History · Spectrum Books A Brief History of Modern India
Chapter 27 : Survey of British Policies in India
Table of contents40 sections
- 1.Survey of British Policies in India
- 2.Colonialism
- 3.Key Terms
- 4.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 5.Administrative Policies
- 6.Divide and Rule
- 7.Hostility towards Educated Indians
- 8.Attitude to Zamindars
- 9.Attitude to Social Reforms
- 10.Underdeveloped Social Services
- 11.Labour Legislations
- 12.Restrictions on Freedom of the Press
- 13.White Racism
- 14.Key Terms
- 15.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 16.Revenue Policies
- 17.Hastings' System
- 18.Permanent Settlement
- 19.Ryotwari System
- 20.Mahalwari System
- 21.Overall Impact of the British Land Revenue Systems
- 22.Key Terms
- 23.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 24.British Social and Cultural Policy in India
- 25.Characteristics of New Thought
- 26.Schools of Thought
- 27.Indian Renaissance
- 28.Dilemma before the Government
- 29.Role of Christian Missionaries
- 30.British Retreat
- 31.Key Terms
- 32.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 33.British Policy towards Princely States
- 34.Evolution of Relations between the British and the Princely States
- 35.Key Terms
- 36.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 37.British Foreign Policy in India
- 38.Key Terms
- 39.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 40.Quick-Recall Box
Chapter preview
Survey of British Policies in India
Colonialism
Colonialism refers to "the conquest and control of other people's lands and goods". Britain was a colonial power in India, and its policies were tailored strictly to suit the needs of a colonial power.
Key Terms
| Concept | Definition |
|---|---|
| Colonialism | Defined as "the conquest and control of other people's lands and goods". |
📌 Exam Tidbits
- Core Principle: British policies in India were fundamentally driven by the needs of Britain as a colonial power.
Administrative Policies
Contrary to their pre-1857 intentions of trying to modernise India on progressive lines, the British administration adopted blatantly reactionary policies after 1858. This was done on the pretext that Indians were not fit for self-governance and needed British presence in their lives.
Divide and Rule
Determined to avoid a united mass action challenging their authority, the British practised a naked policy of divide and rule.
- Method: Pitting princes against states' people, region against region, province against province, caste against caste, and Hindus against Muslims.
- Chronology of Muslim Policy:
- Post-1857: Immediate spell of repression against Muslims following the revolt.
- After 1870: The authorities decided to use the middle and upper educated classes among Muslims against the rising tide of nationalism.
- Mechanism: Used conflicts over scarce resources in education, administrative jobs, and later political spoils (inherent in colonial underdevelopment) as a tool to create a split along religious lines among educated Indians.
Hostility towards Educated Indians
- Context: The emerging middle-class nationalist leadership was analysing the exploitative colonial character of British rule and demanding Indian participation in administration.
- Trigger: The birth of the nationalist movement (the Indian National Congress was founded in 1885).
- British Response: Interpreted these moves as a challenge to their authority → adopted a hostile attitude to this leadership → opposed all those who stood for modern education.
- Contemporary Quotes:
- Charles Wood (Secretary of State for India): "All experience teaches us that where a dominant race rules another, the mildest form of government is despotism."
- Anil Seal (Historian): "Systems of nomination, representation and election were all means of enlisting Indians to work for imperial ends."
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View plans Chapter 28 : Economic Impact of British Rule in India