ly realized, however, that in order to establish a new Indian elite they would need to simultaneously capitalize on the Indian caste tradition while subjugating the larger Indian culture. They accomplished this by embarking on a massive campaign to inculcate the English language into the Indian mainstream. Recognizing that traditional Indian heritage and culture was a threat to the British design for India, the British leveraged their extensive network of missionaries and scholars to undertake a massive translation project. Having a core of scholars that was well versed in Indian culture, history, and language allowed the British to quickly transcribe and interpret Sanskrit texts to suit their colonial aims. In this manner, the British manipulated India's awareness of its own history and culture. British authors and scholars, through the translation project, shaped the domestic and external views of India.
Another way the British exploited Indian culture to cement their colonial rule was by resurrecting the traditional Zamindari system. During the Mughal period of Indian history (1530-1857), Zamindars possessed proprietary rights to the collection of rents on land, but did not own the land itself which was owned by Raiyats, or peasants. The British quickly realized that the system was well suited to their goal of creating an English speaking Indian elite quasi-caste. The Zamindari system particularly disenfranchised the peasantry whose status dropped dramatically in comparison to those castes who were able to find a foothold in the new administration, or f
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