British Influences on India in the 1800s essays

British Influences on India in the 1800s essays There is no doubt that British imperialism had a large impact on India. India, having previously been a group of independent territories, underwent great change under British administration. Originally intended to consolidate their hold on India by establishing a population that spoke the same language as their rulers, the British decision in the 1830s to educate Indians in a Western fashion, with English as the language of instruction, was the beginning of a chain of events, including a rise in Indian nationalism, that led to Indian resentment of British imperialism and ultimately to the loss of British control over India. One of the most important factors in the British loss of control over India was the establishment of English as a unifying language. Prior to British colonization, India was fragmented and multi-lingual, with 15 major languages and around 720 dialects. English served as a common ground for Indians and allowed separate cultural and ethnic groups to identify with each other, something which had rarely if ever occurred before. Although it was mainly educated Indians who belonged to a higher caste who spoke English, these were the most influential people in terms of acting as leaders for nationalist ideas to be communicated throughout the population. Many magazines and journals are written in English also had a great influence on the rise of Indian nationalism. Although most Indians received nationalist ideas orally, these journals allowed Indians who were literate in English to come into contact with the ideas of social and political reformers. Political and social reform in India was achieved as a result of the European political principles brought to India by the British. Indians were Anglicised, and the British ideal for an Indian was to be "Indians in blood and color, but English in tastes, opinions, and intellect", as put by one British legislator. This Western education led to educated Indians learning ab...