Imperialism In India Off in the distance you hear gunshots, screaming, and army officials yelling at weak, starved, unarmed Indians. This is what life was like in 1757-1947 India. British control of India started as a small trading outpost named the British East India Company. As the Moghal Empire of India collapsed in 1707, India had no government or rule and chaos broke out. The British East India Company saw this and sent in a small army of British troops to take control of small cities. When they began to take control of enough cities they flooded the Indian markets with cheap foreign products; the cheaply made foreign products were far more cheaper than any native made products, causing the Indian economy to collapse with all money going
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Although they formed a justice system, government, and national army, this was used to abuse and unjustifiable actions. Experts claim the British ran a fair framework of civil services and justice (Lalvani). Although, 900 of 960 civil offices established by the British were run by non-native British officers (Doc 2). That’s almost 94% of non-Indian control over their own people and no say in taxation and rules. This shows that while the British established a framework of 960 civil offices, they left little to no room for Indian say in their decisions or control. In addition, British claim to have built a strong army for India and supplied young Indians with high military training in British academies (Lalvani). But as we see again, this was to help control the Indians even more. These trained officers were known as “sepoys” or Indian army officers used for the British against Indians (Gandhi). On April 13, 1919 Indians were peacefully protesting the Rowlatt Act which banned all “protests” by praying and fasting, until the sepoys fired onto the unarmed crowds of 20,000 without warning, killing 400 and wounding 1,200 (Gandhi). This shows they trained the Indian soldiers for their own benefit to abuse and punish Indians. The government set up framework, justice, and an army for India. But only for their control and gain over imprisoned …show more content…
Before British rule Indians used to walk on foot everywhere which was very inefficient. British saw this and over the course of 25 years, the British laid down 10,000 miles of track and built 156,000 bridges (Lalvani). Although they began modernizing India, they used these bridges and railroads to transport cash crops, which are crops Indians were forced to grow for British purposes, and raw materials from India to Britain, stealing all of their resources and economy (Doc 7). While this was happening, in 1905 India’s first national park was opened to “Allow rhinos to flourish” (Lalvani). But also at this time British began cutting down forests for more cash crops and farming destroying dozens of other animal habitats in the process. This deforestation led to the warming of India, the lowering of the water table, followed by high salinization which is the salt content of the soil, rendering other crops such as food unable to grow and multiple Indian famines (Doc 6-7). While the British may claim to have protected rhinos, they were also starving Indians, and destroying multiple animal habitats and land for future
Although they formed a justice system, government, and national army, this was used to abuse and unjustifiable actions. Experts claim the British ran a fair framework of civil services and justice (Lalvani). Although, 900 of 960 civil offices established by the British were run by non-native British officers (Doc 2). That’s almost 94% of non-Indian control over their own people and no say in taxation and rules. This shows that while the British established a framework of 960 civil offices, they left little to no room for Indian say in their decisions or control. In addition, British claim to have built a strong army for India and supplied young Indians with high military training in British academies (Lalvani). But as we see again, this was to help control the Indians even more. These trained officers were known as “sepoys” or Indian army officers used for the British against Indians (Gandhi). On April 13, 1919 Indians were peacefully protesting the Rowlatt Act which banned all “protests” by praying and fasting, until the sepoys fired onto the unarmed crowds of 20,000 without warning, killing 400 and wounding 1,200 (Gandhi). This shows they trained the Indian soldiers for their own benefit to abuse and punish Indians. The government set up framework, justice, and an army for India. But only for their control and gain over imprisoned …show more content…
Before British rule Indians used to walk on foot everywhere which was very inefficient. British saw this and over the course of 25 years, the British laid down 10,000 miles of track and built 156,000 bridges (Lalvani). Although they began modernizing India, they used these bridges and railroads to transport cash crops, which are crops Indians were forced to grow for British purposes, and raw materials from India to Britain, stealing all of their resources and economy (Doc 7). While this was happening, in 1905 India’s first national park was opened to “Allow rhinos to flourish” (Lalvani). But also at this time British began cutting down forests for more cash crops and farming destroying dozens of other animal habitats in the process. This deforestation led to the warming of India, the lowering of the water table, followed by high salinization which is the salt content of the soil, rendering other crops such as food unable to grow and multiple Indian famines (Doc 6-7). While the British may claim to have protected rhinos, they were also starving Indians, and destroying multiple animal habitats and land for future