The British view tended to portray British rule as a charitable exercise – they suffered India’s environment (eg climate, diseases) in order to bring to India good government and economic development (eg railways, irrigation, medicine). Modern admirers of British rule also note these benefits.
How did India suffer under British rule?
Up to 35 million died unnecessarily in famines; London ate India’s bread while India starved, and in 1943 nearly four million Bengalis died. It was their own fault, according to the odious Churchill, for “breeding like rabbits”. Collectively, these famines amounted to a “British colonial holocaust”.
What good did British do to India?
So let’s take a look at 7 Good Things The British Did For India And Indians!
- English language. The reason they taught English to the Indians was to have an ease of administration. …
- Indian Railways. …
- Army. …
- Vaccination. …
- Social reforms. …
- India census. …
- Surveying India.
Why did the British go to India?
The British East India Company came to India as traders in spices, a very important commodity in Europe back then as it was used to preserve meat. Apart from that, they primarily traded in silk, cotton, indigo dye, tea and opium. They landed in the Indian subcontinent on August 24, 1608, at the port of Surat.
Why did Britain give up India?
1947: Partition of India
During World War Two, the British had mobilised India’s resources for their imperial war effort. They crushed the attempt of Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress to force them to ‘quit India’ in 1942. … For this reason, Britain was desperate to keep India (and its army) united.
Was India rich before British rule?
India had also achieved considerable success in building a thriving economy with flourishing trade and commerce well before the colonial period – the economic wealth of India was amply acknowledged by British observers such as Adam Smith.
What would India be without British rule?
India had always been a peaceful nation and would have nothing to with the World War II had it not been under the rule of the British. … The unscrupulous wartime policies of the British to supply food to soldiers at war led to the shortage of food in Bengal and Bihar causing millions of deaths out of starvation.
How much did British steal from India?
Patnaik concluded that Britain plundered almost $45 trillion from India between 1765 to1938, based on nearly two centuries of precise tax and trade data. This amount is almost 17 times the current combined GDP of Britain and India.
How long was British rule of India?
British raj, period of direct British rule over the Indian subcontinent from 1858 until the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947.
Who were the worst sufferers under British rule?
Peasants were among the worst sufferers of British rule. However, peasants resisted the exploitation and started to organize collective protests and movements against the policies.
How did India get freedom?
India won its freedom from British colonial rule in 1947, after many decades of struggle. Mohandas Gandhi, known as Mahatma Gandhi, joined the fight in 1914 and led the country to independence, using his method of nonviolent protest known as satyagraha.
When did India get freedom?
Independence Day in India occurs on August 15 of every year. It celebrates the date in 1947 when the Indian Independence Act came into effect, which established India and Pakistan as separate countries, no longer under British imperialist rule.