The Keys to British Success in South
Asia." This was concise and well-written. I have already profited from this article because it has
provided me with information about the matter. The British ruled India for over 200 years, a period
characterised by extreme poverty and famine. India's wealth dwindled during the next two centuries.
The British were systematic in their approach and first strategy since they recognised the country's
weakness under Mughal control. They asserted their authority everywhere they stepped foot with their
formidable military force and a very deliberate approach to both the battlefield and the economy. As
stated in the article, “Aurangzeb” was under heavy attack by the Maratha, and because he was
bankrupt and had nowhere to flee, the British swooped in to take advantage of the situation and
established their economic dominance, as well as proving their dominance in the battlefield, with the
navy serving as their trump card to set it all off for them. They took no time in fully comprehending
Indian methods and culture, and devised a strategy for completely separating Indians from their
source of income. The British stole everything from them and made sure they were completely under
their control, bringing India to its knees. Sir Colin had a lot of questions, and I believe that this article
did a good job of answering them, in providing a thorough overview of how the British rose from
being a small group of traders to exerting authority over a country rich in culture, territory, and riches.
I really await reading his informative work. Thank you very much.