European Influence is Evident in Indian Culture all along its history of oppression and subordination. At the end of the 15th century, the first European to set foot in India was Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese. Initially, it was purely traded, and the precious material resources of India led the Dutch, the British, and the French to follow suit.
These European countries all had their design to take India’s political control into their hands solely for a smooth trade. As the 18th century ended, the British and French struggled for supremacy over the Indians, and the British came out victorious.
The most successful amongst them was the British East India Company. By the beginning of the 19th century, these traders, who now had trading companies situated in Indian soil, started to meddle in the affairs of Indians and ruled over its people until 1947 when India achieved freedom from foreign rule.
This period brought about many changes to India, both extrinsically and intrinsically. The colonizers brought with them traditions that would, later on, become part and parcel of Indian society. While some point at the economic and political developments that resulted due to colonization, others have not been able to ignore the hardships brought about by these administrators to the common masses.
European Influence in India
India had a rich history and an even more vibrant culture; its material wealth was immense. However, what lacked was leadership that consolidated the empire as one. Aurangazeb was the last Mughal ruler that wielded enough power to rule over the vast stretch of India
The European traders that came after that left specific imprints that lasted long enough to shape the cultural ways of the people. Of all the European traders that came to India, it was the British that left a lasting impression on the Indian way of life. The following are the different aspects of Indian culture that was in some way, influenced by the approaching Europeans and some developments caused by Europeans that helped shape the Indian outlook.
Architecture
As the Europeans in India transitioned from traders to settlers, they started with building factories and fortresses. The Portuguese trading posts along the Indian coastlines were always walled and towns fortified. The architectures of major churches in Goa are reflective of the Portuguese style of building.
The Dutch had their taste in architecture, which showed a combination of Indian as well as European. The Dutch cemetery was styled in the European tradition with domes for the tomb, reflective of the Indian custom.
French influence is still visible, to date, in Pondicherry, both in town planning as well as buildings. The churches of this place have a distinctly French touch to it, while towns were designed in a Cartesian Grid with perpendicular streets and classical architectural patterns.
The British used architecture to display their supremacy over the people. All the architectural styles that were popular in England in those days were expressed equally in the structures here- Gothic, Imperial, Christian, English Renaissance, and Victorian, to name a few. They mainly used concrete, glass, and cast iron.
Town Hall and Elphinstone circle in Bombay reflected the Greco-Roman style of building. Victoria terminus in India is an excellent example of Victorian GothicRevival Architecture. Later on, they mixed Indian tradition with European style to display the legitimacy of their rule in India. Gateway of India, Chepauk Palace in Madras, and Victoria Memorial Hall are all a result of mixed style. The architecture of New Delhi by Lutyens and Baker is one of the most significant contributions of British rule.
Education
The enduring impact of Europeans on Indian culture was the introduction of English education. In the 18th century, India had its own set of mathematical, architectural, and scientific principles that made magnificent structures such as the Taj Mahal, Humayun Tomb and Qutub Minar a reality. But the country was untouched by the new scientific development of the west, and its more enormous masses were thriving in a cocoon of religious and mythical beliefs.
Lord Macaulay, in 1835, gave a turning point in India’s history in his Minute on Education. This minute opened the flood-gates of European thought and literature for Indian intellectuals. Western science, literature, philosophy, history, and all other subjects of the study were made accessible for the Indians.
The ‘Downward Filtration Theory (1835-44); ‘Woods Despatch of 1854 and ‘Hunter Commission’ of 1882 broadened the Indian intellect. Apart from instituting English schools and Colleges, Universities were opened in Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay in 1857.
The phrase “English in taste but Indian in blood” holds to a point for the system of education that the British instituted. The practical reality of the purpose of this education was to manipulate the Indians into working for the British, that too, at the lower clerical levels- insignificant but taxing tasks. But there was no limit for those who got this education.
The Indian mind was now acquainted with the new scientific knowledge of the west, and this left a lasting impact on Indian culture. Education, even though not in whole, partly played a significant role in encouraging social mobility, eliminating religious superstition, and uplifting the status of women.
