Impact of Colonial Rule in Bengal

Impact of Colonial Rule in Bengal
What is Colonial Rule?

The policy or practice of a wealthy and powerful nation’s maintaining or extending its control
over other countries. Especially in establishing settlements or exploiting resources.
The East India Company which was in trading contact with Bengal for about a century since
1650. It sought extraction of wealth though trade and commerce in conformity with the spirit of
mercantilism. Finally turned itself into rulers.
Impact of Colonial Rule in Bengal (1757- 1947)

The colonial rule in Bengal lasted for more than 200 years. The greatest disruption in Bengal’s
history began on June 23, 1757 when the East India Company defeated Nawab Siraj-ud Daulah
and became the de-facto ruler of Bengal. Territorial rule by a trading company resulted in the
commercialization of power and the effects of the colonial rule were highly destructive.
The event of Palashi and Post- palashi developments had established very firmly the political
dominance of the company. Yet, for various reasons, it chose to be the political arbitrator without
being the king of the country. The manpower of Bengal was neither oriented to civil
administration nor adequate enough to rule an extensive kingdom like Bengal. The Battle of was
fought between Nawab Sirajuddaula and the East India Company. It lasted for about eight hours
and the Nawab was defeated by the company because of the treachery of his leading general Mir
Jafar. Then Mir Jafar was the new Nabab. But in 1760, he was replaced by son-in-law Mir
Qasim. The new Nawab quickly settled the indemnity affair by ceding to company’s control
three large and resourceful districts- Burdwan, Midnapur, Chittagong.
There was no consequence of a Palashi war to establish East India Company in the state of
Bengal. Because it is an unequal development that has been going on for more than a century.
For example, in 1651, Company settled in Hughli and since then the only initiative was to pursue
trade and commerce. Whenever possible the company secures maximum business opportunities.
In the second phase, between 1756 and 1765, the company followed a policy of arrogance and
aggression. In the third phase, between 1765 and 1784, came East Indies with the idea of partial
control of the country with the intention of raising revenue to finance the business of the formal
company. The fourth and final phase, between 1784 and 1793, were identified by the positive
and serious steps towards the establishment of a sovereign colonial state.
Pursuit of Trade and Commerce
The discovery of the sea lanes in eastern waters was the reason why the people of the west had
direct contact with the people of the Bengal. From ancients times it was predominantly an
exporting country, but curiously, its main export trade was cultural reasons, conducted by mostly
foreigners. The Portuguese, The Dutch, The French, The English and others came to take a part
in the Bengal export trade were encouraged by the Mughal Emperors. The English East India
Company had the advantage of deciding more than anyone else in the competition among itself
for the export of Bengali goods to foreign markets. While all other companies were required the
government to pay a fee of two and a half (2.5) percent or more customs duties, but many
concession were made to the British in the payment of customs duties. They secured a nishan or
patent (1651) from the Bengal Subahdar Prince Shuja, which allowed the English to trade in
Bengal without paying any customs duties in return for an annual tribute of Tk. 3000 only.
The opportunity for this extraordinary customs duties later became a major issue in the conflict
between the country government and the company. Party due to long-term revenue losses and
party due to pressure from other competing companies, subahders succeeding Shuja were not
equally favorably disposed to the company. With the steady growth of English trade in Bengal,
the government has ordered anyone to cancel the patent or at least amend its terms. But the
company would not agree to any such proposal and considered the patent as an irrevocable and
inviolable chapter of right. This dispute caused a serious conflict between the government and
the company. The protracted Anglo-Mughal war of 1686- 1690 had originated from this issue.
The rise of British India in the 19th century was only the blown up form of the company’s Bengal
kingdom. Bengal lost prime ness in that unlike Madras and Bombay province, Bengal was not
endowed with an autonomous Governor-in-Council. The Indian Governor General acted as the
Bengal Governor. In 1912 when the partition was annulled and the capital shift to Delhi Bengal
got, like Madras and Bombay, the status of a Governor’s province for the first time.
During the British rule, two devastating poverties were instigating costing million of lives in
1770. Just five years into the British East India Company’s rule, the catastrophic Bengal
poverties of 1070 one if the greatest famines of history occurred. 1n 1770 and next those years,
about one-third people died because of famines. In 1857, the Indian Mutiny replaced rule by the
East India Company with the direct control of Bengal by the British crown.
From the 1850s, Bengal became one of India’s principal center of industry, concentrated in the
capital Calcutta (now Kolkata) because of rice cultivation as well as fine cotton muslin and the
world’s main source of jute fibre (fiber). Most of the population dependent on agriculture and
despite its leading role in Indian political and intellectual activity. But in the east Bengal, the
province included some undeveloped districts. In 1877, when Victoria took the title of “Empress
of India”, the British declared Calcutta the capital of the British Raj.
1905 Partition of Bengal was divided by the British rulers for administrative purposes into an
overwhelmingly Hindu west and a predominantly Muslim east. Hindu- Muslim conflict became
stronger though this partition. Hindu Indians disagreed with the partition. They said it was a way
of driving a Bengal which is united by language and history. Muslim supported it by saying it
was a big step forward for Muslim society where Muslims will be majority and they can freely
practice their religion as well as their culture. But owing to strong Hindu agitation, the British
reunited East and West Bengal in 1912, and made Bihar and Orissa a separate province. Another
major famine occurred during the Second World War, the Bengal famine of 1943, in which an
estimated three million people died.
Negative Impact of Colonial rule

