EFFECT ON INDIAN SOCIETY
Ananda Owens
World History 102
Van Dyken
October 17, 2015
During the period of the Raj, from 1858 to 1914, the British ruled over Indian society. Although they brought India political and economic development, imperialism was more beneficial to Britain themselves but less for Indian society overall. The period of the Raj started because from the years 1857 to 1858 a rebellion against the British took place called the Indian Revolt. It began with a rebellion by Indian troops serving in the army of the British East India Company. Once some of the Indian troops began to revolt, the rebellion against British rule spread rapidly and involved many local Indian leaders who had a wide array of complaints against British rule. Eventually the British forces defeated the rebels and their revenge was just as vicious as the rebels had been. The British and their allies committed many atrocities. This mutiny left a lasting legacy of mistrust and fear between the British and Indians, which continued throughout the British time in charge of India.
India was different than other territories, because unlike North America and Australia, India was already as populated and developed as Britain when they had arrived in the 1700s. The British were mainly able to take control of …show more content…
India's large population made it an attractive market for British industry. They introduced India to railways, irrigation, and medicine. In the 1880s, about 20% of Britain's total exports went to India. Tea and cotton, as well as other goods, were exported in huge quantities from India to Britain, which was then drunk or exported from Britain to other countries. One of India’s most important resources was their army. Around 40% of India's wealth was spent on it, and was used by Britain all around the world. The Indian army was the backbone of the power of the British