What was the pretext and instigation for Britain's colonization of India?

Question

I'm doing a research paper on the subject of British rule in India and how it came about. Did Britain fabricate an excuse to impose itself militarily on India and colonize her?

Answer 1

Initially, they wanted to protect the tea plantations, owned by the British aristocracy.

Answer 2

India in those days was not a unified country. There were thousands of kingdoms, rulers etc., but this region was WEALTHY. India was considered the wealthiest region in those days. So, thats the reason British came to India as businessmen and started the East India trading company.. to do business with the kings, but when they realized these kings were not united, they decided to divide and rule. The diamond on Queen Elizabeth's crown, called the Kohinoor was found in India by a farmer who didn't know its worth. British were the ones who unified all these kingdoms and called it India. The religion in modern India had no name either, cuz Hinduism is considered the oldest religion. The word Hindu was given by the Muslim rulers who invaded modern India a long time ago. They called the land after the Indus river as the land of the Hindus.

Also, there were many travellers like Christopher Columbus, Magellan & Americo Vespucci who wanted to find this region, which is now called India. Columbus found America and thought it was India, so that is how the native americans were called Indians or red-indians. But it Americo vespucci who said this land wasn't India, but a totally different place and this land got its name after his name - America.