The Effect British Colonialism Had on The Indian Way of Life

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You are powerless to do anything. Foreigners control everything in your country, everything. From taxes right down to social structure, the colonial rulers have the upper hand in everything, while you, a true native of the country, are subjected to tyranny and oppression. None of us would want to be a citizen of such a country, but that was exactly the fate of millions of natives in many countries across the world during the Age of Imperialism. Imperialism is defined as the “creation and maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationship, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination.” (Imperialism – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). A significant example such imperialism is the British Raj, or the rule of Great Britain in the Indian Subcontinent during the 19th and 20th centuries. The events that took place during the British Raj gives us an extremely valuable insight into why Britain decided to be imperialistic, the effect British colonialism had on the Indian way of life, and how the Indian subcontinent finally managed to free itself from British rule and achieve sovereignty.

Britain chose to be imperialistic for three main reasons: greed for wealth, ethnocentrism, and Social Darwinism. The British empire-builders were keen to establish European dominance to as many nations as possible because of their raw materials and material wealth. One such example is the rich Kimberley mines of South Africa. The British were also attracted to the Indian subcontinent for that very reason. Eager to own India’s rich spice resources, as well as the source of labor that Indian slaves could provide, the British decided to overthrow the Mughal Empire and establish Bri...

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... the independence of the Indian subcontinent. The British wanted to colonize the Indian subcontinent for wealth and for spreading Western culture, and indeed their presence had a great influence on the Indian’s perspective on culture and social structure. However, in the end, the negative effects of British colonialism outweighed the positive effects, thus causing the Indians to seek independence for themselves. In addition, the Indian independence movement also gives us a valuable insight into the ways in which imperialism, while benefiting the mother country, may harm the colonies more. It also shows us that imperialism is not a sustainable political and economic system, as the oppressed people will always try to gain independence, a phenomenon proven by the fall of imperialism and the transformation of former colonies into independent nations all over the world.

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