How did Great Britain have so much power and influence considering how small it is? How did they manage to colonise the entirety of India so easily?
In: 167
They conquered the high seas allowing them to invade/trade valuables from far away lands
The simple answer is that at the time they had the best army and Navy of the day. The best army meant that those they sought to colonize could not resist their power. The Best Navy meant they could send their Army anywhere in the world to do it’s Job.
First to industrialize with coal and steel. They had surface-level seams of both. British Empire was powered by the steam engine.
Listen to “Empire” podcast, taught me stuff they should have taught me at school (UK) instead of endless triumphalist shit about defeating the Nazis.
Explains everything about how a private organisation (East India Co) gained so much control (substantially helped by some incredibly lucky breaks) and became so powerful the UK govt stepped in.
Does not shy away from the horrific atrocities committed along the way, quite gory so be warned.
The British empire didn’t conquer India, firstly because India didn’t exist at the time but also because the area that became India was actually taken over by the East India Trading Company. They didn’t do it with brute force though, they did it through economics and politics.
They started small, just getting permission to open a factory in Surat (where they first arrived) from the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. Then they got permission to build factories across the whole Mughal empire, establishing trading links across India and back to Europe.They started to establish British communities in the other trading towns, open factories in other kingdoms, etc.
Then they started getting into politics, making sure to keep the right people wealthy and powerful, and ensuring that anyone who opposed their influence was dealt with. They did this all in the background, allowing the Indian lords, etc, to maintain their image. They did take some places by force but when there was actual battles their superior weaponry gave them the edge. The crown eventually took control of what is now India after the East India company was dissolved in 1858.
I strongly recommend reading “Anarchy” by William Dalrymple. It gives a concise and approachable account of a complex history without being too academic. It addresses how Great Britain managed to colonize the Mughal (and others) Empire and thereby gained control of the world’s foremost economy. That plus “Empire of Cotton” by Sven Beckett.
Latest Answers