This course has been an enlightening experience in terms of my knowledge and understanding of the British Empire in India. Before this course, I knew very little about India, let alone about the British Empire in India. My initial understanding was simply that the Indian people were oppressed by their British conquerors. Though there is truth to this, I was quick to realize that this was a superficial understanding, for the Empire was a complex social endeavor.

One of my initial impressions of the British Empire was simple: I believed the British to be an evil people obsessed with dominating as much territory as possible. However, this viewpoint quickly changed. After discussing and researching class readings such as “White Man’s Burden” and Passage to India I came to realize that the British people were not full of evil intention, but rather, they were simply fulfilling their duty to their state. The British, believing themselves to be superior to other people, felt it was their obligation to expand their empire. They felt that the natives to those lands were savages in need of their Western way of life. Perhaps most interesting, the British people, with a few exceptions, viewed working in the Empire, away from Britain as a hefty sacrifice; the lifestyle in these countries was not particularly glamorous. Thus, the Empire was not a romantic endeavor, in large part, it was anything but desirable.

Along the same lines, I learned throughout the semester that the Empire was not necessarily a matter of wrong or right, but rather, it was a matter of perspective. At the beginning of the semester we were introduced to a concept that emphasized the notion of ‘my world’ versus ‘the world.’ ‘My world’ is ones objective view of the world with an emphasized belief that it is the objective truth, the right way. ‘The world’ is the world outside of ones own. It is the way the world truly is. This world, however, is perceived differently from society to society. Societies outside ones own is often seen as rooted in myth, and is often considered inferior and wrong. This concept helped to lay the foundation for the entire class. It helped put into perspective the reasoning of the British. For instance, in Passage to India, the reason the British and Indians maintain a divide between the two populations does not stem from systemic racism but, instead, from a misunderstanding of the other’s world

 

(Two additional background sources)

The British Empire in India was complex system which resulted in the India we see today. From the onset of the British Empire to India’s independence is an extensive time in history, so click here to find out more about its history. This will also give you a greater sense of context for this course. Aside from its rich history, it is important to understand the economic policies in India under British rule. This will give you a more in depth understanding as to what extent India contributed to the Empire’s overall success, thus explaining its value to Britain.

 

 

(Background source)

This TEDtalk was done by Devdutt Pattanaik. Here, Pattanaik explains, in detail, the ‘My world’/’The world’ concept. He goes on to explain why the divide between the East and West exists, which is often rooted in nothing more than misunderstanding.

 

 

This paper analyzes the ‘My world’ vs ‘The world’ concept introduced by Devdutt Pattanaik. This concept aims at answering why different societies develop such harsh relationships.

 

 

 

This piece explores a character named Kim who is a British teenager living in India under the British Empire. Kim has the ability to cross between both British and Indian societies, but as he grows older, his Western education begins to hinder his ability to blend with the Indian world.

 

 

 

Here, I take a deeper look into the overall theme of Kim. It seems that the main character, as mentioned earlier, is caught between two conflicting worlds. In this light, the novel can be seen as a coming of age story as the main character navigates his way through adolescents, trying to find who he is and his place in the Empire.

 

 

In this final paper, I argue that Forster framed the British Empire as systematic. This resulted in both internal and external struggles for characters within the novel.

 

(Reading from Empire Writing)

“The White Man’s Burden” is a poem written by Rudyard Kipling which gives the perspective of the British Empire by average British people . He explains the burden of the Empire that was placed on the back of the British people. This is an important text for this course because it gives you a deep look into the hearts and mind of the citizens living in the Empire.

 

(Reading from Empire Writing)

Britain used different strategies to persuade its citizens to believe and follow their systemic Empire, instilling a strong sense of patriotism and nationalism. This often started at a young age, hence why the link below leads you to an Abc book for young children. Take the letter “d” for example. The book has the following for “d”: “D is the daring we show on the field which makes every enemy vanish or yield.” Propaganda techniques, such as ABC for Baby Patriots, helped the British government inspire and persuade their people to serve and support their empire.

Click here to visit Abc book website

 

(Background  source)

In the end, it is perhaps most important to think about what impact the British Empire left on India. Was it nothing but 200 years of oppression or was there something more? Did India benefit from the Empire? This course will help you think of those questions. Follow this link to read one columnist’s opinion.