The British East India Company came to India as traders in spices, a very important commodity in Europe back then as it was used to preserve meat. Apart from that, they primarily traded in silk, cotton, indigo dye, tea and opium.
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Why was India so important to the British?
India was the jewel in the crown of the British Empire.
As well as spices, jewels and textiles, India had a huge population.Indian troops helped the British control their empire, and they played a key role in fighting for Britain right up to the 20th century.
Why did the British want power in India?
The British were able to take control of India mainly because India was not united. The British signed treaties and made military and trading alliances with many of the independent states that made up India. The British were very effective at infiltrating these states and gradually taking control.
What resources did Britain want from India?
The colonizers were only interested in exploiting India’s natural resources as they transported items such as coal, iron ore, cotton and other natural resources to ports for the British to ship home to use in their factories.
Was India rich before British rule?
From 1 century CE till the start of British colonisation in India in 17th century, India’s GDP always varied between ~25 – 35% world’s total GDP, which dropped to 2% by Independence of India in 1947. At the same time, the Britain’s share of the world economy rose from 2.9% in 1700 up to 9% in 1870 alone.
How much did British steal from India?
Patnaik concluded that Britain plundered almost $45 trillion from India between 1765 to1938, based on nearly two centuries of precise tax and trade data. This amount is almost 17 times the current combined GDP of Britain and India.
Why did Britain decide to leave India?
Due to the Naval Mutiny, Britain decided to leave India in a hurry because they were afraid that if the mutiny spread to the army and police, there would be large scale killing of Britishers all over India. Hence Britain decided to transfer power at the earliest.
What good did British do to India?
So let’s take a look at 7 Good Things The British Did For India And Indians!
- English language. The reason they taught English to the Indians was to have an ease of administration.
- Indian Railways.
- Army.
- Vaccination.
- Social reforms.
- India census.
- Surveying India.
What bad things did the British do to India?
Up to 35 million died unnecessarily in famines; London ate India’s bread while India starved, and in 1943 nearly four million Bengalis died. It was their own fault, according to the odious Churchill, for “breeding like rabbits”. Collectively, these famines amounted to a “British colonial holocaust”.
What did the English take from India?
Drawing on nearly two centuries of detailed data on tax and trade, Patnaik calculated that Britain drained a total of nearly $45 trillion from India during the period 1765 to 1938.
Why was India an exploited country?
Colonial Exploitation through manipulation of import and export duties by the British rulers so as to destroy the supremacy of the Indian goods, especially cotton and silk fabrics over the British goods and then to succeed ultimately in penetrating into the Indian market through its machine made goods.
Who looted India most?
Emperor Nader Shah, the Shah of Persia (1736–47) and the founder of the Iranian Afsharid dynasty of Persia, invaded Northern India, eventually attacking Delhi in March 1739.
Why did India become poor?
Famines and diseases killed millions in multiple vicious cycles throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. After India gained its independence in 1947, mass deaths from famines were prevented. Since 1991, rapid economic growth has led to a sharp reduction in extreme poverty in India.
Why is India called golden bird?
The major reason why India was named ‘golden bird’ was because of its abundant raw materials and availability of precious stones.On this ground the ancient India was a global trade hub. Gold was first found in the lands of India. There are several references of trade of gold from India to other parts of the world.
What happens if British never ruled India?
India would probably be a continent in itself consisting of 30-40 states each aligning its identity to a language or religion. They either have monarchies, parliamentary systems or a presidential system, some being stronger than others. Border security would be tight due to terrorism and revolts by Naxalites.
What would have happened if Britain never ruled India?
India had always been a peaceful nation and would have nothing to with the World War II had it not been under the rule of the British.The unscrupulous wartime policies of the British to supply food to soldiers at war led to the shortage of food in Bengal and Bihar causing millions of deaths out of starvation.
How long India was under British rule?
1947:
| EIC in India | 1612–1757 |
|---|---|
| Company rule in India | 1757–1858 |
| British rule in Portuguese India | 1797–1813 |
| British Raj | 1858–1947 |
| British rule in Burma | 1824–1948 |
How did the British treat India?
They legally and socially discriminated against Indians and people of mixed race, who were also shunned by Indian people. They forced Indian farmers into a global market and mandated the growth of commercial crops, which left them open to the ups and downs of supply and demand.
What things British stole from India?
8 Valuable Things The British Stole From India And The World
- Koh-i-Noor. Koh-i-Noor belonged to the famous Mughal Peacock Throne of Allaudin Khalji.
- Elgin Marbles.
- Ethiopian Manuscripts.
- Benin Bronzes.
- Seeds of Hevea Brasiliensis.
- Rosetta Stone.
- The Ring of Tipu Sultan.
- Wine Cup of Shah Jahan.
Did the British rule China?
Although British imperialism never politically took hold in mainland China, as it did in India or Africa, its cultural and political legacy is still evident today. Honk Kong remains a significant center of global finance and its government still functioned in much of the same ways as it did under British colonialism.