Customs
India witnessed massive social as well as religious reforms under British administration. The British idea of freedom, equality, liberty, and human rights had a great impact on Indian society. This, coupled with western education imparted to Indians, brought a more scientific, rational, and modern approach. A great deal of socio-religious changes took place in the century starting early 19th century and many Indian social reformers came to light.
Infanticide and ritual burning of widows (sati) were banned in 1829. Slavery was abolished, and dacoits eliminated from the highways. The remarriage of widows was legalized in 1856, and at the same time, child-marriage was removed through the Sharda Act of 1929, also known as the Child Marriage Restraint Act.
The British introduced a penal code in 1861 based on British law, which helped teach some ideas of equality. The caste system, to some extent, was under control, and people (irrespective of their caste) were tried under the same law. Apart from the caste system, India suffered from grave misconduct based on sex distinctions, which also came to a certain point with the coming of the British.
Transport and Communication
The British introduced transport and communication to facilitate their trade within the country as well as outside. Railway lines were laid to connect areas producing the raw material in the interior of India, to the ports of export. In 1853, the first railway line was opened in India that plied between Bombay to Thane under the supervision of Lord Dalhousie, the then Governor-General of India.
In the same year, the first telegraph line was laid in between Calcutta and Agra. Soon enough, postage stamps were introduced. By 1869, more than 4000 miles of Railway lines were built, and by 1905, close to 28000 miles of railway lines were readied.
These developments no doubt benefitted the British in their trade but also facilitated in arousing a spirit of nationalism among the Indians, thereby increasing mobility among the masses. It helped the nation move towards modernization, and thoughts of liberty and equality were now an everyday affair.
Trade & Commerce
India had been a flourishing country until the British dawned on its people. India, in the 18th century, was the world’s largest producer of cotton. Indian textiles such as silk, wool, cotton, and linen had enormous demands in other Asian and European markets, even Africa. Indian handlooms and handicrafts were a thriving industry. The economy was predominantly agrarian.
All it needed was the import of machine-made cloths from England at lower prices to destroy the booming domestic sector. Soon, India turned into a supplier of raw materials at rates unimaginably low. With trade now riding on an all-time low, farmers turned to cash crops for respite. India’s wealth was drained, with all outlets leading to England, and by the time it gained its independence, the country was literally living from hand to mouth. This ‘Drain of Wealth’ regulated the everyday lives of its people for more than 50 years, even after Independence.
Literature
Indian literature was rich in itself, and poetry was a common occurrence since the time of Rig-Veda. However, the influence of English literature, novels, short stories, essays, and modem drama in Indian writings was intensive.
Shakespeare is an integral part of the Indian Curriculum, and most of his works have been translated to Indian Languages.
Spirit of Research & Rediscovering India
The contribution of the British to the preservation of Indian cultural heritage is immense. Sir William Jones established the Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1784, and this marked the start of Indian historiography through ideological studies by European scholars. In 1861, Alexander Cunningham established the Archaeological Survey of India, which later on, worked extensively in re-discovering India.
Further, in 1921 -22, Lord Curzon established the Department of Archaeology and unearthed the remains of a flourishing culture through their excavations at Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa. It could well be said that Curzon changed the course of Indian history.
Nationalism
It can well be concluded that the British ideals of freedom, equality, and liberty from the British Constitution led the educated Indian elite to question their patriotism. Once this thought reached a convincing point, the elite and the masses revolted for their freedom.
The coming of Europeans into India brought a wave of ideological advancement. The British East India Company initiated socio-economic changes that led the Indians towards thoughts of political discourse. Political consciousness was on the rise among the native Indian elite, and it gave way to a growing nationalist sentiment. This nationalism gave birth to the Indian National Congress in 1885, which then led all reforms and revolutions.
Conclusion
Although certain spheres saw improvements such as transport and communications, the coming of Europeans saw the disintegration of the cultural fabric that bound India together. Culture encompasses the life and lifestyle of a community, a place, a nation at large. The influence Europeans had on Indian culture is visible to date. The Europeans had stayed long enough to have influenced every aspect of the Indian culture.
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Featured Image: Gateway of India @sarangib
Imphal, India
M.A History, Criminology
