Genesis of British Power in India

This book deals with the European people who came to India for trade but stayed here to rule with the help of mainly their superior military power and diplomacy and the chaotic conditions then prevailing in India. The Portuguese, the Dutch, the English and the French, all had their share in the Indian riches and in turn gave India the European civilization and their social, educational, legal, judicial, military and administrative system. The growth of British political and military power in India has perhaps no parallel in history. Arriving by sea as traders, the Britishers penetrated in the political arena through their institutionalised military forces. In early days when the Britishers fancied themselves more dependent on Indians they were courteous and considerate to them. But this was not the case with native soldiers. From the very beginning, no Indian was given a military post of high responsibility and military power was kept exclusively by the Britishers in their own hands. British rule in India has been essentially a military rule. Naval power founded the British Empire in India. Army power developed and consolidated it. Giving evidence before the Parliamentary Select Committee (1832) Major General Sir John Malcolm said : "The Indian Empire has been acquired and must be maintained by the sword. The military plans for the government of our Eastern Empire must ever be entitled to primary consideration. The local army of India, but above all the Native branch should always be preserved in a condition of efficiency and attachment…. Our means of preserving and improving our possessions through the operation of our civil institutions depend on our wise and politic exercise of that military power on which the whole fabric rests". Professor Seelay remarks that ‘Nothing greater that ever been done by Englishmen was done so unintentionally, so accidently as the conquest of India’ is disputed by Dr. Bal Krishna who in his article "Was British Acquisition of India Accidental?" says that ‘commerce and conquest were the main objects of the English in the east’. Let the reader himself judge.