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Samuel McFadden

Mr. Hawkins

World History P-4

October 27, 2016

British Imperialism in India

The British Imperialism of India provided many great benefits for the British Empire, but it also
badly hurt the Indian people who were affected by this. While many people were saved by the British
and their new technology and their western way of thinking, thousands of people lost their lives due to
the work laid upon them by the Europeans who were only interested in making money. The effects this
had on the Economy, social life, and politics were both positive and negative.

During the British Imperialism of India they greatly benefited from the riches of the Indian
continent. Because Britain had a Monopoly over the Indian people they received all of the goods that
were produced from India. This allowed the British economy to prosper while the Indian economy
became dependent of the British to supply them with resources such as food and furniture. Modern
progressive nations [European colonizers] . . . seek to control “garden spots” in the tropics. Under this
direction, these places can yield the tropical produce that their citizens need. In return the progressive
nations bring to these people of those garden spots the foodstuff and manufacture they need.
(Document 1) The British Gained much from this arrangement and for a long time India was their prize
colony, but the Indians suffered famine and a weakened economy because of it. The British did also
bring with them and build great railway systems that greatly helped the economy of India. It allowed for
more trade over land and faster transportation of not only goods, but people. It has fine transport
system and carefully thought-out schemes for relief work. (Document 4) It is obvious that while the
native people might have suffered, the economy of India under the British was stable and worked.

The British’s western way of thinking along with their Christian beliefs did not mix well with the
prominently Muslim and Hindu culture of India. While today many people would agree that the British
brought with them many good ideals and did away with pagan traditions, to the Indians this was an
insult to their culture and religions. The Indians had a long standing tradition of sati, which was the
burning of widowed women. When the man died, it was expected for his wife to burn herself with him
so that they could live together in the next life. Early action was taken to stop infanticide [the killing of
girl babies] . . . the slave trade was ended and the owning of slaves was forbidden. (Document 5) The
quality of life also increased in India during the British imperialism of India. Before the British arrived
with modern medicine, the number one killer of children was dysentery. The British brought with them
vaccines as well as other medicine such as quinine. India has now improved sanitation and higher
standard of living. (Document 4) Weather or not what the British did was right, there is no denying that
they improved the quality of life (at least for a while, after direct rule started the quality went down)
and put an end to many traditions and customs that would today be considered unacceptable. British
rule brought with it from the west certain standards of humanity that Indian society had not yet
reached. (Document 5)

And finally, possibly one of the most negative results of the imperialism of India was the lack of
government positions the Indians actually had. Mohandas Gandhi once said, You English committed
one supreme crime against my people. For a hundred years you have done everything for us. You
have given us no responsibility for our own government. (Document 7) The British in the beginning
used indirect rule to govern India, but after the Sepoy rebellion they replaced the Indian leaders with
British officials who had no background in Indian culture. They gave all the highest positions to the
British to ensure the colony was ruled the way they wanted. Europeans [the British] occupy almost all
the higher places in every department of government. . . Natives, no matter how fit, are deliberately
kept out of the social institution started by the Europeans. (Document 2) But it wasn’t all bad, the
British did bring with them one great thing. Englishmen . . . have given the people of India the greatest
human blessing-peace. (Document 3) while the British did remove Indian people from power, they
brought with them a civil system that was able to bring peace to waring nations. They were able to unite
the people and give them peace.

Whether or not one thinks that the imperialism of India was good or bad, it is important to
recognize the effects it had on everyone. It may have hurt a lot of people and temporarily damaged the
Indian economy, but it also brought peace to India and ended long standing traditions that would today
be considered horrific and unacceptable. This had long lasting Economic, social, and political effects on
Great Britain and India. I think it is important to look not too harshly at the Europeans, (the British) for in
their eyes they saw that what they were doing was ending hundreds of years of evil traditions and
bringing peace to the warring tribes of the east indies.

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