We Are Indians, People Of The Indian Subcontinent

Most territories are the results of warfare between parties to gain political and economic advantages. We have familiarized ourselves with the voyages of Christopher Columbus, who had taken the Native’s land on behalf of Spain. A few main purposes of these trips aimed at gaining political and economic authority. Similarly, the Indian Subcontinent rested at the bullseye of East India Company. 200 years of Raj had left its deep mark in many aspects of the culture, having both constructive and destructive effects.

In the year 1600, Queen Elizabeth sponsored the establishment of a corporation to engage in profitable trade with South Asia, best known as East India Company. Maintaining total authority over demanded imports such as cotton and tea, the company became prosperous, which aided with their ambitious intentions associated with the Indian Subcontinent. A merchant stands on the nearby hill, overlooking nothing, but a green ocean of vegetation. Workers spot the fields, but their clothing looks somewhat strange. Men wear a single cloth around their waist in the fashion such that it looks like pants. Women wear sarees that wrap around their entire body, yet offer mobility. In the distance, a huge palace is in view with flags of a specific color, differentiating the kingdom from others. Guards patrol the areas, and the children roam around wildly, the elders scolding them. The trumpets sound and everyone drops the tasks at hand and line up along the roads. Immense cheering comes from the crowd as the king, riding on his mighty elephant, comes through the gates. Welcome to the Indian Subcontinent.

The diversity among the people of the Indian Subcontinent was so great that most traditions varied, but a few universal aspects resonated throughout most parts of the region. The culture lacked emphasis on centralized politics because of the differences of customs and morals of each “tribe” of the people (World Civilizations: A Global Experience). As a result, regional kingdoms sprung

Most territories are the results of warfare between parties to gain political and economic advantages. We have familiarized ourselves with the voyages of Christopher Columbus, who had taken the Native’s land on behalf of Spain. A few main purposes of these trips aimed at gaining political and economic authority. Similarly, the Indian Subcontinent rested at the bullseye of East India Company. 200 years of Raj had left its deep mark in many aspects of the culture, having both constructive and destructive effects.

In the year 1600, Queen Elizabeth sponsored the establishment of a corporation to engage in profitable trade with South Asia, best known as East India Company. Maintaining total authority over demanded imports such as cotton and tea, the company became prosperous, which aided with their ambitious intentions associated with the Indian Subcontinent. A merchant stands on the nearby hill, overlooking nothing, but a green ocean of vegetation. Workers spot the fields, but their clothing looks somewhat strange. Men wear a single cloth around their waist in the fashion such that it looks like pants. Women wear sarees that wrap around their entire body, yet offer mobility. In the distance, a huge palace is in view with flags of a specific color, differentiating the kingdom from others. Guards patrol the areas, and the children roam around wildly, the elders scolding them. The trumpets sound and everyone drops the tasks at hand and line up along the roads. Immense cheering comes from the crowd as the king, riding on his mighty elephant, comes through the gates. Welcome to the Indian Subcontinent.

The diversity among the people of the Indian Subcontinent was so great that most traditions varied, but a few universal aspects resonated throughout most parts of the region. The culture lacked emphasis on centralized politics because of the differences of customs and morals of each “tribe” of the people (World Civilizations: A Global Experience). As a result, regional kingdoms sprung up that ruled according to the practices of that specific region. The outcome of such was a lack of unity among the people. The inhabitants saw each other as separate beings from those around them as if the Subcontinent consisted of numerous independent countries. No one identified with the general term of “Indian,” and the notion of one collective and cooperating nation remained out of the question. Ultimately, this supplemented the fragmentation and disputes of India.

Historic India had almost no interest in a rigid political structure, which left it vulnerable to foreign attacks. The entire region consisted of multiple local kingdoms due to the intense diversity of the people of the land. Occasionally, one kingdom did rise to primal power, the last empire before invasions being the Mughal Empire. Their definition of law enforcement consisted of having a few region-wide general laws and appointing officers as peace enforcers. Aside from that, the subordinate kingdoms under the authority of the Mughals could proceed as they pleased (https://dailyhistory.org). Due to such a scattered government structure, the fall of the mighty Mughal Empire bestowed upon the Subcontinent an era of political instability. Therefore, a giant loophole formed after an extensive regime since the dominant power had been eliminated. With the fall of an empire comes the fall of the administration and military forces. Years of law and order diminished and the local royals grew confused, yet some could not control their ambition to establish a new empire. By default, warfare prevailed for an extended period, the instability of the region becoming greater. The saw this as the perfect opportunity to make their move.

