Indian Freedom Struggle

“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.

In 1615 the East India Company acquired its first territory in Bombay, India. The East India Company was a British company that traded for goods, services, and raw materials with India. What initially started as a trading company became a company ruling a country with Brittan’s backing. The company established an army in India comprised mostly of local citizens called Sepoys. With help from the British army and navy, the East India Company fought other European countries also occupying India for control of the region. By 1715 the EIC and Brittan had beaten back the French in the Battle of Plassey. This secured their dominance in India and a

Britain decided that London should control the expansion of the West. They did not want the colonists to be able to flock westward as they believed this would antagonize the Indian tribes and possibly cause another war. As far as the colonists were concerned, their victory in the Seven Years War, or the French and Indian War, was reason enough to allow them to move westward as they pleased. The Native American Tribes, although they had to give up more of their land to the settlers, were in agreement of the Proclamation since they did not want the white settlers infringing on their territory. The British established four distinct governments under the Proclamation to rule the colonies. The appointed heads of each government were also in charge of Indian relations and the relationship between the Natives and the British improved as a result. In the end, though, the colonists disregarded the Proclamation and pushed westward further into the Ohio

Politically the British benefited more than the Indians. According to Dr. Lalvani the British imperializing India led to the Indians having the world's largest democracy and the British established the framework for India’s justice system, civil service, loyal army and efficient police force. Although, the British led to the largest democracy in India today. According to document 2, when the British imperialized India they had 900 Englishmen employed in the civil offices out of 960, the remaining 60 were occupied by Indians or natives.

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

Dr. Lalvani claims that “Indians success, is largely due to British imperial rule.” The British didn't just establish the framework for the justice system for India but it established the civil service, loyal army and efficient police force (Document

The British established India's justice system, civil services, loyal army, and efficient police force (Paragraph #6). But, only 6% of their government officers were Indians; the rest were

The only thing they had an interest in was their own profit and not the well-being of Indians. Lalvani said that the British’s push to make India a great country was “superbly efficient” and maybe it was, but like Gandhi says in Document 1, “You have given us no responsibility of our own government.” The people of India never got to prove themselves; Britain was already so advanced before that, that India had no time to play catch up or stand up for themselves. Britain created the foundation for India’s various government systems (Lalvani). Out of the 960 civil offices, 900 of them had British tenants (Doc 2). So in a since it is true that Britain set up the systems but it also shows that there was an unequal say in how India should have been governed and gave no Indians any room to help. Keeping in mind the Englishmen had no genuine interest in India’s people which led to even more unjust laws natives had to comply

The British constructed an impressively efficient government along with India’s army, however the government and army were used to create unjust laws and control Indians by force. This government they created was “Superbly efficient” all Britain to control 500 million subjects across 17,000 square miles. (Dr Lalvani) This may seem impressive and beneficial to the Indians, but only 60 out of 960 government positions were actually occupied by Indians. (Document 2) This meant that Britain could do anything they to desired to India because it’s people had no control over their own government. To enforce these laws or policies britain constructed India’s armies. This laid the framework for India’s justice system, civil service and efficient police force. The soldiers were trained in new military academies, courtesy of the British. Although, the intention for creating these services were to establish an even tighter hold on India as demonstrated in the Amritsar Massacre, were the Indian army was ordered by a British commander to shoot Indians, killing 400 and wounding 12,00. (Gandhi) This showed how easily Britain could suppress and control India because India had no control over its own

While the British Imperial rule established the framework for India's justice system. They also created the Indian army and created military academies to train officers. This lead to the British controlling the Indian government, as well as their army. The British Imperial rule established the framework of indians justice system. However the framework did not include many Indians, 900 british and 60 Indians(Gandhi). (Doc #2)The British

The British took over and surrounded over one quarter of the world’s population. India was one of those country that was taken over and it was considered the “Jewel in the Crown”. At first India and Britain were connected by the British East India Company for trading. Once India started getting weak and falling apart, Britain took advantage of this and took complete political, economic, and social control. Britain’s administration for India was useful, creating transportation all over the country, and sending Indians for better education.

Though it is a fact that the British in India administered an efficient government and civil services, these actions ultimately hurt the Indians because of the British dominated parliament and the administration of oppressive laws. Dr. Lalvani claims that while in power, the British governed 500 million people of diverse religions in a “superbly efficient” manor. The reason that British India was efficient was because the British held complete control. The Indian government contained only 6% of native Indian officials, while the overwhelming majority were British foreigners (Doc #2). This lead to laws that hurt the Indians and helped the British such as laws like the Salt Act that devastated Indian taxes and revenue (Doc #2). This is significant because it does not matter if the British government was effective if it oppressed the Indian majority with little representation and unfair laws.

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.

In 1885, nationalist leaders organized the Indian National Congress who called for greater democracy which they felt would bring more power to themselves. Other Indian nationalists, took a more radical, anti-British stand. I believe this is positive because I feel that the first instance of British resistance was the first step towards independence. Negative effects of the imperialistic rule in India were that there was a rapid population growth , hence, there was a strain on the food supply, especially since farmland was turned into cash crops instead of food. They cleared new farmlands which led to massive deforestation and other environmental destruction. Also, in the late 1800s terrible famines swept India. The railroads could not carry food to the suffering areas, but overall, millions of Indian peasants sank deeply into poverty.

This essay will focus on the decolonisation of India by the British Empire and the problems they encountered. It will also aim to bring recognition to the struggle decolonisation brought upon the world after World War II. Pierce states that “after the War concluded, a worldwide process of decolonisation commenced in which Britain granted independence to all of its major colonies, beginning notably in India” (Pierce, 2009). India had struggled with uprisings and conflicts for the many years of British occupation but when Gandhi began sharing his social efforts; the perceptions of colonialism began to change leading to the collapse of the British colonial Empire. Gandhi began changing the lives of regular Indian’s with his popular visions, he also advocated for the people of India in a non-violent