The perception created by historians is that British Raj did
a lot to improve the condition of masses in India. However, there is a contrary
view that the Raj was a cruel and oppressive regime responsible for the deaths
of an estimated 35 million Indians.
The followings are some examples of the anti-human records
of British Raj in India, which has one of the blackest colonial records among
Europeans.
1.
Stealing of Valuable Indian Artifacts
The list of Indian artifacts that were stolen in colonial
times and are now in the United Kingdom is long. Artifacts that the British
seized, looted or took away as "gifts" include the 105.6-karat
"Kohinoor" diamond. Lord Harihara idol, Sultanganj Buddha, Tipu
Sultan’s personal possessions, Wine cups of Shah Jahan and Maharaja Ranjit
Singh’s throne are among the other treasured possessions, idols and artifacts
that were stolen and looted from India years ago but still remain in the
possession of the British museums and royals. Many Indians are still sensitive
about artifacts that were stolen during the British conquest of India and have
yet to be returned.
2.
Using Indian Army in WWII
The British colonial regime in India was heavily dependent
on the Indian Army. The Indian Army that had been used by Britain during World
War II fought in Ethiopia against the Italian Army, in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia
and Algeria against both the Italian and German armies, and, after the Italian
surrender, against the German Army in Italy. However, the bulk of the Indian
Army was committed to fighting the Japanese Army, first during the British
defeats in Malaya and the retreat from Burma to the Indian border; later, after
resting and refitting for the victorious advance back into Burma, as part of
the largest British Empire army ever formed. These campaigns claimed the lives
of over 87,000 Indian servicemen, while 34,354 were wounded, and 67,340 became
prisoners of war. World War II was the last time the Indian Army fought as part
of the British military apparatus, as independence and partition followed in
1947.
3.
Britain Tested Chemical Weapons on Indian Troops
According to a report published by the Guardian, British
military scientists tested a chemical weapon on Indian colonial troops during
more than a decade of experiments before and during World War II. Hundreds of
Indian and British soldiers were exposed to mustard gas in tests conducted in
Rawalpindi, which was then part of Britain's Indian colony.
The gas severely burned the soldiers' skin, and caused pain
that sometimes lasted for weeks. Some of the soldiers had to be hospitalized.
The scientists wanted to compare the effect of the gas on the skin of Indians
to the results of experiments done on British soldiers.
4.
British EIC Looted Bengal
Backed by a 20,000-strong military force of locally
recruited Indian soldiers, in 1757 the British East India Company (EIC) became
the effective rulers of Bengal and looted the territory, draining the region’s
wealth into Britain. Company tax collectors in Bengal recorded that Indians
were tortured to disclose their treasure; cities, towns and villages ransacked.
By the end of the eighteenth century, most of India had been seized by this
unregulated private company, which had expanded its army to 260,000 men by
1803.
5.
Britain Stole US$45 trillion from India
It has been estimated that Britain stole a total of nearly US$45
trillion from India during the period from 1765 to 1938. The British
impoverished India through a taxation operation that equated to systematic
theft. Put simply, the British exhorted high taxes in cash from the Indian
population, used that tax money to pay Indians for their goods, and then
exported the goods overseas and invested the profits into the British economy and
a colonial army of Indian men that far surpassed India’s own defence needs.
6. Indians Died of Starvation
The British destabilized crop patterns by forced commercial
cropping, and left Indians more prone to famines. Between 12 and 29 million
Indians died of starvation while India was under the control of the British
Empire. In response to the outbreak of famines, the British authorities rarely
made relief aid, insisting that starvation was a natural and necessary check
for overpopulation. During the Great Famine of 1876-78 in Madras, it wasn’t
until 5.5 million Indians had already died that the British authorities began
to administer any relief efforts. Instead of giving charity, the British set up
labour camps for the poor where Indian workers were fed food portions that were
less than 50% of the size given in Nazi concentration camps.
7.
Railways in India Were Paid for Entirely by Indian Taxpayers
The building of railways across the Raj is often
misconceived as one of the gifts that Britain bestowed on India. The railways
were in fact paid for entirely by Indian taxpayers, who were also forced to pay
higher ticket prices than British personnel and confined to crowded third class
compartments. British shareholders were able to make extortionate amounts of
money by investing in the railways, without ever paying towards the system
through their own taxes.
8.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
On April 13, 1919, when peaceful protestors defied a
government order and demonstrated against British colonial rule in Amritsar,
they were blocked inside the walled Jallianwala Gardens and fired upon by
Gurkha soldiers. Under the orders of General Dyer, the soldiers kept firing
until they ran out of ammunition, killing between 379 and 1,000 protestors and
injuring another 1,100, all within 10 minutes. Britain has never formally
apologized for the massacre.
9. Flu
Pandemic in India
India’s 1918 flu pandemic was the outbreak of influenza in
India between 1918 and later in 1920. The pandemic is thought to have killed
over 17 million people. When colonists from Britain arrived in India, they
brought their soldiers and their war. The British ships carrying troops
returning from the First World War in Europe brought the Spanish Flu with them
and devastated India. Almost an entire generation of Indians was wiped out. All
rivers across India were clogged up with bodies because of a shortage of
firewood for cremation.
Courtesy: Tehran Times
