Consequences of the british raj on india
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The British occupation of India, or The British Raj, which lasted from 1858 to 1947, transformed India politically, economically, socially, and culturally. While the British Raj had some benefits, it also had some harmful affects on India. The British brought western ideas and systems to India, many of which went against traditional Indian beliefs and practices. Although the British Raj had many political, economic, social, and cultural affects on India, it had the most economic consequences.
The British Raj transformed India politically with the implementation of western practices and conventions. When the British came to India, they brought a democratic and parliamentary system of government, which proved to be stable and efficient. Even though this new type of government brought order to India, the new administration also encouraged discrimination. Most Indians were denied administrative and civil service jobs, and instead, British people were hired. In addition to a new system of government, the British also instituted a new judicial system with a series of courts and codified laws. While this system encouraged justice in India, its services were expensive and many Indians could not afford to take cases to court. In addition, Europeans were also favored in court, which discouraged Indians from taking advantage of the new judicial system. Along with new administrative systems, the British also introduced new technologies to India, such as the railroad, the telegraph, and a postal service. Although these technologies were originally meant to help the British transport raw materials more effectively, they eventually led to an increase in the spread of ideas in India, since people could travel and communicate more efficiently. This increase in the spread of ideas would eventually facilitate the spread of the revolutionary movement against the British, which would eventually lead to their demise. Although the British Raj transformed India politically, it had more economic consequences.
The British Raj had devastating economic affects on India. The British had originally occupied India because they wanted cheap, raw materials to sustain British manufacturers in England. To increase revenues for England, the British made it illegal for Indians to manufacture their own goods, and instead, forced them to buy goods from England at inflated prices. In addition, British mass production of goods due to the Industrial Revolution destroyed India’s local industry and created a lot of unemployment. Due to the quest for profits, the British diminished the production of food crops in India and increased production of cash crops, such as cotton, that could be exported to England. This decrease in food production led to many famines, as there was not enough food being produced to sustain the large population of India. In addition, the British also imposed heavy taxes on the Indian people to fund the British occupation in India, a tactic that they also used in Africa. The Indians were funding their own subjugation, and were becoming increasingly more impoverished because of it. The practice of zamindars collecting taxes also led to an increase in taxation. Because the zamindars were given a portion of the tax money to sustain themselves, they taxed more heavily to increase their profits. The economic policies that England imposed on India not only led to mass famines, but they also impoverished a large portion of India’s population, proving that The British Raj affected India the most economically.
The British Raj also had a large impact on India’s society, and transformed it completely. The British built new schools and improved the education system, which not only brought western ideas to India, but also made english the prevalent language. In order to qualify for the new jobs that the British administration brought, which included lawyers and government officials, Indians had to attend these schools and learn english. The spread of english also allowed Indians to read the works of many European thinkers, such as Rousseau and Mazzini, which encouraged a new, liberal way of thinking in India. The creation of new jobs also led to the creation of a small middle class, as some of the educated Indians were procuring the new jobs that the British brought, and were increasing their profits. In addition, British rule also conflicted with many traditional Indian practices, which transformed India’s society. The British passed laws in 1829 and 1856 that improved the status of women, by forbidding the practice of sati and allowing widowed women to remarry. These laws went against traditional Indian practices and beliefs, and changed women’s roles in society. Britain also passed a law in 1872 that allowed people from different castes to marry, which broke down the caste system that was so prevalent in India. These laws not only brought British ideas to India, but they completely altered India’s society. In addition, the heavy taxation also led to the impoverishment of many people. Although the British Raj had many social consequences on India, it had more economic consequences.
The occupation of India by the British also had cultural consequences on India. Because the Europeans had a racist attitude towards the Indians, the Indians were not allowed the same opportunities that the Europeans were. In addition, this racist attitude also caused the Europeans to undermine Indian culture, and essentially disrespect it. This injustice fueled a sense of nationalism in India, and it united all the Indians against a common enemy, the British. This sense of nationalism would eventually fuel the revolutionary movement in India, and lead to the demise of the British. Although The British Raj had many cultural consequences on India, it had more economic consequences.
The British Raj transformed India politically, economically, socially, and culturally. Not only did it lead to the introduction of western ideas, but it also altered traditional Indian beliefs and practices. While some of these changes were beneficial, most of them were harmful to India, particularly the economic changes. Even though The British Raj had many harmful consequences on India, particularly economic consequences, these effects have shaped India into the power it is today.
Bibliography:
"British Colonial Rule." World History. Ed. Jackson J. Spielvogel. Columbus: Glencoe, 2008. 704. Print.
"Impact of British Rule on India: Economic, Social and Cultural (1757-1857)." National Institute of Open Schooling. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2015. <http://www.nios.ac.in/media/documents/secsocscicour/english/lesson-05.pdf>.
