Figure 1.--The photo was taken in early-20th century in India in the home of an unidentified English resident, perhaps a planter. The HBC reader who fowarded us this image writes, "The Englisman is depicted with an Indian boy servant. The garments worn by the boy reflect more the English imagination than the actual clothing of an Indian boy of that age and condition." Many middle-class English people in India were able to live a lifestyle above what was possible back home. That does not mean, however, as we often hear from Indian critiques of the Raj that this was done by estracting wealth from the Indian people. We are left with other questions. As our reader explains, this man had liveried servants. We do not know if the boy was likely to be the son of other servants in the household are sent by his parents to serve. Areader writes, "The turban seems to me more an element of English imaginary concepts about India as in Kipling's 1901 novel, Kim, or in the uniforms of the Bengal Lancers. The image gives the impression of British rulers and the Indian ruled. The Raj was actually much more complicated, especially after Montagu Declaration (1917) and the recruitmnt of largevnumber of Indians into the Covil Service. While many Brits did well in India, there were also many Indian merchants and businessmen that prospered as well. Also British laws set in motion needed reforms not only leading to the ibtroduction of democracy, but restricting unacceptable social norms like untouchability and sati.

The Raj was established and administered by an amazingly small number of British soldiers and colonial administrators. Indians from the beginning played a major role. Following the Great Mutiny, the British initiated aeries of reforms and new policies to ensure their control over the Subcontinent and the security situation. The British replaced the governor generals with a Viceroy for all of India reorting directly to the British Government. An important step was to increase the British and other European composition of the Army. The British concluded that the Muntiny was due to large numbers of Indians, actually substantial majorities within the Army. For good reason the Great Mutiny is also called the Sepoy Mutiny. The British had a European/Indian ratio of one in seven which they concluded was the major cause of the mutiny. Even so, the number of Brits in India during the Raj was a very small part of the overall popultion. The British also moved to create a civil hierarchy, similar to the evolving democratic structures of Britain. This is something we have found many modern Indians, often highly critical of the British, are largely unaware. Reporting to the new Viceroy were administrators, the Indian Civil Service. There were also govenors and district officers. The important positions were dominated by the British elitists. This system was not modified until the Montagu Declaration (1917). The Declaration established the principle of Dyarchy, a major step toward home rule. This greatly increased the Indian role in the Raj. It gave Indians the majority in local official positions and control over domestic affairs such as education and health. The Army remained essentially the critical element enforcing British rule. The Army enforced cooperation, the administration of justice, and if neded to act with force. Also involved in the Raj were British merchants, entrepreneurs, and planters finding India a good place to make money. The Indians began calling them derisively Box-wallahs. There is a tendency among modern Marist influnced authors to assume that money they made was money taken from the Indian people. Actually living standards and life expentacy along with the population increased during the Raj. Many Indian buinessmen also benefitted. Brirish businessmen appea to have had relatively little impact within the British Government and administration of the Raj. [Humpreys] Historical attention the Raj often focuses on nationalist boycotts and Ghandhi’s non cooperation movement. They are of course important, but all too often lot in the discussion is the Montagu Declaration and the steady movement toward home rule.

Sources

Humpreys, India. "Report on Lifestyles within the British Raj in India 1857-1947," Academia.edu.

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Created: 8:09 PM 6/3/2015
Last updated: 2:40 AM 6/4/2015