How Did Gandhi Contribute To The Rise Of The British Empire

The British Empire was the largest empire the world had ever seen. The British were motivated to conquer and colonize any place where they could benefit economically. This emphasis on money inspired Gandhi to attack the Empire through civil disobedience and attack their economy as the desire for Indian independence grew. The British maintained control over their large empire through a structured military presence, which would suppress any uprising in an instant and by any means necessary, no matter how violent. This predisposition to violence helped the shaping of Gandhi’s belief in Ahimsa, non-violence, and influenced how he led uprisings against the British. Finally, the British industrialization and their greediness shaped Gandhi’s idea …show more content…
Gandhi believed that India was never lost to the British, but rather the subcontinent was handed over to them on a silver platter in this appeal for money. He saw that “in order to become rich all at once we [Indians] welcomed the Company’s officers with open arms. We assisted them . . . Hence it is truer to say that we gave India to the English than that India was lost” (Gandhi, “Why was India Lost,” 19-20). Everything the British did revolved around money, and money was gained through trade. Gandhi recognized this core value of the British Empire and attacked it, striking right at the heart of the Empire. He called on his fellow Indians to perform civil disobedience, by refusing to comply with laws and pay taxes they viewed as unjust as a form of protest. One movement that was spurred from this idea was the movement to buy only clothes which were Indian-made. This movement allowed Indians to deprive the British Empire of the revenue generated from such sales and put money into the pockets of their fellow countrymen. This form of protest not only took a stab at the Empire, but it also proved that India …show more content…
One example of how the British violently suppressed the Indian people is the Amritsar massacre. Due to an escalation in protests, the city of Amritsar had been placed under martial law and all meetings and gatherings within the city had been forbidden. Despite that, group of Indian nationalists held a meeting in a city park. The park was surrounded by British troops, who blocked the exit, and fired into the unarmed crowd. As a result, hundreds were killed and more than one thousand wounded—men, women and children alike. The British general just had a desire for Indian blood. This tragedy is an example of how the British were always quick to assert their military power when rebellions took place. While Gandhi’s practice of Ahimsa, non-violence, and leading of non-violent protests was already underway when the Amritsar massacre took place, it was the excessive violence demonstrated by the British which inspired this thinking. He tapped into the spirits for the Indian people by saying that fighting was not the true way to show courage, but rather to show courage was act non-violently: “A man cannot practice Ahimsa and be a coward at the same time” (Gandhi, “Oh Ahimsa,” 96). Therefore, Gandhi was saying that, by following Ahimsa, the Indian people were truly the ones who were fearless and courageous, not the British troops or the