The British Raj was a time when the British Empire ruled over a large part of the Indian subcontinent. "Raj" is a Hindi word meaning "rule," so "British Raj" means "British rule." This period lasted from 1858 to 1947.

During the British Raj, the British controlled areas that are now part of several countries. These include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon), and Myanmar (then called Burma). All these areas together were known as the British Indian Empire.

The British Raj included two main types of areas. First, there was British India, which was directly governed by the British. Second, there were many "princely states." These states had their own Indian rulers, but they were still under the overall authority of the British Crown.

The term "Undivided India" is sometimes used to describe the entire area under British rule. However, this term usually does not include Burma, which became a separate British colony in 1937. Other places like Aden and Singapore were also governed by India for some time.

British rule in India ended on August 15, 1947. This led to the creation of two new independent countries: India and Pakistan. Later, Bangladesh was formed from part of Pakistan. The division of the Indian Empire, known as the Partition of India, caused many people to move and led to much conflict.

How the British Raj Began
- The Indian Rebellion of 1857
Life Under British Rule
- Building New Infrastructure
- Society and Population
Movement Towards Independence
- Early Nationalist Movements
- Key Figures and Events
End of the British Raj
- The Partition of India
- Legacy of the Raj
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How the British Raj Began

The British Raj officially began in 1858. Before this, a powerful trading company called the East India Company had controlled many parts of India. The company had its own army and ruled like a government.

The Indian Rebellion of 1857

In 1857, a major uprising happened across India. This event is often called the Indian Rebellion of 1857. It was a big challenge to the East India Company's rule.

After the rebellion, the British government decided to take direct control. The Government of India Act 1858 was passed. This act transferred the power from the East India Company directly to the British Crown.

The proclamation to the "Princes, Chiefs, and People of India," issued by Queen Victoria on November 1, 1858.

Lord Canning, the first viceroy of India under Crown rule.

Queen Victoria became the Empress of India in 1876. The British monarch was the head of the Indian Empire. A special official called the Viceroy was appointed to rule India on behalf of the British Crown. The first Viceroy was Lord Canning.

Life Under British Rule

Life during the British Raj was very different for different people. The British built many new things in India, like railways and canals.

Building New Infrastructure

The British built a large railway network across India. By 1909, it was the fourth largest in the world. These railways helped move goods and people. They also built canals, like the Agra canal, to help with irrigation and farming.

The railway network of India in 1871, connecting major cities like Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras.

The railway network of India in 1909, when it was the fourth largest railway network in the world.

"The most magnificent railway station in the world," Victoria Terminus in Mumbai, completed in 1888.

The Agra canal (c. 1873), built to increase irrigation.

Many schools and universities were also established. The University of Calcutta, founded in 1857, is one of the oldest modern universities in India.

Society and Population

The British Raj had a significant impact on Indian society. The population of British people in India was small compared to the Indian population. In 1861, there were about 125,945 English people in India. Most of these were soldiers.

The Indian Army was very large. In 1880, it had 66,000 British soldiers and 130,000 Indian soldiers. The princely states also had their own armies, with about 350,000 soldiers.

Religions like Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, and Judaism were all present in India. The British tried to manage the different religious groups.

Movement Towards Independence

Over time, many Indians began to demand more rights and eventually, independence.

Early Nationalist Movements

Indian leaders started organizations to voice their concerns. The Indian National Congress was formed in 1885. It aimed to give Indians a greater say in their own government.

The first meeting of the Indian National Congress in Mumbai, December 28, 1885.

Poverty and the Un-British Rule in India, a book by Dadabhai Naoroji published in 1901.

Leaders like Dadabhai Naoroji wrote about the economic impact of British rule. His book, Poverty and the Un-British Rule in India, highlighted how British policies affected India's wealth.

Key Figures and Events

Many important figures played a role in the independence movement.

Mahatma Gandhi: He returned to India in 1915 and became a key leader. He promoted non-violent resistance, like the non-cooperation movement.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah: A leader of the All-India Muslim League, he worked for the rights of Muslims in India.
Annie Besant: She founded the Indian Home Rule League, pushing for self-government.

Mahatma Gandhi receiving a welcome in Karachi in 1916 after returning from South Africa.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah (seated, third from left) supported the Lucknow Pact in 1916.

Annie Besant with Theosophists in Adyar, Madras, in 1912.

Gandhi with Besant en route to a meeting in Chennai in September 1921.

The British government made some reforms, like the Minto-Morley Reforms of 1909, which allowed for separate Muslim electorates. However, these changes were not enough for many Indians who wanted full independence.

End of the British Raj

After World War II, Britain decided to grant India independence.

The Partition of India

The process of independence was complex. There were strong disagreements between leaders of the Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League about the future of India. This led to the decision to divide British India into two separate countries: India and Pakistan.

