British Imperialism Analysis

British Imperialism in India
Pre-Colonization: The Mughal Empire Prior to British imperialism, the Mughal Empire governed the majority of the Indian subcontinent. Unsatisfied with his modest kingdom, Fergana, Babur (r. 1526-1530) expanded into Kabul in 1504, serving as a base for his conquests. When he defeated the the Sultan of Delhi at the Battle of Panipat in 1526, he declared himself emperor, founding the Mughal Empire. His large, well-trained cavalry and artillery provided him the advantage of agility and speed over his enemies' infantries in his conquests.
Surprisingly, the emperor to establish the foundation of the Mughal Empire was, in fact, not a Mughal. Sher Shah Suri exiled Humayun, son of Babur, i would regain his throne a decade
after the death of Sher Shah Suri. During his seven-year reign (r. 1538-1545), Sher Shah Suri improved the economy by standardizing the rupiya, restoring a historic overland trade route, and creating a set tax rate to increase revenue. Furthermore, he guaranteed loyalty and efficiency through military policies and patronized the building of mosques, forts, and other projects. Altogether, this solidified his position as ruler over northern India.
Following the death of Humayun, Akbar (r. 1556-1605) ascended the throne. Of all the Mughal emperors, he was the only one to successfully unite almost all of India. In addition, he introduced the mansabdari system where the mansabdar, or rank holder, collected revenue from his lands and provided a set amount of men and horses for a salary in silver or revenue from certain territories. Akbar also incorporated both Muslim and Hindu elites, as well as the Indian princes he defeated, into his government to lower the chances of rebellion. This administrative system effectively collected tax revenue and mobilized the military, and ensured a diverse political environment. All of the above, coupled with his patronage of the arts and religious tolerance, known as suhl-i-kuhl, credits him as one of the greatest rulers of the Mughal Empire.
On the other hand, Aurangzeb (r. 1656-1707) is associated with the Empire’s decline. Under Aurangzeb, the Empire continued to expand, but conflicts with the Marathas, headed by Shivaji Bhonsle (1630-1680), weakened it, in part because Aurangzeb neglected to include his conquered lands into the mansabdari system, which was beginning to collapse. Although this allowed him to directly extract revenue for his dwindling treasury, it was a great insult and lended no political validity to the people’s status in the Empire. Furthermore, due to the attacks from the Marathas, Aurangzeb shifted the capital from Delhi to Aurangabad, though not all followed, leading to loss of control in his increasingly factional court. Aurangzeb’s reign is also considered to be more religiously conservative than Akbar. During his reign, he tried to integrate more Islamic principles, and was charged with the destruction of several Hindu temples. In Aurangzeb’s defense, however, he did not do so indiscriminately, only to send a political message to his opponents, and the temples were just damaged. Yet, the Mughal Empire had already been less religiously tolerant following Akbar’s rule; both predecessors of Aurangzeb, Jahangir (r. 1605-1628) and Shah Jahan (r. 1628-1658), had adopted more conservative religious policies during their sovereignty.

Colonization: British Imperialism When Vasco de Gama landed in Calicut in 1498, India formed its first European trade link.
The Portuguese continued to dominate the Indian Ocean trade until their defeat at the Battle of Swally in 1612, which gave the British East India Company (EIC) the opportunity to trade. Granted by Queen Elizabeth I, the EIC was a joint-stock company with a fifteen-year monopoly on English trade in the Indies. England’s interest in India was commercial at first. The EIC’s first trading post was in Surat (modern-day Gujarat), where it traded textiles, like muslin and chintz. In addition, India provided saltpeter, opium, and pepper. Later, when India became a part of the British Empire, it would also produce cash crops, like indigo, along with sugar, rice, and
timber. The first shift from trade to government occurred after the Battle of Plassey in 1757, though the motivations were to increase trade profit. Taking advantage of the dissent in the courts of Nawab Siraj, the ruler of the princely state of Bengal, Robert Clive (1725-1774) from the EIC conspired with financier Jagat Seth and Mir Jafar, the commander of Siraj’s army. In exchange for dethroning Siraj, the EIC would receive more trade privileges, previously denied by the Nawab, who viewed the Company as a threat. Following the British victory against Siraj and his French allies, the Seths, who were unable to procure the financial rewards it had promised to the EIC in a timely manner, temporarily relinquished control of three Bengal districts for revenue instead. Yet, this was insufficient. In 1760, Clive claimed permanent control because the revenue did not meet British demands. Five years later, with the Treaty of Allahabad, the EIC would have the right to directly collect revenue and govern in east India, known as diwani. The Nawabs would get a portion of the revenue, determined by the EIC. Thus, when the monopoly ended in 1813, the EIC’s governance of Bengal allowed it to eliminate its competitors due to its military advantage with its army of primarily Indian soldiers, known as sepoys. During this time, the British also formed ideological motivations for their colonization of India.
The Permanent Settlement by Lord Cornwallis in 1793 set a constant tax rate to extract more revenue from landholders. Although the purpose was to create a mediator between the EIC and the rural peasantry, Cornwallis also wanted to create an “Indian version of the English gentleman-farmer” (Metcalf 78). Another system, known as the ryotwari system, created a direct relationship between the two. This was driven by the notion of a minor peasant-farmer who struggled to retain his land. Other ideologies arose regarding the British image of India. Orientalism, founded by William Jones, sought to record India at its height, the ancient Hindu India equivalent to the glory of ancient Greece and Rome. It was a mixture of profound respect for India, and pity for its perceived decline. On the other hand, Anglicanism aimed to completely reject Indian culture, viewing it as outdated, superstitious, and inferior to the
British.