Explore the complex economic and political factors that led to British colonization of India in this 32-minute lecture from The Great Courses. Examine how the decline of the Mughal Empire and the rise of regional powers created opportunities for foreign intervention. Discover India's growing importance in the global economy of the 1700s, particularly through its textile trade. Learn how the English East India Company leveraged naval dominance and local troops to establish a foothold in the subcontinent. Analyze the perfect storm of circumstances, including increased military spending and the rise of influential moneylending families, that paved the way for British rule. Gain insights into the economic changes that ultimately facilitated colonial control of the Indian subcontinent.
A History of British India - Indian and British Economic Interests
Overview
Syllabus
The Question of British and Indian Interaction
Regional Interests Undermine the Mughal Empire
Key Regional Personnel Grow in Power
Effects of Regional Warfare on the Environment
Defeat of Mughals Hastens Regional Military Fiscalism
1700´s India Becomes Economic Interest Globally
Indian Textiles Became Currency
Commercial Interest Leads to English East India Co.
British Naval Skill Dominates Trade Routes at Sea
EEIC Hires Indian Troops for Private Army
A Perfect Storm Brews for Indian Colonization
Military Spending Ramps Up Need for Money
Advantages for Hindu and Jain Moneylending Families
Families Begin to Bankroll Nations and Take Over
How Changes in India's Economy Lead to British Rule
Taught by
Wondrium
