Home > Indian History > History of India > British Empire in India
British Empire in India
The British Empire firmly planted the roots of imperialism on the Indian soil, after the Battle of Plassey in 1757.

Share this Article:

British Empire in IndiaThe first signature of the British Empire in India came in the form of the British East India Company. British investors staked into the so far alien landscape of the Indian subcontinent in search of prospective opportunities that would provide ample profits. What at first seemed to be a simple business transaction between two countries in course of time led to the subjugation or annexation of territories in which spices, cotton, and opium were cultivated. Many Indian associates, such as the bankers and merchants under whose supervision laid the intricate credit networks, supported this rampant British infiltration into the Indian economy.

The British Empire would never have been able to make a mark on Indian ground had it not been for their Indian counterparts who provided connections between the rural and the urban centers. Outside threats, such as the Napoleonic Wars (1796-1815) and the Russian extension towards Afghanistan (in the 1830s), coupled with the desire for inner stability, led to the occupation of more and more territory in India. At first, political forecasters in Britain expressed some concerns over the costs and the advantages of waging wars in India, but by the 1810s, as the territorial enhancement ultimately yielded positive results, the crown in London welcomed the assimilation of new areas.

The British Empire soon stopped thinking about its own enmity with the Portuguese and the French and allowed them to settle in their maritime enclaves, which they retained even after India got her independence in 1947. The British continued to expand their territories with over brimming enthusiasm. A large number of belligerent governor-generals started persistent campaigns against several Hindu and Muslim rulers. Amongst them were Richard Colley Wellesley (1798-1805), William Pitt Amherst (1823-28), George Eden (1836-42), Edward Law (1842-44), and James Andrew Brown Ramsay (1848-56; better known as the Marquess of Dalhousie). In spite of frantic efforts by many Hindu and Muslim rulers to re-establish their power and keep away the British, many of them (like Mysore, the Maratha Confederacy and Punjab) lost their territories.

The British tremendously succeeded not only because of their supremacy in strategies and weapons but also due to their skillful diplomatic relations with Indian rulers through the "subsidiary alliance" system, introduced in the early nineteenth century. Many rulers traded away their genuine responsibilities by approving to advocate British dominion in India. In the meantime, they held on to an illusory sovereignty under the gloss of Pax Britannica.

British Empire in India Later on, Lord Dalhousie introduced the "doctrine of lapse" and took ready possession of the domains of the deceased princes of Satara (1848), Udaipur (1852), Jhansi (1853), Tanjore (1853), Nagpur (1854), and Oudh (1856). The Europeans, especially the British Empire increasingly began to view India`s past achievements and glory more with an eye of sweeping condemnation than with the eye of unequivocal appreciation. Instilled with an ethnocentric sense of supremacy, the British intellectuals, including Christian missionaries, headed a movement that sought to bring a large portion of the Western intellectual and technological innovations to the Indians. Many opined that Europe had taken upon itself the task of civilizing India and holding it as a trust until Indians proved themselves skilled enough for autonomous rule.

The Parliament of the British Empire ratified a series of laws, among which the Regulating Act of 1773 comes first. It restrained the company traders` uninhibited commercial activities and endeavored to bring about some order in the territories under the control of the British East India Company. Restraining the company license to periods of twenty years, subject to appraisal upon renewal, the 1773 act gave the British government managerial rights over the Bengal, Bombay, and Madras presidencies. Bengal was given supremacy over the rest of the provinces because of its massive commercial vivacity. Moreover, Bengal was the seat of the British power in India (at Calcutta, now known as Kolkata), whose governor was raised to the new position of governor general. Warren Hastings was the first to hold office as the governor general (1773-85).

The India Act of 1784 is occasionally described as the "half-loaf system" because it sought to intervene between Parliament and the company directors. This act enhanced the authority of the parliament by establishing the Board of Control, whose members were elected from the cabinet. The Charter Act of 1813 acknowledged British moral liability by introducing just and humanitarian laws in India, portending future social legislative measures, and banning a number of conventional practices such as sati and thagi (or thugee, robbery coupled with ritual murder).

