Indian National Movement-Pre Independence History of India

 Prior to our Independence, with the progress of education in India, people started realizing the discrimination being vented out by the British.

The British started a program of reforms where they tried to integrate high-caste Indians and rulers into the government. They stopped confiscation of lands, advocated religious tolerance and allowed the Indians to join the civil service in subordinate roles. They increased the number of British soldiers and only they were allowed to handle artillery. In 1877, Queen Victoria was bestowed upon the title ‘Empress of India’.

The British felt that they could ‘civilize’ the people of India by getting them to convert to Christianity. These efforts however failed. The other alternative was education. A westernized system of education was introduced and a new educated class of Indian’s emerged. They because the mediators between the British and the rest of Indian society. This class of people found their way into government as lawyers, businessmen, journalists and teachers.

Even though the British tried to convert, Hinduism survived and in fact, achieved a revival despite their best efforts. Indians who were trained to believe in western ideals of justice and freedom, started protesting against the discrimination by the British.

Report error