Since I first learnt about it, India’s history has fascinated me. India’s history has been categorized into three- ancient, medieval and modern. This division was made on the basis of the religion of the rulers- that is Hindu, Muslim and Christian. The British, who were the Christians, came to India in the 1700s, as traders and later colonised the country. Every time the different historical eras are compared in terms of how positive they were, many apologists for the British empire no longer acknowledge years of imperial exploitation. Instead, they offer a counter argument- granted, the British took what they could for 200 years but didn’t that prove to be rather beneficial? However, this argument is absurd. Isn’t it a bit rich to oppress and torture a country for over two centuries and then take credit for the benefits that were purely accidental?
The number one argument that these apologists offer is the English language. English is said to be a gift from Britain to India because it proved to be beneficial for the country- today, the language is a necessity to enter the global workforce, something that helped India grow economically on a global scale. But this so called ‘gift’ was not thoughtful. Instead it was used an instrument of oppression, only ‘gifted’ to Indians so that the British would have it easier. In his infamous speech, Lord Macaulay, who was education minister at the time, said that the reason the Indians need to be educated is so that there is a class of Indians that serve as interpreters. The English didn’t want to educate Indians so that the they benefit- they didn’t even have a budget for this expense. The fact that Indians took the opportunity and used the language to liberate themselves is another aspect all together. They managed to create an advantage out of something that was oppressed upon them and only they can take credit for this.
“What about the railways?” Another invalid argument presented in favor of the British. The construction of the Indian Railways is always pointed out as one of the benefits. This argument ignores the very obvious fact that many countries have built railways but they didn’t have to go through the trouble of being exploited and subjugated for 200 years to do so. But the facts are worse. The idea of Indian Railways was a colonial scam. The British shareholders made tons of money by investing in the railways. The government guaranteed double returns in stocks paid not from the British taxes but the Indian ones. Basically, it was an opportunity for the British at the expense of the Indian taxpayer.
The Railways weren’t even an economic opportunity for Indians. From ticket- collectors to the director of the Railways, all employees were white men. The staff was only supposed to be white so as to ‘protect investments’. The only job opportunities for Indians were as mechanics. But the Indian mechanics became adept to the point where they could manufacture and design the engines themselves and this success scared the British. These engines were sold by the Indians at a much cheaper rate although they were as good as the British ones. So the British passed a law in the Parliament which made it impossible for Indian workshops to design and manufacture these locomotives. The only economic opportunity that the Railways created for Indians was also taken away by the British.
The India the British entered was a thriving and wealthy community, that is why they were interested in the first place. Many claim that the British colonization improved the economy of the country. Then how does one explain the fact that when the British came to India, the country was producing about 24% of the world’s GDP and when the British left in the 1940s, it was only 3%. Leaving a country with 16% literacy and a life expectancy of 27 is far from “beneficial.” The British exploited the Indian industry to no ends. For instance, the textile industry which was one of the most flourishing industries in the country was left exhausted by the time India gained independence in the 1940s. Basically, the British exhausted all industries and left an entire subcontinent with practically no domestic industry yet, kudos to them for teaching India English, right?
Yes, there is no doubt that some of oppressive methods used by the English proved to be blessings in disguise. But, one can’t credit the British for this. They didn’t establish these policies in favor of their colonies. The Indians used these cruel practices as opportunities. You can’t credit someone’s actions if they are unintended for the benefit they might have accidentally caused, especially if they were meant to oppress and torture a whole nation. The fact that the British colonization of India was a gift to nation is nothing but a myth.
