The British control of India began with the British East India Company in 1757 after the Battle of Plassey in the Bengali region, current day Bangladesh. The company was established in 1600 as a joint stock company. The company usually dealt with trading in spices in South Asia which made India a prime target for the company's private military. After many conquests over Indian territory, the Company had almost complete dominance over the subcontinent. The territories that were not controlled by the company were called princely or native states that were in a unbalanced alliance where the princely state still had authority to rule, but had no control over diplomacy, economics, or military.
In 1848, the company created a doctrine by the name of The Doctrine of Lapse which lasted until 1856. The doctrine stated that the company could annex the land of any princely state whose ruler died without an heir which did not include children who were adopted close to the ruler's death despite Hindu law of allowing adopted children to become heirs to the throne. This caused there to be many feudal lords without any remaining authority which would become a large factor in the India rebellion of 1857 as well as the tensions caused by the caste and religious differences of the recruited Indian soldiers.
The British treatment towards the native Indians could be more or less quantified as indifferent. The British cared not for the caste distinctions when conscripting soldiers nor did the British take into account religious differences. As exemplified by the doctrine of Lapse, the British also did not take into account the local customs of the people. The British also used a type of indentured servitude to send Indians over to the Caribbean, mostly to the Island of Trinidad, where most were never able to go back to India.
After the rebellion, the British Crown dissolved the British East India Company, took all of it's assets which included the Indian territories, and assumed all of the roles the Company took in India. Under the control of the British monarchy, India experienced rapid industrialization with the building of canals, railways, bridges, etc. India also experienced more efficient trade under where Indian goods like cotton were exported to Great Britain and finish goods were exported to India.
In 1848, the company created a doctrine by the name of The Doctrine of Lapse which lasted until 1856. The doctrine stated that the company could annex the land of any princely state whose ruler died without an heir which did not include children who were adopted close to the ruler's death despite Hindu law of allowing adopted children to become heirs to the throne. This caused there to be many feudal lords without any remaining authority which would become a large factor in the India rebellion of 1857 as well as the tensions caused by the caste and religious differences of the recruited Indian soldiers.
The British treatment towards the native Indians could be more or less quantified as indifferent. The British cared not for the caste distinctions when conscripting soldiers nor did the British take into account religious differences. As exemplified by the doctrine of Lapse, the British also did not take into account the local customs of the people. The British also used a type of indentured servitude to send Indians over to the Caribbean, mostly to the Island of Trinidad, where most were never able to go back to India.
After the rebellion, the British Crown dissolved the British East India Company, took all of it's assets which included the Indian territories, and assumed all of the roles the Company took in India. Under the control of the British monarchy, India experienced rapid industrialization with the building of canals, railways, bridges, etc. India also experienced more efficient trade under where Indian goods like cotton were exported to Great Britain and finish goods were exported to India.