why was india colonised?

Question

its a big country, so why did they get defeated

Answer 1

Greed. It is the same motive that is behind every invasion of a foreign nation, by any army, any where in the world.

Every foreign invader has come in to loot and plunder the local wealth both natural and material and take back home. These invaders have single handedly destroys most native civilizations of the Americas including the Mayans and Native Americans.


It is India that has managed to survive and thrive despite over 800 years of foreign rule, first by the Arabs and then the Europeans.

India being one of the richest nation of the world was always in the eyes of Western explorers, be it Columbus or Vasco de Gama, they all started out looking for its shores; such were the stories of its wealth.

Indians by then was all ready broken by years of foreign rules and invasions by the time the British sneaked in.

These invaders took advantage of local fragmentation and used superior war machinery and tactics to defeat jaded Indian forces, which were already broken down by years of foreign rule and lack of a strong local leadership who could bring all of India together. And that didn't happen until Mahatma Gandhi came into the scene and single handedly threw the British out of India. Though peacefully.

Small states were always involved in local skirmishes and the British utilized the weakness by using them against one another and gradually captured the entire land.

Though as Nature would have it, the very disease of greed is now set to destroy most of western civilization, from within, if not conquered fast from within.

And ironically it is once again looking toward the East to cure the disease.

We seldom realize that contentment if not found at home can never be found any where else in the world. Not even outer space. We hope to colonize the Moon and the Mars someday soon, hoping that at least then we would be able to live in peace, but we forget so easily that true contentment can never to be found in more, but only in less, in letting go and not in grabbing more and more. And true contentment comes not from the land outside but from the universe within.

Answer 2

They were not a united country, just a large domain of small kingdoms or Rajes (I think that's the plural of "Raj"). India was colonized for trade purposes so the Britain could have access to the resources. It was accomplished by the East India Company who were granted the monopoly on trade with India by the Crown. It became a British Colony under Queen Victoria.
The means of conquest was to ally themselves with one or another of the Rajahs at a time and offer them support against their enemies.
I believe the British Army was there to supporrt the East India Company, but it was not an organized invasion.

Answer 3

People in India lacked unity and foresight at that point of time. They promoted the British East India company to serve their own selfish ends.

Answer 4

Great Britain need not to colonize India because India is already a colonized country.

Answer 5

because the british loved to stick their noses into places it didnt belong. the whole world was colonized in a lust for power. india happened to be one of those places.

Answer 6

England is an Island and, they need'ed a place to raise cattle.

Answer 7

India was devided in small kingdoms and they were fighting each other.

Answer 8

for money. superior technology and methods of warfare

Answer 9

same reason half the world as we know it was - us europeans wouldn't stay home...

Answer 10

because they were weak!