The British Raj in India

Overview of the Nations

Nation of Consumption

Circumstances

Because India was divided among itself, the British quickly took hold upon colonizing India, and would eventually create the East India Company.

After the East Indian Company ended in 1858, British realized overtime that India is a nation rich in culture and national resources. Britain traded with India during the Industrial Revolution period, and it certainly had a part in creating the wealth of Britain.

This has led to the British controlling India.

Political Situation

As the British East India came to control trade with India, company officials in that country became more and more powerful.

To protect their monopoly, company officials formed political alliances with traditional rulers to keep goods flowing smoothly.

Exploitation and Consumption Explanation

Causes

Trade

Transportation

Media/Communication Tech.

Postal System

Telegraph

Causes

Low prices

The British wanted them for labor

Trade

Language & Assimilation

The one aspect of culture that the British promoted was that of the English language, used for all administration and legal matters. It was the official language of government.While English was the language of government, it had a much bigger expansion due to commerce. Import/export trade was important, and English was the 'international' language, as most trade was with the empire. Trade significantly enriched both Britain and India. Maharajas, the High King of India, would speak in perfect English, and it became the language to show was the ‘main’ and mostly spoken language. Cultural exchanges went both ways- Indian fashions and ideas were imported to Britain as much as vice-versa.There were also other British in India, from soap importers through car salesmen and missionaries. Any British tried to change culture would be these missionaries, trying to spread Christianity. While the colonial administration tolerated them, they certainly didn't encourage them.

Deindustrialization

India was relatively urbanized and a commercialized nation with a buoyant export trade, devoted to cotton textiles, including silk, spices, and rice. By the end of the century, India was the world’s main producer of cotton textiles and had a substantial export trade to Britain, as well as many other European countries. Even though the British cotton industry underwent a technological revolution in the late twentieth century, the Indian industry stagnated, and the industrialization was delayed until the twentieth century. Historians suggested that this was because India was still a largely agricultural nation with low wages levels. Unlike in Britain, wages levels were low in India, so producers preferred to increase output by hiring more workers rather than investing in technology. The major effect of India’s industry closing down was unemployment. It increased the demand from abroad for their commodities by the colonial government. It also closed down many industries by introducing harmful policies but also prevent new ones from coming up. They prevent people from buying locally produced goods. India was made the main exporter of raw material to Britain and a consumer for the finished good produced in England, it resulted to India facing a huge loss in industrialization and India’s economy wealth.

British Raj in India

Land

India’s economy was flourishing and was exporting goods across the world.

It impacted well in Europe that European manufacturers had put pressure on their governments to adjust Indian’s goods into their countries.

The Power of the People of India

• Military
• Labor

• Britain had built provinces in India that were administer by a British Governor or Lieutenant-Governor
• There were also minor provinces that were administered by a Chief Commissioner

Control over all of the India territory and everything in it

Resources

• The Viennese had a monopoly of the European branch of the Silk Road
• When this monopoly ended with, the British became more interested in trade in Asia.

silk, spices, china, tea, precious metals, and cotton

Self-sufficient and were able to manufacture all the materials they needed and other materials that were unavailable were easily available within the country at good prices.

Water Ways

The British had the Indian’s build Railways

They took projects to get develop the existing Roads

• Navigation canals
• Ships/boats

Spices

Cotton

Silk

Opium

Tea

The British modernized the communication of the postal system in India. They were sent by horses and postmen.

Media/Communication Tech

water ways

Transportation

camels

donkeys

pack-horses

bullock carts

They put a high tax on the Indian’s bring in goods to India, but a much lower tax on good going into Britain

Profits from the Silk Road

The British introduced them to modern technology, to help sell manufactured goods

spices

silk

china

metals

India's land was rich in raw minerals, such as cotton. Which they wanted much possession over and it's weavers

railways

Legacies and Patterns of Globalization with the British Raj

Nation of Exploitation

Surroundings

The British government took over direct rule of India between 1858 – 1947. During their time in India, the British developed cotton, coal and iron industries.

British control of India impacted on the British because of the colonization of many countries. They have benefited greatly from the natural resources in those countries, and eventually became an empire that has gained financial wealth and power.

Social Situation

Britain

India

Relationship

• British relationship with the Indians before India gained its independence was a desire to gain natural resources such as cotton cloth from them.
• India is rich in natural resources and the British had much to profit from the masses of trading it benefited from.

Economic Situation

India was a captive market for British goods and services, and served defense needs by maintaining a large army at no cost to a British taxpayer. Britain gained cotton, spices, silk, tea and indigo from India and they also gained wealth, as they forced India to buy back their goods for a much higher price. The British Government is criticized for leaving Indians poorer.

Time

• 1600 The East India Company is formed
• 1615 The company acquires its first territory in Bombay
• 1857 Mutiny of the Indian Army at barrack pore. The Rebellion becomes a war of independence- First Indian War of Independence
• 1877 Queen Victoria becomes the empress of India
• 1885 Indian National Congress is formed
• 1947 Indian and Pakistan become self-governing

Social Situation

The British started to take raw materials for a low cost from India and then sold the finished products at a high cost. This increased their profit but the handmade Indian goods lost consumers and this affected the income of the Indians who used to sell their finished goods.

The British Raj caused commercial problems, economic problems, and lack in growth of India and its development. These resulted poor conditions of the agriculture and farmers, exploiting Indian market for their own benefit and killing domestic home made industry

Relationships

Economic Situation

In this period of time, the Indian economy essentially remained stagnant.

India’s relationship with the British before their independence was unfair for the Indians.

After they fought for their independence in 1857and lost, they were both in control by the British government in 1858. They were left poor by the British government because they had to take their products to the British where after, the British will sell it for a much higher price. Indians also had to live separate from the British (segregated). They were treated like slabs and property.

Political Situation

India’s government was consisted entirely of British officials and was led by the viceroy and the appointed officials. There were also a small number of Indian council members who were part of the local elite chosen only for consultative purposes.