Members of the 1946 Cabinet Mission to India meeting Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

The Indian Independence Act was passed on July 18, 1947. British rule officially ended on August 15, 1947. The new boundaries between India and Pakistan were set on August 18.

The partition caused a huge movement of people and led to violence. Millions of people moved across the new borders.

Legacy of the Raj

The British Raj left a lasting impact on India. It influenced India's government, laws, education, and infrastructure. Even today, many aspects of modern India have roots in the British Raj period.

A first-day cover issued on April 1, 1937, commemorating the separation of Burma from the British Indian Empire.

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Sidney Rowlatt, the British judge under whose chairmanship the Rowlatt Committee recommended stricter anti-sedition laws
Headlines about the Rowlatt Bills (1919) from a nationalist newspaper in India. Although all non-official Indians on the Legislative Council voted against the Rowlatt Bills, the government was able to force their passage by using its majority.
A. K. Fazlul Huq, known as the Sher-e-Bangla or Tiger of Bengal, was the first elected Premier of Bengal, leader of the K. P. P. and an important ally of the All India Muslim League.
Subhas Chandra Bose (second from left) with Heinrich Himmler (right), 1942
The series of stamps, "Victory", issued by the Government of India to commemorate the allied victory in World War II
Percentage of Hindus by district, 1909
Percentage of Muslims by district, 1909
Sir Charles Wood (1800–1885) was President of the Board of Control of the East India Company from 1852 to 1855; he shaped British education policy in India, and was Secretary of State for India from 1859 to 1866.
Lord Salisbury was Secretary of State for India from 1874 to 1878.
Elephant Carriage of the Maharaja of Rewa, Delhi Durbar of 1903
One Mohur depicting Queen Victoria (1862)
The Queen's Own Madras Sappers and Miners, 1896
The global contribution to world's GDP by major economies from 1 CE to 2003 CE according to Angus Maddison's estimates. Up until the early 18th century, China and India were the two largest economies by GDP output.
The 1921 Census of British India shows 69 million Muslims, 217 million Hindus out of a total population of 316 million.
The University of Calcutta, established in 1857, is one of the three oldest modern state universities in India.
St. Paul's Cathedral was built in 1847 and served as the chair of the Bishop of Calcutta, who served as the metropolitan of the Church of India, Burma and Ceylon.
The British Indian Empire and surrounding countries in 1909
Lakshmibai, Rani of Jhansi, one of the principal leaders of the Great Uprising of 1857 who had lost her kingdom by the Doctrine of Lapse.
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan founder of the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College, wrote one of the early critiques, The Causes of the Indian Mutiny.
A 1887 souvenir portrait of Queen Victoria as Empress of India, 30 years after the Great Uprising.
Lord Ripon, the Liberal Viceroy of India, who instituted the Famine Code. 1880
Allan Octavian Hume (1829-1912), who proposed the idea of the Indian National Congress in a letter to graduates of Calcutta University.
Mehta, lawyer, businessman, and president of the sixth session of the Indian National Congress in 1890.
Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India, 1899–1905, who partitioned the Bengal Presidency in 1905.
Congress moderate Sir Surendranath Banerjee led the opposition with the Swadeshi movement.
Tamil magazine, Vijaya, 1909, showing "Mother India" with her progeny and the slogan "Vande Mataram."
Lord Minto, the viceroy who replaced Curzon in 1906. The Minto-Morley Reforms of 1909 allowed separate Muslim electorates.
1909 Prevailing Religions, map of the British Indian Empire, 1909, showing the majority religions based on the Census of 1901
Hakim Ajmal Khan, a founder of the Muslim League, was to also become the president of the Indian National Congress in 1921.
Khudadad Khan, the first Indian to be awarded the Victoria Cross, hailed from Chakwal District, Punjab (present-day Pakistan)
Poster advertising a Congress non-co-operation "Public Meeting" and a "Bonfire of Foreign Clothes" in Bombay, early 1920s, and expressing support for the "Karachi Khilafat Conference"
Hindus and Muslims, with flags of Indian National Congress and the Muslim League, collecting clothes to be burnt as a part of the non-cooperation movement
Staff and students, National College, Lahore, founded in 1921 by Lala Lajpat Rai after the non-co-operation movement. Standing, fourth from right is Bhagat Singh.
British prime minister, Ramsay MacDonald, three places to the right of Gandhi (to the viewer's left) at the 2nd Round Table Conference. Samuel Hoare is two places to Gandhi's right. Foreground, fourth from left, is B. R. Ambedkar representing the "Depressed Classes"
A second-day cancellation of the series "Inauguration of New Delhi", 27 February 1931, commemorating the new city designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker