Tamzid Hasan

Why England Is Rich Today and What It Took from the Indian Subcontinent

England’s historical wealth roots go deep into the colonial era — especially the period of British rule in the Indian subcontinent. They rule Indian subcontinent for 200 years(1757-1947) .They went that subcontinent for business and commerce and took they power by defeating the last independent king of Bangla(Indian subcontinent) named Sirajuddaula. Between the mid-18th century and 1947, the British systematically extracted wealth from India and the broader subcontinent. After the Battle of Plassey in 1757, the British East India Company began extracting massive wealth from Indian rulers, including gold, silver, and other valuables. Economist Dadabhai Naoroji estimated that billions of pounds (in today's value) were drained annually from India to Britain without any equivalent return. They also made exploitation of Agriculture. Indian farmers were forced to grow indigo, cotton, tea, and opium instead of food crops, leading to famines. Systems like the Zamindari system imposed heavy taxes, causing widespread poverty and landlessness. There was Human Exploitation also. Millions of Indians were shipped as indentured laborers to British colonies in the Caribbean, Africa, and Southeast Asia under harsh conditions.