07-05-2020, 04:58 PM
There was a time when the British Empire was the world's largest empire - covering around one-quarter of the world's land area, and around one-quarter of the world's population. One of the largest Imperial possessions - and by far the most populous - was the British Raj in India, which existed from 1858 until 1947. But, how would history be different if Britain had never conquered India?
Here's Cody from AlternateHistoryHub, to offer his views:
The video is 11 minutes long, but here's a summary of his main points:
Anyway, what do you think would have happened?
Here's Cody from AlternateHistoryHub, to offer his views:
The video is 11 minutes long, but here's a summary of his main points:
- To get this out of the way: it's possible that another European power would have conquered India in Britain's place (for example, France and Portugal both had small colonies on the Indian sub-continent). However, for the purposes of this video, Cody is assuming that this doesn't happen - and any European colonies that are formed there remain small and isolated.
- The Mughal Empire still falls around the turn of the 18th Century, and is still replaced by the Maratha Empire. However, the Maratha Empire no longer falls to the British in the mid-19th century - so, it might last a bit longer (perhaps into the 20th century). However, once this empire collapses (which it likely would after the death of one if its great leaders), India would probably become fragmented. In the absence of a powerful common enemy (i.e. the British), the single unified national identity of "Indian-ness" simply doesn't develop - and the subcontinent's numerous ethnic, cultural and linguistic groups remain divided among separate states.
- However, there might still be some pan-Indian entity that develops over time. It might not be a country, in the way that India exists today: instead, it could be a multi-national confederation or alliance, or perhaps an Indian version of the EU. This might strengthen once some other common enemy (such as China) emerges: the various Indian states would seek co-operation against their mutual enemy.
- Economically, India would look quite different from Europe. Countries like Britain industralised so early because they had an abundance of coal, in addition to a low population and high wages - which factory owners would seek to avoid by replacing their workers with machines. India, by contrast, wouldn't industrialise as quickly: with its high population and low wages, it simply wouldn't have faced the same economic pressures to industrialise. However, it would have been considerably wealthier than in OTL: it would still have its spices and textiles to sell around the world, and the profits would go to Indian rulers and merchants - rather than to any European colonial overlords.
- As for Britain... without India in its empire, it can still buy goods and resources from them. However, it doesn't get to keep the profits - which means, it has less money to invest in wars and empire-building. Perhaps Britain never even has an empire; perhaps World War I never happens; and perhaps the Germans win... but, those are matters for another thread .
Anyway, what do you think would have happened?
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