What was life like in British India?
Poverty existed in India before the British, thanks in part to constant war, food shortages, and the caste system, but in general Indian society took care of everyone. According to Indian Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, India was once one of the wealthiest countries in the world — and then the British showed up.
What atrocities did the British Empire commit?
This includes the cruel, exploitative and discriminatory era when the British Empire reigned supreme.
- The Transatlantic Slave Trade.
- The Opium Wars and the opium trade.
- Boer concentration camps.
- India in the 1940s – famine and partition.
- The Legacy of the British Empire today.
How many deaths did the British Empire cause?
BRITISH EMPIRE WAR CASUALTIES
| Deaths (including deaths presumed in missing ships) | 26,317 |
|---|---|
| Internees | 3,997 |
| Total | 30,314 |
How much did the British steal from India?
Patnaik concluded that Britain plundered almost $45 trillion from India between 1765 to1938, based on nearly two centuries of precise tax and trade data. This amount is almost 17 times the current combined GDP of Britain and India.
What bad things did the British do to India?
Up to 35 million died unnecessarily in famines; London ate India’s bread while India starved, and in 1943 nearly four million Bengalis died. It was their own fault, according to the odious Churchill, for “breeding like rabbits”. Collectively, these famines amounted to a “British colonial holocaust”.
What good came out of the British Empire?
The British empire brought many changes to many people and many countries. Some of these changes involved innovations in medical care, education and railways. The British empire fought to abolish slavery in the 1800s, but it profited from slavery in the 1700s.
How did the British Empire fall?
The empire changed throughout its history. The First and Second World Wars left Britain weakened and less interested in its empire. Also many parts of the empire contributed troops and resources to the war effort and took an increasingly independent view. This led to a steady decline of the empire after 1945.
Why the British Empire was a bad thing?
On the downside, people living in countries taken into the Empire often lost lands and suffered discrimination and prejudice. Countries in the Empire were also exploited for their raw materials. Slavery was another negative because despite the enormous profits made, the suffering of the slaves was terrible.
Why did British give up India?
Due to the Naval Mutiny, Britain decided to leave India in a hurry because they were afraid that if the mutiny spread to the army and police, there would be large scale killing of Britishers all over India. Hence Britain decided to transfer power at the earliest.
Was India rich before British rule?
From 1 century CE till the start of British colonisation in India in 17th century, India’s GDP always varied between ~25 – 35% world’s total GDP, which dropped to 2% by Independence of India in 1947. At the same time, the Britain’s share of the world economy rose from 2.9% in 1700 up to 9% in 1870 alone.
What are some of the best books about the British Raj?
Books about the British Raj: Fiction and Nonfiction 1 A Passage to India by E.M. Forster 3.68 2 Kim by Rudyard Kipling 3.71 avg rating — 3 The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell 4 The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Bur 5 The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye 4.19 avg
What was the lasting impact of the British Raj on India?
Carey also points out that a lasting impact of the British Raj is the transformation of India into an agricultural trading economy.
What was the population of the British Raj in India in 1600?
The population of the territory that became the British Raj was 100 million by 1600 and remained nearly stationary until the 19th century. The population of the Raj reached 255 million according to the first census taken in 1881 of India.
What were the geographical features of the British Raj?
The British Raj extended over almost all present-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, except for small holdings by other European nations such as Goa and Pondicherry. This area is very diverse, containing the Himalayan mountains, fertile floodplains, the Indo-Gangetic Plain, a long coastline, tropical dry forests,…