English Rule in India

India’s Power Shift: Rise of Indian English Dominance Amid Mughal Decline #

The European interest in India was primarily a commercial one but with the decline of Mughal Empire and the failure of the Indian rulers to replace it, created a situation of power vacuum which allowed Europeans to interfere in domestic affairs and establish their dominance over India. In this fierce competition for dominance, two companies led respectively by the Indian English and the French were at the forefront. This led to rivalry between the two where the British emerged victorious.

Indian English Dominance in India: Tactics, Triumphs, and Colonial Legacy #

• Better Administrators: The British utilised superior naval power, divide-and-rule policy, alliances, technological advancements, and administrative efficiency to control sea routes, secure coastal areas, and weaken resistance which led them to success.
• Difference in Nature of Companies:  Indian English company was a private entity whose was quick to take decisions based on the prevailing ground realities
• Centralised Control: French company was a government entity whose every decision was taken in Paris. 
• French officers were not empowered enough to make decisions based on prevailing circumstances.
• The decision makers in Paris were completely disconnected from the Indian local realities.
• Nature of Home government: The Glorious Revolution of 1688 in England has resulted in the replacement of absolute monarch with a constitutional monarchy
• • On the other hand France was governed by an absolute monarch which was not answerable to the people.
  • This difference in the nature of the government allowed the Indian English Company to receive timely crucial support from the government where French government failed to provide similar support to its company
• The Impact of European politics: The French were mostly preoccupied with the continental matters which resulted in numerous wars and battles.
  • So they could not provide the required support to their company
  • On the other hand, the United Kingdom was an island situated far from the European mainland so did not suffer any consequence of war and could provide support to its company quickly.
• Skillful Diplomacy: In 1758, William Pitt was the War Minister of England who engaged France in European wars in such a way that France did not get an opportunity to pay attention to his Indian Empire. 
  • Apart from this, he also kept entangled Prussia with France to create a situation where the defeat of the French became certain.
  • According to Dr. Ishwari Prasad, “The French failed in India because they had failed in Europe.”
• Naval Supremacy of the Indian English: The British had full control over the sea route to India, which facilitated their swift movement to and from India.
  • They could easily move troops and supply needed for war and also could block the movement of troops and supply in support of French company
• Superior Leadership of English Company: The Indian English company was lucky to have the services of a number of capable leaders like Robert Clive, Hector Munro, Eyre Coote. 
  • These Indian English commanders fought as a team against their enemy company, the French company.
  • On  the other hand, the French failed in providing more leaders like Dupleix, the architect of the subsidiary alliance. 
• Financial Position of the English company: The conquest of Bengal in 1757 after the Battle of Plassey, provided the Indian English Company with a huge amount of wealth. 
  • This wealth was used by the Indian English Company to purchase superior weapons and employ the most capable soldiers.
  • This turned the tide against the French in the Battle of supremacy.
• Selection of Officers Based on Merit: The British selected officers based on reliability and skills rather than heredity, caste, or clan affiliations. 
  • This allowed them to have competent and capable leaders in their ranks. 
  • Indian rulers, on the other hand, often appointed administrators and military officers based on caste and personal relations, which sometimes overlooked merit and ability.
• Support from Indian Allies: The British formed alliances with some Indian rulers, who saw the British as potential protectors against their rivals. 
  • These alliances provided the British with military support, local knowledge, and intelligence, further strengthening their position in India.
• Divide and Rule: The British employed a “divide and rule” policy by exploiting religious and cultural differences among the Indian population. 
  • This strategy helped them maintain control over the subcontinent.

British Rule in Indian English: Consequences, Colonization, and Cultural Impact #

• The British had a significant and often controversial impact on India during their colonial rule, which lasted for nearly two centuries. 
• Destruction of Indian Princely states: After the decline of the French, the British gradually defeated and subjugated Indian powers through policies like subsidiary alliance, Doctrine of lapse and wars like Anglo Mysore wars, Anglo Maratha wars etc.
• Colonisation by the Indian English: Bengal to India, 1765-1858 Journey
  • The British gradually colonised India after signing the Treaty of Allahabad in 1765.
  • They first colonised the Bengal region followed by Madras and gradually the whole of India.
  • And finally in the year 1858, the British government assumed direct control of India.
• Economic ruin by the Indian English: India’s Decline from Prosperity to Struggle
  • Between 1600 and 1871, the ratio of India’s per capita GDP to that of Britain declined from over 60% to below 15%.
  • British land settlement policies like Permanent settlement, Ryotwari system and Mahalwari system completely ruined Indian agriculture.
  • Policy of Commercialisation of Indian agriculture further wreaked havoc on the Indian farmers. 
    • Eg: Promotion of Indigo farming in Bihar and Bengal led to Indigo rebellion  of 1858
• Destruction of Indian Princely states led to decline in demands of Indian traditional handicrafts which resulted in deindustrialisation of Indian
• Westernisation of India: Colonial Crossroads and Cultural Shift
  • Closer contact of India with Europe during colonial period led to flow of Western ideas, thoughts and culture in India such as liberty equality, rule of law, dressing sense, food etc.
  • Coupled with the government policy of promotion of Indian English education it further gave a boost to western ideas, ethos and culture.
• Development of Nationalism in India: Colonial Struggles to Freedom 1947
  • Indian rulers lacked unified political nationalism which was masterfully used by the British to manipulate them into conflicts with one another.
  • However, all policies of subjugation of Indians on one hand and promotion of western ideas on the other hand gave rise to nationalism in India which ultimately resulted in freedom of India in 1947.

Conclusion: #

• The success of the British over the French is a result of a combination of factors.
  • Superior naval power of the British, along with effective use of alliances and diplomacy, and a strong financial backing played a key role in the success of the British over the French.