The impact on India’s economy of the first half of the 20th century can hardly be ignored. Growth was good, the per capita income was increasing, and there was little sign of the reserve army rising to the challenge of the decolonizing world. Indians were happy to be part of the British Empire, and perhaps they were even relieved that life wasn’t all colonialism and exploitation.
However, the impact on Indians society was far from smooth. For starters, the British rule was installed as an empire with all the attendant complexities that go with it. The industrial revolution in Britain brought massive changes to the working conditions in textile production and other areas. The British, while not totally disinterested in industrial advancement, saw the impact on their textile industry on the whole as loss of productivity at the hands of cheaper foreign labor.
Indians were also disappointed with the conduct of the civil servants, whom they so dearly needed. They were scarcely disciplined and corrupt, and even when they were not, they acted like colonial administrators with an air of superiority and indifference to the suffering of the natives. They showed no concern for health or educational standards. All this contributed to the already dreadful shortage of manpower that the British government was facing.
There were many more setbacks. The end of the empire left an impact on India’s direction towards the future. Many people blame the British for the division of India, and some say the creation of the separate states was one of the results of the British rule. But there were several other factors that affect Indians today.
The impact on India’s economy was notable. Because of British rule, there was a great demand for skilled manpower that came from all over the world. These people brought with them skills that the country lacked at the time, and that helped it progress economically. Some of them even formed the Indian society that we know today as the IT professionals.
But the biggest impact on India’s economy might have been the impact on its politics and society. Economic gains were great, but the social disruption and turbulence that resulted from the British rule can still be seen to this day. Colonial rule was not just about the economy, but also about the social life of the people living in India.
Though the economy did benefit largely from the impact of British rule, at the same time, a major social impact occurred that has to be dealt with today. Many people who came to India under the colonialists had absolutely no knowledge about the richness of the Indian culture and tradition. This impact has to be taken into consideration today to avoid any future mistakes like what happened in the past.
As time passed and more Indians came into contact with Western cultures, the impact on their psyche became very visible. Today, many Indians are trying to preserve their rich cultural heritage, while at the same time trying to enhance the social impact of the British rule. They try to imbibe the values and tradition that have been shaped by their forefathers, and pass it on to the younger generation. And perhaps this is one of the best ways to understand the impact of British rule in India. Though the economy has faced some problems, the social impact has not gone down at all, and will be here to stay, and unless something drastic happens, will be here to gain more strength in the decades to come.
The impact of British rule in India can be gauged from the fact that today, Indians are more assertive and vocal, and have not remained quiet in accepting the privileges that they have. The British were known for tolerating varying lifestyles and opinions in the society, including the sexual orientation. Today, in India, homosexual couples are accepted and celebrated, and even show considerable societal acceptance in the larger society. All this is a result of the impact of British rule in India. Also, the Indian educational system has greatly improved over the years, and the level of education is rising very fast today, thanks to the efforts of the British.
Today, the economic position of the country is also very much better than it was before the British rule. Though there were plenty of problems in the economy before the British came, but with the British rule, the impact on the economy has become negligible. The government has taken all possible steps to boost up the economy and is looking towards the brighter future.
The British did not just rule India for the sake of it. They also did it out of pure social motives. They saw that India needed improvement and that it needed social and economic upliftment. With such an attitude, the British ruled India not just as a conqueror but also as a generous master, who could help his own people to become better.