Essay on Why did the British want an Empire in India?

“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.

In Asian areas, India was prominent to serve economic balance and independence. Mahatma Gandhi believed that with economic independence, India would be have an uplift within every individual. Mahatma Ghandi spoke that their decolonization must not imitate the wrong, for example, the Nazi rule in Germany or the ones in Britian. Basically, the cause of wanting independence in India was due to the British. The consequence of leaving the British's ways is that some help/aid would now be gone and India must now find their own way of developing the country.

Where would India be if the British did not settle in India? India was controlled by the Mughal Empire in the early 1700’s. When the Mughal Empire collapsed the British east India company come into India. The British took control over India in 1857. The British saw India as the brightest “jewel in the crown” because India had what the British wanted, and that was all of India's natural resources. The British opened up many windows for India to grow in. The British also opened up more jobs, and even raised pay, you may even say the British and India become friends. Although the British robed India of their resources , they also killed millions of Indians before there was peace. The British also used India to make money.

The British wanted to imperialize India for it abundance in raw materials and natural resources. India provided a large market to sell products in. A primary reason why British East India Company wanted to take over India was because of the political competition. They able to take over India because of their guns and steel. Economic restrictions were put on the Indians under British imperialism.

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.

not so much. Imperialism of the British Amongst Indians was a gold mine for them but for the Indians it led them close to starvation, and constant fear of where they stand because of this other race claiming themselves above them all ad treating the as garbage on their own land. The British had little respect for the native Indian Culture. Indians felt as if though the Europeans were forcing their religion upon them. (Christianizing).

In 1850, The British held complete economic and political control over India. To the West, India became the source of raw materials and was the possible market for British-made goods. With this, India became an extremely valuable market. Indians were put under very unfavorable circumstances while being controlled by Europe. Racism and attempts to convert Indians to Christianity disconnected them from their culture.

They changed India using their enterprise, capital, and intelligence. They taught the people how to communicate which helped them tremendously with trading and social contact. Creating the telegraph was the main way communication was spread. This was a device that was used to transmit messages to different location along a wire. They also developed new modes of transportation like bridges, railways, and paved roads.

Although the British had great control over India, India did not have any control over themselves. Doctor Lalvani claims that the Indians had the world's largest democracy, when infact the British had all of the power (Lalvani paragraph 6). The Indians were given no power whatsoever. The British were in control over the Indians. “You English committed one supreme crime against my people. For hundreds of years you have done everything for us. You have given us no responsibility for our own government.” (Mahatma Gandhi). This was extremely inefficient for the Indian’s because more laws were being placed that took a huge toll on the Indians but no one was seeing the effects of it. Many people argue that the laws that were passed by the British were a good thing

From all of the benefits I have talked about, you might think Britain was great to India, but they also caused so many problems. Wars with Britain, also against leaders by Great Britain, took money away from India. The East India Trading Company would buy materials and goods at a very low price while selling their processed goods at a very high price price. Britain also ruined India’s previous economy and industries as a result of Britain making them import their goods from Britain and not allowing them buy their own goods from India.

India was controlled by Britain and was one of their most successful colonies. After World War 2 this region went through a decolonization process and eventually gaining statehood and freedom from colonial status for India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. During this time the French and British lost most of their controlled territory. It all began with India, in this movement for independence.

Colonization is a controversial matter. This is especially true when it comes to the British, who have colonized nearly every country (only 22 countries have not been settled by Britain). The British presence in India was one of the most controversial of all of their colonizations. Many believe it was positive for the country, others believe it was not. However, the positives far outweigh the negatives: Better infrastructure, Western education, and the British bringing political peace and order.

This statement made by Gandhi reveals the brutal force used by the British in attempts to colonize India. The British initially entered India in the 18th century because of profitable trade, but eventually exploited the trading opportunities to their advantage. In 1601 after the East India Company was chartered, the English began their trade conquest

The colonizers came in India with the purpose of making profits by engaging in trade and commercial practices. An English East India Company- to trade with the East-was established in 1600. Even Queen Elizabeth (1588-1603) was one of the shareholders on the company. Competing with