Option A: Nineteenth century topic HOW FAR DID INDIA AND INDIANS BENEFIT FROM BRITISH RULE? Study the Background Information and the sources carefully, and then answer all the questions. Background Information By the 1820s nearly all of India was under the direct, or indirect, control of the British East India Company. After the Indian Mutiny of 1857 the East India Company was dissolved and India came under the direct rule of the British government. In 1876 Queen Victoria became Empress of India. In the last decades of the nineteenth century India suffered from terrible famines, with millions of people dying. Indian nationalism grew and in 1885 the Indian National Congress was formed. The impact of British rule on India has led to much debate among historians and politicians. Some claim that the British modernised India and laid the foundations for the India of today, while others argue that British rule was racist, held back economic growth and exploited India for its wealth. Did British rule benefit India and Indians? SOURCE A British imperialism gave India many of its admirable features such as language, democracy and its railways. In fact, it laid the foundations for India's eventual success in a future globalised world. From the 1820s the East India Company attempted to modernise India. Suttee was banned. Schools and universities were established. By the 1860s hundreds of thousands of Indian children were at school and spoke the English language, although some Indian leaders claimed these schools threatened Indian culture and religions. The 1857 Rebellion led to some democratic changes such as Indians being consulted through a new Legislative Council. Traditional Indian society began to break down and this led to a strong middle class and a sense of Indian nationalism. British rule saw a period of expanding growth and industrial development. Communications were revolutionised across India, with thousands of miles of electric telegraph being established. By the end of the century India benefited from 28000 miles of railways connecting interior regions to the main ports. The railways were a mixed blessing because they accelerated the pace of raw-material extraction from India and destroyed India's local handicraft industries by facilitating an influx of cheap manufactured goods from Britain. From a recent article on a website. SOURCE B Defenders of British colonial rule in India no longer deny the basic facts of imperial exploitation and plunder. Instead, they offer a counter-argument that Britain also left behind a great deal of lasting benefit such as the foundations of India's parliamentary democracy. But, instead of building self-government from the village level up, the East India Company destroyed what existed and banned traditional Indian practices. The British ran government, tax collection, and the courts. Indians were excluded from all of these functions. The result of the 1857 Rebellion, in which Hindu and Muslim soldiers rebelled together, alarmed the British who concluded that turning the two groups against each other was the most effective way to ensure the continuance of empire. The British gave India the English language. But it was only taught to a few. The British had no desire to educate the Indian masses. The construction of the Indian railways brought some benefits but the railways were intended principally to transport coal, iron ore and cotton to ports for the British to ship home to use in their factories. The movement of people was less important, except when it served colonial interests, and the third-class compartments, into which Indians were herded, attracted horrified comment even at the time. Finally, British industry plundered India's manufacturing industries. Under British rule, India's share of world manufacturing exports fell from 27 per cent to 2 per cent. From a recent article about India in the nineteenth century. SOURCE C CHRISTMAS IN INDIA A drawing of a British family living in India, published in a British magazine, 1881. [Figure C.1] SOURCE D In the autumn of 1876 Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India. The lieutenant-governors from all parts of the Queen's Indian dominions, as well as the princes, chiefs, and nobles who so worthily contribute to the splendour and stability of this great empire, were invited. Never before had princes and chiefs of every race and religion come from all parts of India to acknowledge one supreme ruler. The ceremony was most imposing. The throne-pavilion in the centre was brilliant in hangings and banners of red, blue and white satin magnificently embroidered in gold. Sir Salar Jung said, 'I wish to convey to Her Majesty, on behalf of the chiefs of India, their hearty congratulations on the assumption of the title of Empress of India, and to assure the Queen that they pray for her, and for the enduring prosperity of her Empire.' This gathering had great political importance. It was looked upon by the ruling chiefs as evidence of Her Majesty's increased interest in the vast Empire of India. From an account by Field Marshal Lord Roberts, published in Britain in 1877. Roberts was a general in the British army and had served during the Indian Mutiny of 1857. Salar Jung was an Indian nobleman and Prime Minister of Hyderabad state. SOURCE E [Figure E.1] “DISPUTED EMPIRE!” A cartoon published in a British magazine, 1877. SOURCE F The Benefits of British Rule: In the Cause of Humanity: Abolition of suttee. Charitable aid in time of famine. Glorious work all of this. In the Cause of Civilisation: Education, both male and female. Politically: Peace and order. Freedom of speech and liberty of the press. Security of life and property. Freedom from oppression. Materially: Loans for railways and irrigation. The policy of building railways and irrigation works is hopeful, has already resulted in much good. Development of a few valuable products, such as indigo, tea, coffee, silk, etc. Increase of exports. The Disadvantages of British Rule: In the Cause of Humanity: Nothing. In the Cause of Civilisation: Nothing. Politically: Repeated breach of promises to give Indians a fair share in the higher administration of their own country. An utter disregard for the feelings and views of Indians. Financially: The oppressiveness of the taxes imposed. Materially: The great mass of the poor earn almost nothing. The famines that the British could have prevented if they had done their duty. Summary: British rule has been a great blessing; our great misfortune is that you do not know our wants. When you understand our real wishes, I have not the least doubt that you would do justice. An essay by Dadabhai Naoroji published in 1871. Naoroji was one of the most important figures in the early Indian nationalist movement, and one of the founder members of the Indian National Congress. He was also a member of the British Parliament and divided his time between Britain and India. SOURCE G Never was there a conquest of such extent accompanied with so little of wrong and suffering to the people. Content removed due to copyright restrictions. The British have prevented repetitions of those outrages on humanity, wherever it has been in their power to control the princes. From an article by Charles Creighton Hazewell, an American journalist and politician, published in an American magazine in 1857. SOURCE H Who owns the steamship line by which we came to India? The British. Who built that splendid railway station in Bombay? The British. Who built the railway on which we rode to Calcutta? The British. We find that Calcutta and Bombay have a large commerce. To whom does it belong? Mainly to the British. We find that the British have built 29000 miles of railway; have created good postal and telegraph systems; and have established many schools, colleges and hospitals. But is there another side? Have we been out among the Indian people? Have we looked into the causes of those famines, the most terrible known to the modern world? During the first eighty years of the nineteenth century, 18 million people died of famine. Why, then, have all these millions of people perished? Because they were so indescribably poor. This is not the India which the British tell us about in their official reports. This is India from the inside, the India of the people who bear the burdens and pay the taxes, and do the starving when the famines come. Perhaps the greatest of all this is the enormous drain of wealth from India to Britain. From an article by Jabez T Sunderland, an American social reformer and anti-imperialist who visited India in 1895–96, published in an American magazine in 1908. Now answer all the following questions. You may use any of the sources to help you answer the questions, in addition to those sources which you are told to use. In answering the questions you should use your knowledge of the topic to help you interpret and evaluate the sources. Study Sources A and B.