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Was British Imperialism Or Some Other Form Of Liberalism In India?

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Was the Englishman treating India with liberalism or some other form of imperialism? This question is posed in the picture by Lieutenant C. Pulley drawing about a ceremony held to honor Queen Victoria assuming the title of Empress of India. Due to a disconnect between Queen Victoria’s liberal ideals and the actual experience of the Indians, it is clear that liberalism was not the primary influence of British imperialism in India.
Queen Victoria and other governmental officials’ ideals demonstrated a clear preference for liberalism. Queen Victoria should have set the tone for British imperialism in India. She was the British queen and her opinion concerning liberalism should have held weight. Her opinions were heavily steeped in liberalism with promises of “equal and impartial protection of the law” …show more content…

Hyde Clark showed disdain for the Indians when he called them “unfortunate people” and called the British “civilized people” thus putting the Indians in a different caste then the British. Hyde’s opinion shows the beginning of the disconnect which William Cobbettt continues with. Cobbett argues that “[The British] must be motivated by sheer love of gain; a sheer love of plunder” showing to the utmost degree that the British were disconnected and divided on whether liberalism should be a major influence. In fact, Cobbett as a political commentator was writing about the general political climate, not just Queen Victoria’s opinion, revealing that liberalism would not play a major role in imperialism. Lastly, Lieutenant C. Pulley’s picture portrays a fraction of what the Indians experienced. The English governor was on an elevated platform, with all beneath him, showing the English as above the Indians. All three opinions show that on all various levels, the British did not embrace the high ideals of liberalism set out by Queen

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British rule over india as a colonial state was effective and precise in the eyes of British supporters, but it was only this way through its discriminatory measures, separating Indians as well as creating conflict, and was thusly not in the benefit of India’s natives. At first glance, it may seem that Indians were advanced by the efficient rule which the colonists employed(Lalvani). However, this governing body was led by a tiny minority of native Indians, outnumbered 1 to 15 by British invaders( Document #2). This left them all but voiceless as the British installed drastic laws such as the Rowlatt Act, meant to disempower aboriginals by allowing the British to imprison supposed terrorists, meaning protesters, without a trial(Gandhi). Still, the British feared further revolt among Indians, and with so few of them there to enforce their laws they needed a police force staffed by the very people they sought to oppress.

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In paragraph 11 talks about the British bringing english law and language; there were more than 102 languages in India so communication wasn’t the easiest between people, they also built very fine universities that gave opportunities for people to learn. Indain literacy still went up by ten percent when the british left and it kept going up( doc. 5). But the british still prevented lots of death with the laws against thuggee, suttee and female infanticide right? No because overall around 58.73 million people died from famines caused by the exportation of the good indians grew themselves( doc.7). They also made it hard for Indians to grow food after the British left as said in document 6.

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They made many changes within the country; Dadabhai Naoroji praises them about in his speech to the London audience in document 18.3. He refers to how the British abolished the religious practice of Sati(when a widow burns herself at her husband's funeral), educated both male and female, gave freedom of rights, and the security of life and prosperity to the people of India. When looking from a British point of view these seem like modern improvements but, actually these were the norms and culture of India. Which Britain had no right to impair. I oppose the harmful, unequal practices, although I believe that India was developed enough to abolish the practices themselve.

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Queen Victoria made it her purpose to reassure the Indian culture that britain only intended to preserve their culture,religion but most importantly the respect among them. Queen victoria wanted to end the misery and violence

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