In last story we discussed about the ‘Effects of British Rule in India: Chapter:I’. It contained the most hazardous effects of the British Rule in India. Today, we are going to discuss the other effects that shaped the socio-economic and political landscape during that period. So let’s begin with the profound impacts of the British rule in India.
Destruction of Indian Trade & Industries:
The handlooms of India supplied textile to the markets of Asia and Europe. The traders from the European countries used to come to India to purchase commodities. The Indian-made jute, silk, woolen and cotton textiles were in high demand in the European markets. The soft and delicate muslin of Dhaka was world-famous. Apart from textiles, commodities such as salt, saltpetre, sugar, etc. were exposed in exchange of tremendous amount of bullion(gold and silver).
The whole scenario changed as the British rule was implemented. The flow of bullion(gold and silver) got reversed. In the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the British took 500 crore rupees as per today’s standard only from Bengal during their rule. Just imagine, the wealth of British would have accumulated from the whole country.
With the help of the raw materials produced in India and the money collected from India, the business and industries in England prospered. The cloth manufactured in England was imported in India without levying any duty on it whereas there were taxes up to 80% on the cloth manufactured in India. As a result, textile made in India became costlier in the Indian market itself. The Indian handicraft and cottage industries could not sustain themselves. Many skill-based industries of India like textile industries, glass, paper, mineral, ship-building, etc. got ruined due to the policies of the policies of the British. Lakhs of skilled workers became unemployed. Gradually, poor workers of rural areas of India became poorer.
Suspicion About the Reforms:
When William Bentick came to India liberal thinking was getting its stronghold in England. The British rulers started taking interest in the lives of people in India. Lord William Bentick becam quite popular in India by producing few benificial reforms. During his time, Indians started getting jobs in Company administration. Indians were allowed to use their mother tounge in the court of law. Raja Ram Mohan Roy and other social reformers were constantly making efforts to stop the evil practice of Sati. Bentick agreed to these efforts and passed a law in 1892 to ban the practice of Sati.
During the time of William Bentick, the English rulers tried to eradicate the social evils as per the will of the social reformers. The orthodox class witnessed these reforms with suspicion.
The Company had passed a resolution to spend one lakh rupees every year on education but it wasn’t implemented. Finally, an education committee was formed during the time of Bentick. In the year 1834, Lord Maucaulay thought of introducing English education in India. However, the educational method advocated by Maucaulay couldn’t benifit the youth. Indians lost the advantage of acquiring the ancient knowledge and skills ddeveloped by their ancestors. The methods of British education system was opposed by a number intellectuals and Mahatama Gandhi called it as “to give millions a knowledge of English is to enslave them … that, by receiving English education, we have enslaved the nation”. Later, three universities were established in 1857. The Britishers could get educated workforce due to the introduction of English education.
In order to maintain an effective control on the countryand to exchange messages with the neighbouring territories, modern methods of post and telegraph were introduced in India in 1854 C.E. Printing press and circulation of newspaper grew alongside.
These reforms were actually for the convenience of the British rule in India but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the growth of nationalism in India. The class that acquired the English education spearheaded the social reforms and nationalism in India since they were more familiar with the contemporary developments in the world around. The post and telegraph brought people closer.
By this point, the Indian population had initiated a wave of revolution, culminating in the significant Freedom Movement of 1857 C.E. This movement marked the commencement of India’s century-long struggle to break free from the shackles of British rule.
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