British Imperialism: The East India Company

The year 1857 indicate the year in which Indian local would revolt against the British superpower that had exploited their people for over 200 years. The Indian Mutiny and was a major turning point in Indian liberation. Although it was somewhat unsuccessful, it initiated a process that would eventually be cause the East India Company to fall a couple decades later. This was the step that would make progress in the collapse of British rule in India and the time to become its own sovereign land.

The Rise of British Power in India

In the years roughly between 1600 and 1950, the British used the foreign land of India to made their own advantage. These were the years of British Empire extend and expansion. They use imperialistic powers to benefit economically, politically, and geographically began with the British East India Company in the early 1600s where the land was secondhand for spice trade and provided as a trading post for both British, Dutch and other settling imperialists at the next 100 years. As period went on, the land was beginning to have more and more British influence and would eventually achievement a powerful military presence. In the late 1700s, millions of Indians were under British rule and were forced to work on farms were they would be treated more like slaves than labors. At the time, the Indian people were going a shocking famine due to all of their crops being exported to maximize profits for the British occupying their land. At this point, Britain was needful on the trade control in India to support their economy and the goal seemed to no longer be to establish trade in India, but to use military force to take advantage. The Indian people would eventually revolt against the imperial British. After Indian battle and mistakes from the Company in the mid-1800s, the British East India Company fell and slowly the British were losing power overseas. Eventually, India would become its own municipal in 1947 in part to the pains of Indian soldiers and other supporting members of Indian liberation. Due to the many years of military company, forced labor, and economic monopoly, the British Empire in India chop. After three and a half centuries of British rule, India could have its own rule, an economy that could support the people, and be known as a country that is discrete from its former imperial rulers.

Competition for Control: The Dutch and the British

In the early years of The East India Company, (est. 1600) the British were not the only governmental force with interest in the plot. At the same time, the Dutch were also lodging the land. It wasn’t until the mid-17th century until Britain raised into a confident force against other countries in the area as well as people of India. At first, the only military forces used were to defend the goods that were used for trade. As Britain had more and more control in India, that destined that more military forces were being brought in from the homeland. As the military of British Imperialists bigger, so did the amount of battle between them and other lodging civilizations interested in the land. Since the British army in India was bigger than the one in their homeland, it wasn’t long until the East India Business was the main force in the East Indies. Although the company was formerly set out to be mostly merchant based, it was slowly turning into a military based organization. The presence of military did not mean that the terrestrial was not being used for economic reasons. In the late 1700s, the East India Company was increasing their stock value, making it the most attractive asset at the time. At this point, the company could support themselves and no longer required financial help from the British government as well as paying savers back with generous amounts of interest.

The Economic Exploitation of India

Now that Britain had recognized trade in indigo, spices, grain and textiles as well as gaining a strong military effect, it was time to up manufacture and make money. The British economy was gradually becoming more and more reliant on this overseas empire; this did not arise cost-free to the native people of India. By the start of the 1800s, Indian people were under rule of the imperial British and were required to obey to their economic standards, this lead to the use of native Indian people on plantations in the early 19th century. The British motto the Indian people as cruel and as well as using natives on plantations with little or no pay, took some of the more radical individuals and attempted to convert them to Christianity and educate them. This appeared to be helpful to the native people but through the eyes of the imperials, but it was corruption of both cultural and civil aspects. The imperial British thought that their influence on Indian society was furthering the evolution of the people. The growing authority of British was slowly rotating India into an oversea empire and some of the practices were having shocking effects on the welfare of millions of Indians. Since there were no recognized guidelines for working conditions, pay or work time, many Indians worked many hours in harsh situations with little or no food. This flashed one of the largest famines in world history. Even though the Indians shaped plenty of food to support their country, it was all sitting on cargo ships to be exported by the British. All of this unfair treatment and soon be the demise of the East India Company as well as a change in labor regulations and policies.

The Indian Rebellion of 1857

At this point, the external rulers from Britain had control over larger portions of India and rein over millions of native people, it was time for the individuals that were being broken to take a stand. The British had been helping economically, geographically and politically for over two and a half centuries but finally in 1857, there was a mass rebellion that came from Indian soldiers called spays. These Indian rebels different the soldiers of the East India Company and fought for their own freedom. The attack was originally seen as unsuccessful in the eyes of the native Indians, but their actions would result in the fall of the East India Company a year after the attack. It was becoming clear to the British that their actions were leading to Indian frustration. Although the East India Company was no longer an official organization, the use of the land for factories and estates was still occurring. In 1872, British labor managers started to push for rules of working conditions in the production field that they ran. About 10 years later, an act was agreed that limited work hours and regulated pay for workers.

The Rise of Nationalism and the Path to Independence

Since British regal powers were softened, this was a perfect opportunity for anti-colonial nationalist Mohandas Gandhi to start a movement to liberate freedom and an independent Indian state. After the Indian Rebellion, there were many shifts in policies, acts and leadership of the remaining British rulers that remained in colonial India. Radio and speeches frolicked a huge part in spreading the movement to even peasant village members. By the mid1930s, the approval of the anti-colonial movement started to overpower the small amount of British influence that remained in India and the Indian princes were gaining both militaristic and political power. Since Indians had a sample from the British in education, military, economy, and government for centuries, the upper-class Indian princes and leaders had the knowledge to run and establish their own independent state. After about twenty years of message between British and Indian officials, India would become a distinct nation in 1947. This resulted in a devastating effect on British economy and resources.