Imperialism - Effects of British Imperialism on India

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Effects of British Imperialism on India
Positive Effects	Negative Effects
The British built the world’s third largest railroad network in India Railroads and telegraphs united the subcontinent   The British developed a modern road network and built dams and irrigation canals  Sanitation and public health improved	The British restricted Indian-owned industries such as cotton textiles  The British emphasis on cash crops resulted in a loss of self-sufficiency for many villagers  Famines increased as cash crops reduced food production  Indians faced discrimination from the British in their own land

Ultimately, the British wanted India’s resources for its factories.  Indian resources were exported to Great Britain and converted into manufactured goods that were sold throughout the world.  Of course, manufactured goods were more profitable than raw materials.  As such, India exported cheaper resources and was forced to import expensive manufactured goods. By not allowing Indian industries to compete, the subcontinent experienced great poverty.  The Indian people suffered as India became an exporter of cash crops and an importer of more expensive finished goods. As Mohandas Gandhi, one of the leaders of India’s independence movement, once said, “The industrialized countries of the West were exploiting other nations. India is herself an exploited country.

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