The British Empire left a significant mark on the world and it was the Empire with an immense power who governed lots of countries. However, the country which was vastly different from others and had a great influence on Britain was India. India, the most precious pearl in the ocean called the British Empire, was the driving force of growth and development of Britain. Two core reasons of why India was so valuable to Britain are India's location and population. India was vitally important to the Empire as it had a strategic position. Being set in a very convenient place India was geographically beneficial for the British because it gave a core location for Britain to rule the Empire. In India, Britain could control its Empire to the west, but could also look at Southeast Asia through Afghanistan and push it to China. To the west, it was possible to control the Middle East. For the Empire, India was like a balcony which allowed to look at people from the top and control them. The population was the other reason for Indian significance. Over 300 million people lived in India and this huge population was an incredibly profitable for British industry. In the 1880s, for example, about 20% of Britain's total exports went to India. By 1910 these exports were worth £137 million. Additionally, Britain used Indians for labor because they were easily available, cheap and fast adaptable. Laborers willingly agreed to work and be treated as slaves because they simply did not want to die from starvation and poverty. However, there was a demand rising day after day for laborers because of the abolition of slavery in 1834. This act caused a radical decrease of laborers. For example, most workers in Sugar Plantations were Africans, but they left. Thus, a huge number of people were needed. Consequently, Indians worked there and not only. Britain also needed India's vast population for manpower. Whilst Britain's own army was poor and the population was small, they were looking for a way to boost their military strengths. As an example, Bismarck once said:" If the British Army landed in Europe, I would get the Belgian police to arrest them" Otto Von Bismarck, 1917.
Prior to World War I, Britain was the most imperialistic country in the world. The British Empire occupied more than a quarter of the world, which spread over five continents and France controlled most of Africa. Because of this control the rivalry with Germany and Italy had increased, they decided they wanted a colonial empire also.
The British East India Company took over India because of all the resources that they had. when the company made the Indians join a military they rebelled and started firing back at the British and then the company “called” the British government and they came with big guns to take control and regain India for themselves. British imperialism has a negative impact on the politics of india because of the British courts and the government wasn't far toward the indians. British imperialism had a negative impact on the economy of India because the British did not help the environment and they made railroads to take away from the land. British imperialism had a positive impact on the economy of India because the British eliminated highway robberies,
After the Industrial revolution started in Europe the Europeans needed raw material from other countries and from that came the Idea of Imperialism when one country takes over another. Although what the British were doing seemed to be benefiting India was actually doing the opposite. Many things that the Europeans did to India weather it was political, economic, or social the Europeans found ways to have those things benefit the British and very little or not at all to the Indian.
India was the perfect target for Britain, every victory in India damaged France, it provided the raw materials which were becoming incredibly important because of the industrialisation of Britain and it brought much money to Britain. India was on the path to world domination for Britain. And the conquest of India certainly did benefit Britain in many ways, both economic and political.
“Englishmen.. have given the people of India the greatest human blessing - peace.” (Dutt). Merely coming to India in the 1600s to trade, the British East India Company established trading outposts. After ridding of French influence in India during the Seven Years’ War and having Indians mutiny against British rule, Britain gained full control of India. India has been under the imperialist control of the British until their independence in 1947. British imperialism caused some negative effects on India through poverty and persecution, but retained more of a positive impact due to its massive improvements in the modernization of India and the overall improvement of Indian civilization.
India is a great example about how they were too weak. India is probably in the best position for trade, due to its central location between Africa and Asia. India was a great area for trade.Before the West’s power overtook India, it was small not unified. In document 5 a person can be seen weaving on their own. This is before they were introduced to industrial textile production. The British wanted to take control of India and combine with them to become bigger and stronger. Britain saw India as a market and is a source of raw materials they built roads and impressive railroads to transport factory made goods across the subcontinent. These roads and railroads are used to carry materials such as coal and cotton to coastal ports to transfer the factories in England. This description of India can relate to Document 6, in this document a railroad is seen being built under British control. Railroads are an example of modernization taking over this country.
British imperialism had a negative impact on the politics and economics of india because the British were running the country for their own good and not for the good of the indians. In contrast the British had customs that ultimately ended up benefiting the Indians.