The political instability and ignorance of the people lead to the extensive rule of Raj. The East India company gained immense wealth and formed a private army to protect their assets. With the prosperity and their recognition if the vulnerability of the Indian Subcontinent, the clever pushed their forces into war. However, their objective did not focus on conquering India, but rather exploiting the entire Subcontinent’s revenue (https://dailyhistory.org). Sophisticated artillery and technological advances permitted the victory of the outnumbered army against the ruler of Bengal, Nawab Siraj Ud Daulah, at the Battle of Plassey on June 23, 1757. Now Bengal became subjected to foreign rule (https://www.thoughtco.com). Soon, many others wars would result in Indian losses, and a majority of the landmass detached from regional control. Although had defeated us, we did not bring forth much resistance. First of all, no one had the ability to compete with the cleverness of. They had one element that India did not have: higher education. This weapon made them smarter than us, permitting to shrewdly manipulate the kings into handing over their authority to their hands without them realizing it at first. Second, so many wars have occurred after the decline of the Mughal Empire that many subjects welcomed such a company that promised stability, and thus wanted Raj. All these factors added up to the 200-year reign of in distant India.

The objective of Raj was to gain complete authority over the rich Indian economy. The main plan directed to make India an exporter of raw materials to Britain, where the cheap industries can manufacture them into fine textiles. To worsen scenarios for the Subcontinent, exports boar higher taxes going into Europe than imports coming from Europe into India (https://thediplomat.com). As a result of this conspiracy, handicrafts suffered destruction and the Indian Subcontinent lost its self- sufficiency. Tools for the once world-prized textiles disappeared and the thumbs of the weavers were cut off to ensure that no one could threaten the production of goods that we depended on. The economy of India dropped like a rock while economy boosted like a rocket.

In part of the same goal, the possession of royal power also resulted in the alteration of the laws and customs of India to suit the foreigners’ desires. Western culture had an obsession over a centralized government and equality of all men in the eyes of the law, which the East lacked considerably (http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com). Consequently, supremacy enforced that exact concept in a place where the caste system and regional kingdoms created the vital social organizations. Parliament held the overall power of the unified government set up by the East India Company, and now a Brahmin was seen as the equal of an Untouchable in terms of legal affairs, which violated the customs of an intense social hierarchy. Despite the fact that such laws went against tradition, it brought the one aspect Indians longed for: a secure regime without constant warfare. After the enforcement of these policies, the strength and wealth of the Company continued to grow exponentially because of the overall effect of a more politically stable empire.

The establishment of unity and the popularization of Western education caused the destruction of the Raj. As mentioned in an analysis of the new education system in India, higher education became widely available to all with the desire to pursue a white-collar job under government (https://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com). For this reason, people became capable of nurturing their ability to think and many Indians became minor politicians who started to see the Subcontinent as their country. Thanks to the unity of the region, many Indian leaders came together to discuss Indian democracy, as influenced by Western thought, and other issues that arose from foreign domination. A sense of awareness arose as we saw through the mist that concealed the ways had oppressed us through the manipulation of wealth. These ideas and concerns became transmitted through the Indian Presses, having the effect of notifying the entire nation of the unfairness of taxes, religious challenges, and the notion that India belonged to them, not to foreigners (http://www.historydiscussion.net). As a result, nationalism spread among the people and the regional division grew into a concept of the past. Everyone now saw one another as a brother or sister and understood that they must set their differences aside to fight the common enemy: the Brits. The politicians established the Indian National Congress in 1885, which Indians recognized as the official party opposing the Raj. After decades of resistance, Mahatma Gandhi, who had to lead the organization in 1920, opened the doors of freedom and ultimately, Britain gave up its 200-year reign. Fundamentally, the overall effect of the Raj consisted of the development of nationalism and unity in India that had been overdue for centuries.

The Indian Subcontinent was much like a jigsaw puzzle, and were the ones who pieced it together to form a complete nation. The large gap between the people of the Indian Subcontinent due to such diversity prompted the subordination of unity and of a centralized government in Indian culture. The wealthy East India Company saw the political fragmentation of the Subcontinent after the fall of the Mughal Empire and decided to declare war against its weak enemies. This resulted in the birth of the prosperous Raj, which would later spark awareness of the negative effects of the foreign domination among the Natives. Although the Indians endured strong oppression, they had the willpower to organize several powerful uprisings against the Brits and understood that to eliminate the common enemy, everyone has to put their differences aside to work collectively. The overall outcome of this historical event secured the establishment and strengthening of the concept of unity, along with nationalism among the inhabitants in a place where it remained absent for centuries. Such events have impacted my family by stressing the importance of the love of our motherland, which had affected me by creating an atmosphere where my country, Bangladesh (which was once part of the Indian Subcontinent), never equaled anything less than supreme. No matter where we live, our duty as Bengalis would prioritize serving Bangladesh before any other landmass. I am continuously reminded that even though I resided in America, my heart remains present in the place I took my first breath, my body ready to spring into action any second if the nation felt danger. Patriotism and integration is key to the survival of any country.