Cultural Blending That Occurred When the British Colonized India

Cultural Blending That Occurred When the British Colonized India

Throughout the course of history, the British were known as the world's conquerors. This is because they established a series of colonies around the globe that supported the nation and its self-interest. During their occupation of India, there was focus on blending different cultures to create a unique society. (Bingham)

This transformed India from being a backward region to one that was able to improve its standard of living and make steps towards joining the modern world. The result is that a new social identify was developed. To fully understand the way that this occurred requires examining cultural blending, how it shaped their identity, if it was permanent, what caused it to change and if it was beneficial. These different factors will illustrate the way this occurred and the impact it had on India's development. (Bingham)

Description

The British first arrived in India in the early 1700s. In the beginning, a series of outposts were established by trading companies. The basic objectives were to gain access to and exploit the various natural resources of the region for their own benefit. Throughout the century, the East India Company became the most domineering. (Bingham)

They monopolized control of the region. This allowed them to manage vast amounts of land and resources. To protect their interests, they often relied on mercenaries and the British Army. (Bingham)

This model lasted until 1858. After this time, is when India became a direct colony of Great Britain. From the 1700s until its independence in 1948, is when cultural blending occurred throughout the course of many years. This transformed society and created a shift in attitudes. (Bingham) (Kasbekar)

Cultural blending is when different ideas, attitudes, customs, traditions and racial groups are integrated together. The basic idea is that a new way of life is developed by integrating various elements together. Over the course of time, this created a new class of individuals who were a combination of them. (Bingham) (Kasbekar)

Analysis

Cultural blending has shaped the identity of India by combining Western ideals and techniques with more traditional ones. This occurred in various aspects of daily. For instance, many Indian families began to dress in Western styles when they were interacting with others on a daily basis. While at the same time, they would wear Indian attire in the home. This is something that became very common. (Bingham) (Kasbekar)

In the world of art, both cultures were blended together to create a unique style. This involved using Indian ideas and influences of their culture. Then, taking some of the concepts which were popular in Great Britain and combining them together. The result is that both shaped the identity of India. (Bingham) (Kasbekar)

The identity is constantly changing. This is because these influences are shifting based upon which techniques and ideas are most popular with specific generations. Over the course of time, there will be times when Indian ideals are more dominant. While the Western influences will play a supporting role. However, there are other times when these roles are reversed. (Bingham) (Kasbekar)

The main causes for the shift in identity are from the importance of different cultural influences at select periods of time. For example, after independence there were contrasting features in every aspect of life which were more significant for the other. In business, many of the Western ideals and traditions were utilized in connecting with customers / stakeholders. This is because, these areas are considered to be the most socially acceptable in society. This crossed over and influenced how people dressed with more people wearing Western attire. (Bingham) (Kasbekar)

However, there are times when Indian traditions, language and attire will be worn in the home. This is because, these practices are considered to be the most important in this environment. The result is that these cultures are blended together with certain ones becoming more dominant at specific times. (Bingham) (Kasbekar)

These practices are beneficial, by providing a way for India to connect with the modern world. This is taking place through influencing their political system, social attitudes and norms. The result is that this helps India to be seen as country where foreign corporations can establish major operations to improve their bottom line results. This is because India has a highly educated workforce, it embraces Western customs / traditions and English is the predominant language. (Bingham) (Kasbekar)