After 1858, Great Britain ruled India formally as a colony without the veil of the Company or the Mughal crown. Both the English East India Company and the Mughal Empire came officially to an end. The British Raj—Hindi for “rule” or “reign”—in India would last another 90 years. 

 
Queen Victoria became the Empress of India and in her Proclamation of 1858, she announced that all Indians would be treated equally under British law regardless of race or religion. Failure of the Raj to live up to her promises would later become fodder for Indian national movements. The stark contrast between British wealth and Indian poverty continued. In 1877, the year Queen Victoria lavishly celebrated her title as Empress of India, famine killed approximately 4 million Indians.

The British Colonization of India had many effects on these beliefs. These effects ranged from a different use of the Caste System and how it was practiced, or, on a larger scale where many Hindus converted due to the many circumstances surrounding the conversion. The British Raj lasted from 1848 to 1947, however the effects of the colonization deeply impacted Hinduism. 

(a)Impact on Caste System 
-The British rule of India truly first impacted the Caste System when many British working for the British East India Trading Company started to assimilate into the native Indian society. This process also known as sankritization where people of a lower class emulate the behaviours of an upper class in order to assimilate. 

-The Hindu tradition in this instance was forever changed because now the Caste System which was a traditional and vital part of the culture was swiftly changed by the British by reasons of economic and political power. The British however thought of themselves in a higher manner than that of even their native Kshatriyas. Traditionally however, the Brahmin who were the highest class in the caste typically, were held in a lower regard than the Kshatriyas because the British valued royalty over the actual religious and cultural aspects of the Caste System. 
 
 

-In the case of the British, they married women regardless of class further disrupting the traditional Caste. The lack of the regard of the Hindu tradition is evident since “one’s obligation regarding one’s position in society, that is, class, and obligation to one’s stage of life. This model of living in this Hindu model is commonly referred to as varnasrama-dharma, which under traditional Hindus is the essential way to live.

-The British colonization of the Indian Hindu culture abruptly stopped the pure tradition which happened daily. Another effect of said colonization by the British had an unexpected positive by-product. 

 

-A rather new, modern Hindu movement is the women’s voice within the Hindu culture is finally being heard to reach equality on that level. Many have felt that Hinduism is inherently patriarchal although not lacking female gods, because of their typically passive and nurturing characteristics. 

 

-However, in the time of early British rule in India, when the British men married native women they treated them with respect as well as considering their children and marriages legitimate although they were native. The British men with these wives and children would go as far as to leave their property and possessions to their native spouses and children. Women were held in regard in Hinduism in terms of motherhood, giving birth, and many other aspects, however these early British workers simply sped up the process for women to be more equal to men. The British Colonization of India was mostly negative to the traditional way of Hindu living, however there is an indirect positive which was the reinforcement of having respect for women.

Traditional clothing in India greatly varies across different parts of the country and is influenced by local culture, geography, climate and urban settings. Popular styles of dress include draped garments such as sari for women and dhoti, lungi or panche for men. Stitched clothes are also popular such as churidar or salwar-kameez for women, with dupatta (long scarf) thrown over shoulder completing the outfit. Salwar is often loose fitting, while churidar is a tighter cut 

In Hinduism, the cow is regarded as a symbol of ahimsa (non-violence), mother goddess and bringer of good fortune and wealth. For this reason, cows are revered in Hindu culture and feeding a cow is seen as an act of worship. Therefore beef remains a taboo food in mainstream Hindu and Jain society. 

Even now, cow remains a divisive and controversial topic in India. Several states of India have passed laws to protect cows, while many states have no restrictions on the production and consumption of beef.

The means of transport in India at that time were bullock carts, camels and pack animals. England on the other hand needed railways that connected the raw material producing areas with the exporting ports and to facilitate the movement of British goods to different parts of the country as well as bring raw materials to the ports. The vast network of railways that you witness today was pioneered during the latter half of the 19th century. 

This opened avenue for British bankers and investors to invest surplus wealth and material in the construction of railways. Railways benefited the British capitalists in two important ways. 

(a)    First, it made trading in commodities much easier and profitable by connecting the internal markets with the ports. 

(b)   Secondly, the rail engines, coaches and the capital input for building of rail lines came from Britain. The British capitalists who invested in railways were also guaranteed a minimum profit of 5% by the government. These companies were also given free land with a lease of 99 years. 
 
 

Although the railways were set up for the advantage of British trade, they also played an important role in the national awakening of the country. Though the British had never anticipated, the extensive transport network and improved education brought people and ideas closer. During British rule, India took ideas of liberty, equality, human rights, science and technology from the West. This accelerated the process of modernisation. Now we will read about the impact of modern idea on Indian society.