Colonial rule leads to negative experience for the nations. The company had its own
administration, maintained a trained military and controlled the foreign policy of Bengal with
other nations. They were trying to control all the Bengal. Bengal has no decision making or
political power in any area. Bengal lost its self-identity known for its poor culture, became the
slave to British.
Trade and Commerce Losses in Bengal

Bengal was the most fertile and the richest of India’s provinces. Its industries and commerce
were well developed. The East India Company and its servants had highly profitable treading
interest in the province. Bengal had been traditionally an exporting country. Within half a
century of company rule Bengal lost its predominance in the export market.
Education
Education became a private affair and very expensive under the British and as a result literacy
rate came down to insignificant level in the mid- nineteenth century. Only 4% were literate in
1872, according to Census data of that year, whereas it was above 80% a century earlier,
according to Adam’s Report on Education.
Bengal Famine of 1770

The Bengal Famine of 1770 was a catastrophic famine between 1769 and 1773 (1176 and 1180
in the Bengali Calendar) that affected the lower Gangetic plain of India. The famine established
to have caused the deaths of 10 million people (one out of three, reducing the population to thirty
million of Bengal, which including Bihar and parts of Orissa). The Bengali names derives from
its origins in the Bengali calendar year 1176.
Salt March
In 1759, the British East India Company came into possession of land near Calcutta where there
were salt works. The salt produced by the salt pans called khalaris in Oriya is of the finest quality
in all India. There has always been a demand for Orissa salt in Bengal. When the British took
over the administration of Bengal, they too felt its need and traded for salt. Gradually they
monopolized Orissa salt all over Bengal. As the result of the British rule, the Bengal salt traders
became extinct. So, the salt traders works for British as labors.
Conclusion
Colonialism has had a long lasting impact on people lives. Countries under colonial rule
experience a distinctly separate way of developing and maturing, and ultimately, the inheritance
of subsistence will continue to affect survival and performance.
When British Colonial rule ended in August 1947, two new countries were born India and
Pakistan. Bengal was split between them. West Bengal went to India and East Bengal went to
Pakistan. East Bengal was known as East Pakistan. The British Colonial Rule ended for India but
the Bengali nation did not become independent because of Pakistan.

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Impact of Colonial Rule in Bengal

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Impact of Colonial Rule in Bengal

What is Colonial Rule?

Impact of Colonial Rule in Bengal (1757- 1947)

Negative Impact of Colonial rule

Trade and Commerce Losses in Bengal

Bengal Famine of 1770

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