In this series, we will discuss the story of Indian independence struggle from the British rule. We will make use of a number of books on the subject which you’d find in the reference section. So… let’s begin the story of Indian independence from the colonial rule.
When we talk about colonialism in India, the first — and often the only thing — that comes to mind is the British colonialism. But, the seeds of colonialism were first planted long before any British laid his eyes on this land.
The year was 1498.
On 20th of May, a Portuguese monarch and explorer Vasco da Gama landed on the shores of Calicut, establishing a new link between the subcontinent and Europe. There had been contacts – through trade of course – between the two civilisations during the ancient Roman Empire. However, the closing of the traditional trade routes in western Asia by the Ottoman Empire, and rivalry with the Italian states sent Portugal in search of an alternate sea route to India.
Da Gama sailed from Lisbon, Portugal, in July 1497, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and anchored at Malindi on the east coast of Africa. With the aid of an Indian merchant he met there, he then set off across the Indian Ocean. The Portuguese explorer was not greeted warmly by the Muslim merchants of Calicut, and in 1499 he had to fight his way out of the harbor on his return trip home. In 1502, he led a squadron of ships to Calicut to avenge the massacre of Portuguese explorers there and succeeded in subduing the inhabitants. Thus, the first Portuguese colony was established.
It is worth mentioning that although the British created the largest colonial empire in the world as well as in India, it was the Portuguese rule that lasted the longest: 1505 to 1961.
What followed the first colony is easy to guess: more colonies. Soon, the Dutch arrived. Then, the British and the French arrived too. Denmark-Norway weren’t behind either.
As the Mughal Empire disintegrated in the early 18th century, and then as the Maratha Empire became weakened after the third battle of Panipat, many relatively weak and unstable Indian states which emerged were increasingly open to manipulation by the Europeans, through dependent Indian rulers.
In the later 18th century Great Britain and France struggled for dominance, partly through proxy Indian rulers but also by direct military intervention. The defeat of the formidable Indian ruler Tipu Sultan in 1799 marginalised the French influence. This was followed by a rapid expansion of British power through the greater part of the Indian subcontinent in the early 19th century. By the middle of the century the British had already gained direct or indirect control over almost all of India. British India, consisting of the directly-ruled British presidencies and provinces, contained the most populous and valuable parts of the British Empire and thus became known as “the jewel in the British crown”.
What did it mean for the Indians? We will discover in the next episode.
Recommended Books:
The Theft of India by Roy Moxham (Focuses on the time period 1498-1765)
Colonialism in India by Pradhan Ram Chandra (Meant mostly for political history and philosophy students)
India in the Shadows of Empire by Mithi Mukherji (Focuses on legal and political history from 1774 onwards)
An Era of Darkness by Shashi Tharoor (Focuses on the oppression during the British Raj)
Kalampedia 