Prologue continues ....

The East India Company of the British came to India to trade in Indian

goods, but their interest was not confined to trading. They developed

territorial ambitions and showed their readiness to fight for it. As has always

happened in the past, the invaders were better organized, better equipped

in terms of mobility and fighting capacity, and they could easily overcome

the native resistance. The Marathas were said to be good fighters and they

had strong leadership. They had, in fact, defeated the East India Company’s

army in 1804 in a battle near Agra. But the British regrouped and fought

the Marathas and won. The last Indian resistance was thus wiped out.

Pandit Nehru explains convincingly why the Indians lost the battles against

the British in The Discovery of India:

“The British thus represented a higher political and military

organization, well-knit together and having very able leaders. They

were far better informed than their adversaries and they took full

advantage of the disunity and rivalries of the Indian powers.”

The colonization of India by the British had a far-reaching impact on the

economic and political life in India. India had a vibrant economy with a

strong and stable manufacturing base and a growing agriculture. India was

more prosperous than many countries in Europe at that time. In fact, it is

not an exaggeration to say that it was India’s fabulous wealth that proved

to be the cause of her downfall. India became the natural destination of

European adventurer-turned-colonialists.

To be continued....