Skip to main content

What conditions gave rise to India's decolonization?

India, once the jewel of the British empire, had by the twentieth century become less profitable and more expensive to manage than it had once been. It's important to note that during the first part of the twentieth century, England had been hammered by two worlds wars that exhausted it financially. World War II was especially hard on Britain. By the end of the war, the country had to acknowledge that it no longer would...

India, once the jewel of the British empire, had by the twentieth century become less profitable and more expensive to manage than it had once been. It's important to note that during the first part of the twentieth century, England had been hammered by two worlds wars that exhausted it financially. World War II was especially hard on Britain. By the end of the war, the country had to acknowledge that it no longer would be, as it had been for more than a century, the world's preeminent superpower. It passed that baton to the United States and began to pull back from the world stage.


By the mid-20th century, classic colonialism had become expensive and outdated as a way of extracting wealth from other countries, but factors other than the financial prodded England to free India. First, having embraced a rhetoric of freedom and democracy in the fight against Hitler and the Nazis, the English found it more and more intellectually difficult to justify ruling India: old notions of the "white man's burden" and white racial superiority had become embarrassing and were increasingly challenged. Finally, British betrayals of various Indian groups had united formerly rival territories in India into one whole, with the shared goal of ridding the country of their foreign ruler. This, along with Gandhi's galvanizing work to free India, let to an upsurge of Indian nationalism that added to the English impetus to get rid of colony that was becoming more trouble than it was worth. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is the meaning of "juggling fiends" in Macbeth?

Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a... Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a sense of guilt, and that man tells him: Despair thy charm. And let the angel whom thou still hast serve...
Post a Comment
Read more

What are some external and internal conflicts that Montag has in Fahrenheit 451?

 Montag, the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451, faces both external and internal conflicts throughout the novel. Some examples of these conflicts are: External Conflicts: Conflict with the society: Montag lives in a society that prohibits books and critical thinking. He faces opposition from the government and the people who enforce this law. Montag struggles to come to terms with the fact that his society is based on censorship and control. Conflict with his wife: Montag's wife, Mildred, is completely absorbed in the shallow and meaningless entertainment provided by the government. Montag's growing dissatisfaction with his marriage adds to his external conflict. Conflict with the fire captain: Montag's superior, Captain Beatty, is the personification of the oppressive regime that Montag is fighting against. Montag's struggle against Beatty represents his external conflict with the government. Internal Conflicts: Conflict with his own beliefs: Montag, at the beginning of th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Discuss movements that were inspired by the Civil Rights Movement and list one success for each group.

African-Americans contributed in a very big way during World War II. These contributions were demonstrated at home and on the battlefield. After the war, African-Americans properly felt it was time for them to achieve equality with white Americans. During the 1950's, the modern Civil Rights Movement was born and it had a number of successes (integration of the military and Brown vs. Board of Education as examples.) This success inspired other activists to demand change... African-Americans contributed in a very big way during World War II. These contributions were demonstrated at home and on the battlefield. After the war, African-Americans properly felt it was time for them to achieve equality with white Americans. During the 1950's, the modern Civil Rights Movement was born and it had a number of successes (integration of the military and Brown vs. Board of Education as examples.) This success inspired other activists to demand change for their agendas. Two examples of moveme...
Post a Comment
Read more