As governor general from 1786 to 1793, Charles Cornwallis (the Marquis of Cornwallis) made the company`s administration more professional, more bureaucratic, and more Europeanized. He also barred private trade by company employees, made a distinction between the commercial and administrative functions, and payed the company servants with generous graduated salaries. Since revenue collection became the company`s most crucial managerial function, Cornwallis made a contract with Bengali zamindars, which were regarded as the Indian counterparts to the British landed gentry. The Permanent Settlement system, also known as the zamindari system, fixed taxes for a perpetual time in return for ownership of large estates.

However, the state was debarred from agricultural expansion, which came under the rule of the zamindars. In Madras and Bombay, however, the ryotwari (peasant) settlement system was set in practice, in which peasant cultivators had to pay yearly taxes directly to the government. Neither the zamindari nor the ryotwari system proved effective in the long run because India was transformed into an international economic and pricing system over which it had no control, while the number of people relying on agriculture due to lack of other employment gradually increased. Millions of people concerned with the greatly taxed Indian textile industry also lost their markets, as they were not capable of competing profitably with cheaper textiles produced in Lancashire`s mills from Indian raw materials.

The British Empire gradually began to proliferate in India. With the establishment of the Mayor`s Court in 1727 for civil proceedings in Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras, internal justice came under the company`s jurisdiction. In 1772 an intricate judicial system, known as adalat, launched civil and criminal jurisdictions along with a composite set of codes or rules of procedure and verification. Hindu pandits as well as Muslim qazis were recruited to aid the presiding judges in deducing their customary laws, but in other cases, British common and statutory laws became applicable.

The 1850s bore testimony to the introduction of the three "engines of social improvement" that heightened the chances of the British Empire`s permanence in India. These included the railroads, the telegraph, and the uniform postal service, launched during the period in office of Dalhousie as governor general. The first railroad lines were constructed in 1850 from Howrah (Haora, across the Hughli River from Calcutta) inland to the coalfields at Raniganj, Bihar, and a distance of 240 kilometers.

In 1851 the initial electric telegraph line was placed in Bengal and soon linked Agra, Bombay, Calcutta, Lahore, Varanasi, and other cities. The three different provincial postal systems amalgamated in 1854 to aid uniform methods of communication at an all-India basis. The uniform postal rates for letters and newspapers enhanced communication between the rural and the metropolitan areas. This along with the opening of highways and waterways hastened the movement of troops, the transportation of raw materials and goods to and from the interior, and the barter of commercial information.

So the British Empire brought about major changes in India. However, the railroads did not break the social or cultural distances between various groups but inclined to create new classes in travel. Distinct compartments in the trains were set-aside specifically for the British people and also separated the educated and the prosperous from ordinary people. Interestingly, when the Sepoy Rebellion was quashed in 1858, a British official commented "the telegraph saved India." He predicted, to be precise, that the British Empire would continue to remain anchored in India. But that was not to be.


Share this Article:

Subscribe to Newsletter
Learn unknown facts about India from a curated list of informative articles.

