The British Colonization of India Explained

For centuries, the Indian subcontinent—encompassing modern India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh—stood among the world’s most prosperous regions, thanks to fertile river systems (like the Ganges) and a booming spice trade. Yet following two centuries of British dominion, India emerged as one of the globe’s most impoverished nations. How did this transformation happen?

Initially, Europeans, especially the Portuguese, Dutch, and later the British, arrived as traders, lured by Asia’s superior spices and textiles. The English East India Company (an exclusive trading corporation) established strategic posts, aiming purely for commerce rather than governance. Over time, however, as India’s preeminent Mughal Empire weakened due to constant expansion, rebellions, and conflict, the Company exploited the situation, acquiring the right to collect local taxes. Controlling tax revenue granted them unparalleled influence over regional rulers.

This “corporate conquest” channeled enormous wealth from India to Britain. Rigorous taxation practices forced farmers to grow cash crops like indigo or opium instead of food, leading to recurring famines. Traditional Indian industries—textiles, steelmaking, and shipbuilding—were systematically dismantled through punitive levies and restrictive regulations. These steps accelerated Britain’s own mechanized production, fueling the Industrial Revolution while deindustrializing India.

Eventually, after uprisings such as the 1857 revolt, the British Crown assumed direct administration under the British Raj. The newly formed Indian Civil Service (predominantly British personnel) governed with a core objective: extracting revenue. Divide-and-rule tactics set different religious and social groups against each other, preventing unified resistance. Educational pathways and social structures were re-engineered to favor British interests and keep Indians disempowered.

By the late 19th century, India had been transformed into a vast source of raw materials and cheap labor for British factories, with economic policies and cultural re-education firmly entrenching colonial power. This legacy of wealth drain and societal division cast long shadows, shaping India’s modern history and contributing to its enduring struggles with poverty and social discord.

Credits
- Research: Mrs Scope
- Audio: Seb. Soto
- Writing, voice over, and animation: Avery from History Scope

Social Media

Sources:
S. Tharoor (2016) Inglorious Empire. C Hurst & Co. London
A. von Tunzelmann (2007) Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire. Simon & Schuster. New York.

[luisfilipe]

I love how this channel actually explains how things work and why they happen instead of just saying “this happened then this happened then this happened” like so many other historical educators. You make history come alive and make people genuinely interested and capable in understanding it

[Nthsey]

Uploading this at an Indian-friendly time just made me, an American watching this at 1 am, respect History Scope a whole lot more!

[smalachit]

What I learned:

1.The British Government was the worst.
2. Overly complicated bureaucracy is done on purpose to make things impossible for the common person and I hate those paper pushing madmen even more now.

[porg]

Correction: The Portuguese first landed in the city state Kozhikode, Mumbai hadn't been founded at that time

[SeekHistory]

India: ‘Hey, we’re doing great!’
East India Company: ‘Would be a shame if... someone introduced exploitative taxation and famines!

[joseluis]

This is why I get so mad when people blame countries that are former colonies for being poor and unable to prosper. It will take several more decades if not centuries to recover

[pdruiz]

At 22:19. And the biggest shareholder in London was the British government. So the British government used these huge profits from its shares in the English East India Company to build up the Royal Navy and pay all the armies that conquered Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Africa. So all that Indian taxpayer money was used to build up the British Empire. That’s why British people in the UK were happy or indifferent with the empire—they weren’t paying for almost any of it with higher taxes. The Indians were.

[Eugene-tmfm]

Last time I was this early the East India Company still ruled India

[stonedtowel]

In the middle of my 12 hour shift and I get an almost hour long historical video. Sensational.

[Lotsoftrains]

And yet British people don't teach this at all in school about all the exploitation and famines - at least Germany bothers to teach their children about the Holocaust - Britain doesn't the balls to look in the mirror

[sharduljadhav]

I am Indian 🇮🇳.
This video is very informative and explain the topic for whole world in very easy and clear words.
Nice work 😁.

[Owlinabowl]

Speaking as somebody who is actually from Mombasa, I was always under the impression that we were a city on the equatorial coast of East Africa that was under the rule of the Omani Sultanate in the 15th Century. But if History Scope says we were actually a predominately Hindu port on the Western Coast of the Indian subcontinent well, hey, what do I know? :)

[Chiricuazo]

India being colonized TRIPS ME OUT, being from descendants of Mexico and learning about Spanish Colonization, India almost never gets brought up, just like the Philippines. Ive always been interested in visiting India/Philippines because I want to see if the similarities and effects left by Spaniard and English Colonization, plus the women are gorgeous.

[I-am-fine-guess]

Not gonna lie todays indian civil services is almost same as 1900s british raj's civil service

[subhamdas]

Ngl Even though I already knew most of the things mentioned in this video, hearing them again about how the British completely destroyed and deindustrualised India makes my blood boil.
The effect of the flawed bureaucracy that focusses more on paper work than actual work is still present in the current Indian Administrative Services.

[sobrevalorado]

AND remember, the British only leave when they have assured a civil war will break out the morning after. India, Cyprus, Ireland, Palestine...

[sahiblindberg]

This is why Brits are called genious when it comes to governing. The way the Empire was able to slowly force India under its thumb was just devious. China is using the same debt trap strategy now in Africa, but this is so much more impressive. China is huge and Africa has always been underdeveloped, whereas the population size of the UK was only a fraction of India's and the subcontinent was also well known as one of the world's great civilizations. Yet still they were conquered by few dudes with bad teeth and red hair

[sirenloud]

😂 thank God I'm Mexican we already have good spices here😂

[lUnknovvn]

In a nutshell: The ottoman embargo on europe fked the whole world 😂

[rikadomez]

With all the details revealed in this video, it is unthinkable how could anyone still think that the British gave India "civilization" as if India was a land of lawlessness and barbaric society.