By around the year 1920, The British have taken control of more than 25 percent of the human population. India was one of those colonies. Originally used by the British East India Company for a source of Cotton, Indigo, and Tea, The British took complete Economic, Social, and Political control of India before the Sepoy Rebellion in 1857. With many natural resources and a huge population of potential consumers, India had become the ¨Jewel in the Crown¨ of the British Empire. The administration of India that Britain created was superbly efficient, leading to the construction of massive infrastructure throughout all of India, and the education of some elite class Indians. On the other hand, British rule of India served the needs of the British
The British laid down 10,000 miles of railroad track and built 136,000 bridges over the course of its imperial rule. Dr. Lalvani claims that this was to unify India and to build a stronger economy by providing Indians with railroad jobs. In reality, the British had little intention to unify India and improve it for its people, they built railroads and bridges to export India’s natural wealth and resources to Britain, leaving parts of India a barren wasteland (Doc #3&4). As for the railroad jobs, some Indians did get jobs laying down and repairing railroad tracks, but many more Indians were unemployed because the British used these railroads to sell cheap, poorly made British textiles (Gandhi). Though the British built roads and bridges that would eventually help India, their main purpose was to boost the British economy and cripple the Indians’. During colonial rule, the British forced Indians to grow cash crops such as indigo and cotton. Dr. Lalvani says that this caused the British East India Company to thrive and make fortunes. Cash crops can make people rich, but they can cause havoc on the environment. Cash crops cause desertification because many cash crops take most of the nutrients from the soil. Desertification prevents substance crops from growing (Doc #6). Though destructive, these crops do cause fortune
Would you like if someone came into your house and start changing everything you do? Well, that is what the British did to India but on a bigger scale. The British thought that Indian had a lot of resources, which it did it was called “Jewel in the crown.” So, they came in and started changing their political, economic, and social ways of life. There were some positives and some negative to what happens when the British control India. This was a negative effect of India because they had no responsibility in their government, forced to grow cash crops, and learning the English language. Although I believe it was negative, some people believe it was a positive effect on India.
For approximately two hundred years Britain ruled over India, allowing them almost no control of their own country. This is what imperialism was like for many countries. Initially India was colonized for its natural resources by the East India company but the companies hold on India became compromised after the sepoy rebellion in 1857 so the English government took control in a time of crisis. After decades of British Imperialism India finally gained independence in 1947. Brittain helped develop India by creating a government, education, and millions of jobs, however they negatively affected India by using the government and its powerful army to control and suppress the Indians along with Britain's unfair policies which
Britain took over India after a brief struggle with France; initially to aid in its economy; mainly its textiles. The plan was to have Indians harvest raw materials to ship back to Britain. Britain would therefore have cheap raw materials sent back to them; because India was mercantilist (could only trade with the mother country) they did not have much of a choice but to sell to Britain cheaply. Britain therefore always had a steady source of raw materials Britain would turn raw materials into finished products that it would ship back to India and sell to Indians. Prices for goods were low and Indians liked that, but also Britain had a steady source of income. The most useful Indian industry for Britain was its cotton industry; Britain often used Indian cotton for clothing. India made for a cheap way to assemble (cheap labor) and an easy way to get business.
Britain had a desire to have a more economic, political, and social influence over India. Even though the British never preserved a notable military existence in India, they were able to maintain political control. Many changes were made, which benefitted India, but there were also some changes, which contributed to its deterioration. Despite the negative impacts Britain left on India, imperialism is best understood as a strong country extending its authority, in order to increase its wealth, by bringing more of the world under its control, because Britain helped in the development of India from a nation-state, to a unified country, which is modernly the world’s largest democracy.
Let's start with India. India during this age had a lot to offer Britain. India was filled with raw materials that Britain wanted. They started the British East India Company in order to take over. They continuously grew in power and started to influence
Many positive things happened during, and as a result of, the British colonization of India. When the East India Company took control of India in 1612, they began modernizing, westernizing, and industrializing India. This westernization included giving women more rights, an attempt to eliminate the caste system and the loss of many of the more backward Hindu religious beliefs such as the domination of women by men and denying an entire class of people any rights. British occupation also did things long term for India. The modern technology and western customs allowed India to become a burgeoning regional superpower. The colonization of India was helpful for India because it went a long way to modernize India, westernized India in