Related Articles

More Articles in History of India

History of Indian Drama
History of Indian Drama is rich with Vedas and Indian epics and has gradually changed with time and remains unaffected by any foreign influence.
History of Khajuraho Temple
Located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is country’s most magnificent groups of temples.
History of Ayurveda
History of Ayurveda dates back to 5,000 years old and is widely considered to be the oldest form of health care in the world.
History of Uttar Pradesh
The state was the heart of Mahabharata war and the history of Uttar Pradesh is very much the history of India. The place finds its mentions in Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
History of Indian Photography
An overview of the development of photography, through the various stages in India.
History of Delhi
History of Delhi began with the advent of Indian regal dynasties. Delhi witnessed the rise and fall of Hindu dynasties, Muslims and the British as well.
History of Indian Radio
History of Indian Radio dates back to late 1930s with the first establishment of All India Radio in 1936 that improved further after independence.
History of Punjab
History of Punjab dates back to the 16th century; however its formation is traced in the great epic Mahabharata.
History Of Archaeology In India
History of archaeology in India contributes a lot to define the past history and the social life of India.
History of Maharashtra
Maharashtra, the land of charismatic Marathas, unfolds the legend of diverse culture and tradition, keeping in pace with the modernity. The gallant history of Maharashtra is still echoed amidst its historical relics and archeological wonders.
History of Kerala
History of Kerala can be interpreted from the inscriptions of Ashoka, Mauryan Emperor. History of Kerala is as interesting as its wide-ranging geographical features that make the land a place of versatile appeal.
History of Bihar
History of Bihar goes back to the very dawn of the human civilizations. Many eminent personalities and leaders from Bihar contributed for India’s freedom struggle.
History of Assam
In the ancient Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Assam was known as `Kamarupa` or `Pragjyotish`. In the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the Tantras there are references of Assam as Kamrupa kingdom.
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands dates back to the settlement of the East India Company in the territory of the Islands.
History of West Bengal
History of West Bengal is rooted in richness and is an important episode in the history of India. The history of Bengal played an important role in shaping the history of India.
History of Jharkhand
One of the fairly newer states, Jharkhand was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000. The history of Jharkhand is seeped with a variety of cultural significances starting from the Vedic era to Mughal period and finally the British administration.
History of Sikkim
History of Sikkim declares the pre historic culture and the colonial era hilly politics and the rules of Sikkim.
History of Nagaland
The history of Nagaland mainly revolves around and deals with the customs and economic activities of the Naga Tribes and how the state has evolved since the Indian Independence.
History of Mizoram
History of Mizoram includes the various historical events and incidents which occurred during the various ages, right from before the age of the Mughals.
History of Jammu & Kashmir
History of Jammu and Kashmir involves a series of political and geographical transformations from every ancient era to the modern times also. Even now, Jammu and Kashmir has its political tension between Pakistan and India.
History of Puducherry
Puducherry was invaded by different invaders in different times. The invaders include Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram, dynasties of the South, Cholas of Thanjavur, Pandyas and Muslim invaders.
History of Chandigarh
In 1947, the British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Punjab was also included in this partition. So, there was a need for a new capital for Punjab, as the old capital Lahore became part of Pakistan during the partition. So, in 1948, under the leadership of chief architect Mr. P.L. Verma the construction of Chandigarh city began.
History of Daman and Diu
During the early stage, i.e. from 8th to 13th century, Daman and Diu was part of Goa.
History of Lakshadweep
History of Lakshadweep defines the first settlement on these islands under the Union Territory of India that was ruled by Cheraman Perumal, who was the last king of Kerala.
History of Karnataka
History of Karnataka comprised of the different rulers of different dynasties of various religions like Hindus, Buddhists, and later the Muslims.
History of Goa
History of Goa dates back to the 3rd century BC and reflects the rule of the mighty rulers and gained its independence under Jawaharlal Nehru.
History of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh possesses a rich historical heritage of culture of the ancient tribes. Being a bordering state of India, Arunachal Pradesh also has a history of military unrest since ancient Indian age.
History of Andhra Pradesh
History of Andhra Pradesh traces its origin back to the 5th century BC. According to the inscriptions, Kuberaka, the oldest Kingdom in South India had an empire in the coastal Andhra during that period.
History of Himachal Pradesh
History of Himachal Pradesh narrates about the various settlements and dynasties that emerged in the region over time.
History of Uttarakhand
History of Uttarakhand finds mention in the early Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manaskhand and Himavat. Uttarakhand is called as the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places and shrines.
History of Rajasthan
The history of Rajasthan is dotted with tales of valor, chivalry, camaraderie and romance.
History of Tamil Nadu
History of Tamil Nadu reveals that this ancient place in South India was ruled by various kingdoms like the Pandyas Dynasty, Cholas Dynasty, Nayakas Dynasty and Pallavas Dynasty.
History of Haryana
History of Haryana depicts various events and influences that have cast a profound effect on the culture and people of the district. The place gained statehood on 1st of November 1966
History of Odisha
History of Odisha goes back a rather long way. Most of the history of the state is replete with the dynastic as well as tribal struggle for territorial superiority. Odisha is a place where one can find the religion, culture and history flow in away that lead to cultural amalgamation of early India.
History of Manipur
History of Manipur can be traced back to the prehistoric ages and this was followed by a number of rulers who reigned the land from age to age till it came under British rule and later joined the union of India.
History of Gujarat
History of Gujarat can be dated back to the 14th century that later witnessed the supremacy of many powerful dynasties.
History of Tripura
History of Tripura is dealing with the early mythological history and the history of British rule in North eastern part of India.
History of Meghalaya
The history of Meghalaya predominantly comprises of the three tribes of the state- Garo, Khasi and Jaintia tribes. Later on Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam.
History of Chhattisgarh
History of Chhattisgarh dates back to the era of epics and traces through the reign of powerful dynasties in India like Marathas. The area developed a rich cultural heritage during British era.