British Changes in India: Political, Social, and Religious Impacts

Changes Made by the British in India

Political Changes

• Doctrine of Lapse (1852):
  • Passed by Lord Dalhousie.
  • Stated that if an Indian ruler died without a natural heir, the British would annex their land.
  • Examples: Satara, Nagpur, and Jhansi were annexed.
  • Impact: Unpopular policy that caused resentment among Indians, who viewed the British as "greedy land grabbers."
• Annexation of Awadh (1856):
  • Even though the Nawab of Awadh had legal heirs, the British annexed his land, citing misgovernance as the pretext.
  • Impact: Further increased resentment against the British.

Social Changes

• Western Education:
  • Introduced by Thomas Babington Macaulay.
  • Emphasized European ideas as superior to Indian ones.
  • Western values and culture were taught.
  • English was the medium of instruction.
  • Christian religion was taught in missionary schools.
  • Impact: Indians perceived this system as a threat to their culture and religion, fearing conversion to Christianity and considering European culture inappropriate.
• Christian Missionaries:
  • Allowed to work freely in India.
  • Preached Christianity and converted Indians.
  • Established schools where they expected locals working for them to convert.
  • Impact: Indians viewed missionaries as a threat to their religion and beliefs.
• English as the Official Language:
  • In 1835, English replaced Persian as the official language and language of instruction.
  • Impact: Facilitated contact with English books, encouraging Western culture, but also insulted Indians by ignoring their language.
• Communications: Railways:
  • The British laid railway lines across India.
  • The first train journey was on April 16, 1853, from Bombay to Thane.
  • Purposes:
    • Faster delivery of goods and raw materials to and from ports.
    • More comfortable travel for government personnel, soldiers, and common people.
    • Timely food supply during famines.
  • Indian perceptions: Some feared that the trains would endanger lives and saw the railway system as a way of strengthening British control.
• Communications: Telegraph:
  • Invented by William O'Shaughnessy.
  • Used coded pulses of electric current through wires to transmit information over long distances.
  • Indian perceptions: Viewed as a way for the British to monitor and control their activities.

Religious Changes

• Banning Native/Religious Traditions:
  • Suttee (the Hindu custom of a wife being burned alive with her dead husband) was banned.
  • In some places, purdah (an Islamic tradition) was banned.
  • Killing of baby daughters was considered murder.
  • Impact: Some Hindus and Muslims were offended by the British interference with their traditions.

Objectives of British Policies

• To understand the ways in which political and social changes were done.
• To analyze their impact on the subcontinent and its people.