Effects Of British Imperialism

When it comes to imperialism, probably nothing else pops up into one’s mind so readily as the British Empire. Imperialism is by definition, according to Dictionary.com, the policy of extending the rule or authority of an empire or nation over foreign countries, or of acquiring and holding colonies and dependencies. British colonization is kind of like the elephant in the room when it comes to world history of the last few centuries. As they say, the sun never set on the British Empire, since British imperialism expanded into Asia, Africa, Australia, the Americas, and really just about anywhere that was able to provide something for the British. Wherever the British went, they brought many problems along with them for the natives. Two of the

“It is generally recognized that the extension of British power was dependent on the willing participation of Indians, either as allies, or by those employed as revenue collectors, merchants and sepoys” (Johnson). According to this view, if the British had great power in India, it then follows that many Indians either helped or at least did not hinder this expansion. The colonizers realized that to maintain a certain level of peace with the natives, they would have to interfere as little as possible in the lives of the people. “British rule had, until the 1810s generally integrated itself with Indian modes of government. Many British officials had become ‘Indianised’, adopting Indian dress and custom” (Johnson). However, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. There were many British reformers who sought to change India. Educational reformers believed that India’s “only opportunity for salvation…was if the Indians could learn the English language and adopt English customs through an English education” (Johnson). Furthermore, religion was also something imposed on the Indians since “there is no question that Christian missions frequently rode on the coattails of European colonialism, and it is equally well accepted that missions have not merely benefited from colonization but have often aided in both establishing and stabilizing colonial regimes” (Roberts). Legal reform was also carried out: “The Indian Penal Code (1860), for example, was based on British law” (Johnson). So, British colonization in India was more about taking over culture and customs, whereas in Australia it was more about taking over land and