"India 1909 General Map Railways." Map. Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2015.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_India_under_the_British_Raj>.
The British Raj transformed India politically with the implementation of western practices and conventions. When the British came to India, they brought a democratic and parliamentary system of government, which proved to be stable and efficient. Even though this new type of government brought order to India, the new administration also encouraged discrimination. Most Indians were denied administrative and civil service jobs, and instead, British people were hired. In addition to a new system of government, the British also instituted a new judicial system with a series of courts and codified laws. While this system encouraged justice in India, its services were expensive and many Indians could not afford to take cases to court. In addition, Europeans were also favored in court, which discouraged Indians from taking advantage of the new judicial system. Along with new administrative systems, the British also introduced new technologies to India, such as the railroad, the telegraph, and a postal service. Although these technologies were originally meant to help the British transport raw materials more effectively, they eventually led to an increase in the spread of ideas in India, since people could travel and communicate more efficiently. This increase in the spread of ideas would eventually facilitate the spread of the revolutionary movement against the British, which would eventually lead to their demise. Although the British Raj transformed India politically, it had more economic consequences.
The British Raj had devastating economic affects on India. The British had originally occupied India because they wanted cheap, raw materials to sustain British manufacturers in England. To increase revenues for England, the British made it illegal for Indians to manufacture their own goods, and instead, forced them to buy goods from England at inflated prices. In addition, British mass production of goods due to the Industrial Revolution destroyed India’s local industry and created a lot of unemployment. Due to the quest for profits, the British diminished the production of food crops in India and increased production of cash crops, such as cotton, that could be exported to England. This decrease in food production led to many famines, as there was not enough food being produced to sustain the large population of India. In addition, the British also imposed heavy taxes on the Indian people to fund the British occupation in India, a tactic that they also used in Africa. The Indians were funding their own subjugation, and were becoming increasingly more impoverished because of it. The practice of zamindars collecting taxes also led to an increase in taxation. Because the zamindars were given a portion of the tax money to sustain themselves, they taxed more heavily to increase their profits. The economic policies that England imposed on India not only led to mass famines, but they also impoverished a large portion of India’s population, proving that The British Raj affected India the most economically.
The British Raj also had a large impact on India’s society, and transformed it completely. The British built new schools and improved the education system, which not only brought western ideas to India, but also made english the prevalent language. In order to qualify for the new jobs that the British administration brought, which included lawyers and government officials, Indians had to attend these schools and learn english. The spread of english also allowed Indians to read the works of many European thinkers, such as Rousseau and Mazzini, which encouraged a new, liberal way of thinking in India. The creation of new jobs also led to the creation of a small middle class, as some of the educated Indians were procuring the new jobs that the British brought, and were increasing their profits. In addition, British rule also conflicted with many traditional Indian practices, which transformed India’s society. The British passed laws in 1829 and 1856 that improved the status of women, by forbidding the practice of sati and allowing widowed women to remarry. These laws went against traditional Indian practices and beliefs, and changed women’s roles in society. Britain also passed a law in 1872 that allowed people from different castes to marry, which broke down the caste system that was so prevalent in India. These laws not only brought British ideas to India, but they completely altered India’s society. In addition, the heavy taxation also led to the impoverishment of many people. Although the British Raj had many social consequences on India, it had more economic consequences.
The occupation of India by the British also had cultural consequences on India. Because the Europeans had a racist attitude towards the Indians, the Indians were not allowed the same opportunities that the Europeans were. In addition, this racist attitude also caused the Europeans to undermine Indian culture, and essentially disrespect it. This injustice fueled a sense of nationalism in India, and it united all the Indians against a common enemy, the British. This sense of nationalism would eventually fuel the revolutionary movement in India, and lead to the demise of the British. Although The British Raj had many cultural consequences on India, it had more economic consequences.
The British Raj transformed India politically, economically, socially, and culturally. Not only did it lead to the introduction of western ideas, but it also altered traditional Indian beliefs and practices. While some of these changes were beneficial, most of them were harmful to India, particularly the economic changes. Even though The British Raj had many harmful consequences on India, particularly economic consequences, these effects have shaped India into the power it is today.
Bibliography:
"British Colonial Rule." World History. Ed. Jackson J. Spielvogel. Columbus: Glencoe, 2008. 704. Print.
"Impact of British Rule on India: Economic, Social and Cultural (1757-1857)." National Institute of Open Schooling. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2015. <http://www.nios.ac.in/media/documents/secsocscicour/english/lesson-05.pdf>.
"India 1909 General Map Railways." Map. Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2015.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_India_under_the_British_Raj>.