British India
We all have seen or used things that are supposedly of Indian origin, but they really most likely have been influenced by the British. Many improvements were made because of British influence, but also many things, such as freedom, were taken away from the Indian people. The British presence in India dates back to the early part of the seventeenth century and it is in the latter part of this century that the Mughal Empire began to disintegrate, paving the way for regional states. ... Britain needed money, spices, silk and tea, so they set up a trading route to India. This system of trading soon became more than just trading, the British decided to make India one of their territories in the contest for supremacy, the English emerged the victors. ... Castes of Mind: Colonialism and the making of modern India.) The East India Company played a large role in the taking of India, but it didn’t start out that way. The East India Company was established in 1600 in order to challenge the Dutch-Portuguese monopoly of the spice trade. Queen Elizabeth had granted the company monopoly rights to bring goods from India. With the approval of local Indian rulers, the East India Company established trading posts in Madras, Bombay and Calcutta. Numerous trading posts were established along the east and west coasts of India, and large English communities developed. ... The East India Company had a monopoly on trade in India until1694 when the House of commons passed an act that enabled all British firms to trade with India. ... A passage to India, Essays in Interpretation.) The British government became concerned with the power of the East India Company and in 1783 Charles Fox attempted to persuade Parliament to pass a bill that would replace the companys directors with a board of commissioners. ... But the new Prime Minister, William Pitt, managed to convince George lll and Parliament to accept a new India Bill. This measure created a new Board of trade and helped to transfer the political, financial and military power of the East India Company to the British government.