indian history: an overview

7/23/2019 Indian History: An overview

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Taylor LachHONR209C9/10/15

The Metcalfs describe the Mughal eriod as o!e of far"reachi!g olitical# eco!o$ic# a!d

social reco!%guratio!s& Mughal e$eror '(bar ruled for %fty years a!d sread Mughal co!trol

!orth# east# a!d south")est# bri!gi!g about these sig!i%ca!t cha!ges i! Mughal rule far a!d )ide

i! re"colo!ial *!dia& Not o!ly )as he a successful )ith e+a!sio! a!d co!,uest# but his

i!credibly e-cie!t a!d culturally di.erse ad$i!istratio! brought the Mughal e$ire its $ost

ce!tralied era# a!d therefore# a .ery sig!i%ca!t o!e& y i!cororati!g o)erful i!dige!ous

eoles )ith ersia!s# Musli$s# 'rabs# Rauts# rah$a!s# '(bar u!i%ed the ruli!g elite u!der

the ideology of loyalty& This )as ro.e! a!d e+ressed through cultural for$s# !ot a-liatio! to

a!y religio! or tribe# )hich ga.e '(bar the $ost ,uali%ed cou!sellors& '(bar )as also .ery

rogressi.e i! his fra$e)or( for rule# )hich i!cluded !obles all o.er his e$ire )ith di3ere!t

secialties i! order to ro.ide chec(s o! each other& This )ay# !o si!gle !oble had e!ough o)er

to begi! to for$ a!y resista!ce agai!st '(bar& He !ot o!ly sread the Mughal e$ire farther tha!

a!yo!e before hi$# but '(bar also held it together )ith a suerior a!d i!credibly di.erse ruli!g

fra$e)or( that could ha.e lasted for ce!turies had other factors !ot i!terfered& 4or e+a$le#

after 'ura!gebs death# the raid dece!traliatio! of the cou!try )as characteried i! art by

the begi!!i!g of *!dias articiatio! i! global trade& The Mughal 6$ires eco!o$y )as

e!ha!ced i! the se.e!tee!th ce!tury by 6uroea! i!terest i! 'sia! co$$odities& Their cash"cro

roductio! e+a!ded due to de$a!d# a!d the eco!o$ic boo$ is e.ide!t i! the e+tra.aga!ce of

rulers li(e 7hah 8aha!& This trade gre) esecially alo!g the souther! a!d easter! coastal regio!s#

a!d e.e!tually ga.e rise to foreig! articiatio! i! $ore tha! ust Mughal eco!o$ies# but *!dia!

olitics&

Colo!ial rule i! *!dia )as $ade ossible by the successes of the 6ast *!dia Co$a!y# )ith

6!gla!d as the (ey to its roserity& ecause of ritai!s ositio! as a! isla!d !atio! )ith co!trol

of the ocea!s# ritai!s e+ort trade i!curred huge ro%ts for the cou!try& *t also ut ritai!

abo.e all other ri.als# allo)i!g the 6ast *!dia Co$a!y to $o!oolie *!dias $erca!tile classes&

4urther$ore# o!ce the 6ast *!dia Co$a!y gai!ed co!trol of e!gal# the richest ro.i!ce i! *!dia


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at the ti$e# it had the )ealth to o.ero)er a!y other layers i! the $erca!tile ga$e i! *!dia&

ut# )ith great )ealth a!d sie co$es a greater challe!ge to co!trol its territories# so the 6ast

*!dia Co$a!y bega! a sort of $ilitary %scalis$& This $ethod e$loyed go.er!or ge!erals to

i$ose regulatory sta!dards o! the i!dige!ous eoles of *!dia that !o) sulied goods for the

6ast *!dia Co$a!y to 6uroe& 7o$e i$ositio!s o! the *!dia! eole i!cluded the e!gal

er$a!e!t 7ettle$e!t 'ct# the Regulatory 'cts# a!d the la!d"re.e!ue syste$& These# i!cludi!g

ar$y %elded by the 6ast *!dia Co$a!y# reco!%gured a!d oressed the *!dic eole u!til they

)ere eco!o$ically .ul!erable to colo!ial rule# )hich $o.ed i! o!ce the 6ast *!dia Co$a!y lost

o)er&

The Metcalfs describe the re.olt of 15:"5 as bei!g referred to as ;the 4irst alhousies tech!ological a!d

tra!sortatio! ad.a!ce$e!ts )ere co!!ecti!g the cou!try# the re.olt )as i! actuality a series of

u!orga!ied urisi!gs& To deser.e the title of ;4irst


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e+isted bet)ee! the ;suerior= )hite race a!d ;u!ci.ilied= !ati.es i! *!dia# the ritish i!sisted

uo! the ad$i!istratio! of Hi!du la)& The bou!daries bet)ee! Hi!dus a!d Musli$s beca$e

dra$atically aare!t& 's ti$e )e!t o! i! colo!ial *!dia# ho)e.er# ress circulatio! a!d caste

$obility e+osed the *!dia! eole to the roble$s of this di.ide& O!e $o.e$e!t# the 'rya

7a$a# fou!ded by 7)a$i >aya!a!d 7aras)ati taught that Hi!dus )ould disaear i! the face of

Musli$ a!d Christia! co!.ersio!? they created !e) but traditio!ally"i!sired rituals to co!.ert

eole )ho )ere!t already Hi!du& Other eole decided to bridge the gas bet)ee! these

religio!s? 7hri Ra$a(rish!a taught that @eda!tic Hi!duis$ )as a u!i.ersal faith that sy!thesied

all religio!s& *t e$braced the eoba!d $o.e$e!t taught classical *sla$ic te+ts# but used ritish

classroo$ atter!s# usi!g Ardu as a la!guage of rose& 'ltogether# the Hi!dus a!d Musli$s#

olitically searated by ritia!s ge!eraliatio! of religio!# atte$ted to reorga!ie i! the late

100s )ith a resurge!ce of traditio! or a ble!di!g of acceted


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correcti!g the siritual state of the !atio!& These de$o!stratio!s of !atio!alis$# )hether alig!ed

)ith Da!dhis i$age of a siritually reco!%gured Hi!du *!dia# )ere ust t)o of $a!y e3orts by

the *!dia! eole to u!ite a!d free the$sel.es fro$ ritish rule&

indian history: an overview

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