Colonialism and Anti-Colonialism in India
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Colonialism and anti-colonial nationalism in India were the result of historical processes that pre-existed both. Prior to colonialism, India found itself in "a state of anarchy, lawlessness, and arbitrary despotism," which, as Chatterjee points out, was "a central element in the ideological justification of British colonial rule" (622). The British, from their Western perspective, deemed Indian social customs "degenerate and barbaric," a view that prompted them to undertake colonialism as a "civilizing mission" (Chatterjee 622). Abhorring the "long list of atrocities perpetrated on Indian women," the British "colonial mind was able to transform this figure of the Indian woman into a sign of the inherently oppressive and unfree nature of the entire cultural tradition of a country" (Chatterjee 622). Therefore, one of the main features of colonialism was the Westernizing of Indian thought and practice to conform with the views of the invading British. Later, when anti-colonial nationalism came on the rise, the inter meshing of Indian with Western thought was found to be so complex and extensive that a complete detangling was impossible. Elements of British colonialism still remain in India today, and elements of both colonialism and anti-colonial nationalism persist. The Progression from Colonialism to Anti-Colonial Nationalism British colonialism in India is characterized strongly by the Westernizing of Indian thought and practice. L
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cil bills obtained from the secretary of state in London" (Bose & Jalal 80). These council bills were then "exchanged for rupees from the government of India's revenues" (Bose & Jalal 80). The rupees were used to finance "production and trade in export commodities" such as jute (Bose & Jalal 80). The profits in rupees were then used to purchase sterling bills at British-owned exchange banks' local branches, and London paid sterling for them (Bose & Jalal 80). Then "the sterling could...once again be used to buy council bills and so the annual cycle repeated itself" (Bose & Jalal 80).
Obviously, Britain was draining India's economy via this exchange. As if this were not enough, Britain even enrolled the Indians in the British Indian army, which was deployed in various Middle Eastern countries in the late 1800s and early 1900s "to bolster British influence in the Persian Gulf" and aid the British campaigns (Bose & Jalal 79). Moreover, "as many as 60,000 Indian soldiers died fighting for Britain during 1914-18" and "the costs of all these military adventures were, needless to say, borne principally by Indian taxpayers" (Bose & Jalal 80).
Not surprisingly, British colonialism, with its veneer of doing good to
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Approximate Word count = 1882
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)
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