Colonial India: How British Rule Reshaped Indian Society and Economy
Indian Society Under Colonial Rule
Write an essay on Indian society during the colonial period.
In the late eighteenth century, after the establishment of British rule, British officials, missionaries and scholars were sent to acquire knowledge of India's classical languages, the structure of Indian society, and the values and behaviour of its people. The economic base was mainly agricultural. Tools and implements showed no notable change over time, and most arts and crafts were linked to a weakly developed production system. Socially, this framework included relatively self-sufficient village communities grouped together in clusters. The caste system was the common Indian institution that accommodated various socio-economic strata and newly emerging classes, bound them together within the community, and ensured a occupational security for these elements.
British rule introduced railways, the press, the Western education system, clubs and associations, which gradually disrupted the existing socio-economic order. However, the process of exploitation they generated destroyed the possibility of industry and the development of a modern economic system in India. British rule systematically ruined indigenous industries in India for the benefit of British industry and its markets in India. Although it sought to keep the governed population bound to colonial underdevelopment, it dismantled traditional economic systems and socio-cultural order and unleashed new historical forces within the Indian framework. It gave rise to material progress, improved opportunities for individuals, and aspirations for a better standard of living. It also instilled an inquiring spirit in Indian intellectuals exposed to Western education. Both social reformers and conservatives maintained a fresh and critical outlook on their own society and culture, as a response to its Western interpretation.
1. What Do You Understand by Gender?
The term gender refers to the cultural and social characteristics attributed to men and women, based on the biological differences they experience. In the 1970s, feminists emphasised sex roles, particularly the socialisation of men and women into stereotyped masculine and feminine roles, and the pervasive universality of patriarchy. More recent work critiques the notion of two distinct genders, questions the idea of gender division, and focuses on gender as a constitutive element of all social relations. Gender is described as a social institution that structures other institutions, such as the labour market, the family and the state, as well as everyday social interactions. Scholars also point to the ways in which gender is constructed through organisations and personal conversations.
2. Obstacles to National Integration in India
A. Vastness of the Country
In terms of geographical extent and the composition of its population, India is a vast country. Despite developments in the means of communication, many people still live in remote regions with no close connection to the national mainstream. They remain isolated from the rest of society, which affects the geographical and emotional integration of the people.
B. Regionalism
People from different regions tend to place their regional and local interests above national interests. Regional disparities in economic development have created widespread discontent among people of different regions, particularly in the north-eastern states of India. Regionalism finds expression in various forms, such as demands for statehood, greater autonomy or special privileges. Separatism also exists in aggressive forms that undermine the spirit of integration.
C. Communalism
Operating in the name of religion or tradition, communalism fosters the interests of one section of the population to the detriment of society as a whole. It develops active hostility toward other communities living within the same body politic. Hindu communalism, Muslim communalism, Christian communalism, Sikh communalism, linguistic communalism and others have at various times become major obstacles to the process of national integration.