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| British sahib and Indian nauker(servent).www.nation.lk |
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| British sahib on horse back. www.collectorsprints.com |
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| British Bob receiving illegal money from Indian Raja.blogs.warwick.ac.uk |
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| British looting in India.quora.com |
Above image: Britain during their long stay in India drained a total of nearly $45 trillion from India at today’s value. When the Wily Bobs landed in India India’s share of the world economy was 23 per cent, but when they left the Indian shores in 1947 it plummeted to 4 percent. Reason: The British ran the administration for the benefit of Britain., according to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. British colonialism of India started with the entry of the East India Company (founded in 1600), the English Company of Merchants of London trading into the East Indies .................
British colonialism of India started with the entry of the East India Company, which was founded in 1600 as The Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East Indies
Consequently, driven by uncontrollable desire and greed, numerous young and energetic British men wanted to sail to India at the earliest opportunity to get a job with the British company or estates owned by English gentlemen and their families. So, there was a craze for Indian jobs among the young people. They strongly believed there were Eldorado out in the jungles of India and Indian palaces up for grabs.
Working in a tropical, hot country like India ravaged by hot sun and harsh monsoon season is not that easy. They had to visit jungles and live among the wild, ferocious animals, dangerous mosquitoes, poisonous snakes, insects, etc., and strange people whose culture and languages were altogether different. Further, they had to overcome fatigue and loneliness, and had to put in long hours of work in isolated places away from even small villages. They had to take extra precaution against dreaded diseases like smallpox, cholera, measles, not to speak of dehydration, etc., failing of which means near death situation.
Rarely British officials amassed as much money as Clive or Lord Wellesley did. Robert Clive was an expert in the art of corruption, extortion, double crossing, and illegal gratification, etc., all rolled into one. In spite of this moral weakness and human frailty, he was an excellent administrator and military leader; extremely talented man. Some officials who made decent money did live long enough to enjoy the fortune they had earned in India, but many of them were not fortunate to survive that long. Any way, several lucky BEIC officials saved enough money to live comfortably back in England after retirement.
No doubt, the political and commercial operations of the EIC were notoriously corrupt, and hundreds of EIC employees accumulated vast fortunes on the sides in India. Money allowed them to purchase large landed estates, stand successfully for Parliament and gain lucrative positions in government at home. One such a British nabob family members that has left many volumes of unpublished family correspondence are the Russells of Swallowfield Park, Berkshire. Sir Henry Russell, 1st baronet (1751-1836) Several of their descendants made a fortune in India and had built palatial mansions, etc., in England. Only a few families remained rich and never flaunted their ill-gotten money.
It was not so with many countless nouveau rich who made quick bucks in the jungles of India. On their return to England, driven by uncontrollable desire they had led a carefree life, seeking social prominence by obsequious behavior. They had risen to a decent status economically and socially in a conservative and stratified British society, but failed to develop social skills and norms appropriate for their new position. In many cases, they lacked social grace and manners and flaunted their riches as quickly as they could and became broke in a short time. Like willow-the wisp, their dough disappeared as quickly as they earned. Many of them earned the nick name 'Nabobs' though their comfortable life was short.
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| Warren Hastings on the palanquin and Indian servants.quicktake.wordpress.com |
The commercial success of the British in India was impressive, and by the 18th century the previously strong positions held by the Portuguese, Dutch and French had been undermined. The profits of the slave trade across the Atlantic gave Britain a huge financial advantage over all its competitors. Contracts were made with Indian merchants and artisans for all kinds of luxury goods, in exchange for silver from Britain. By the 18th century, the East India company was shipping more Indian goods to Europe than any of its rivals. For Indian states, European settlement offered a mixture of advantages and disadvantages. Some local rulers resented the British presence, while others benefited from the coastal trades in pepper, tea and textiles. But the situation became topsy turvy when these one time traders became masters of the land after 1757 when they got the best deal- some thing like treasures of Ali Baba's cave - undivided Bengal and other adjacent money spinning regions. At his time more British people wanted to take up jobs in India so that they they got back to England they could lead a comfortable life - like Indian Nabos (Nawobs) or Maharajahs.
