Putting India into perspective

Other British colonies

When you discuss the topic of India and Indian independence, you can also consider comparing India with other former colonies of the British Empire.

Australia

One example is Australia, which went through a colonial period from 1788 to 1901. Unlike India, Australia did not have a very large indigenous population and had large areas of uninhabited land. As a result, the British found it easy to settle there, starting with a penal colony in 1788. The penal colony meant that most of the British sent there were convicts. By the 1850s, several colonial settlements had been established.

The aboriginals in Australia were decimated by diseases brought by Europeans. Furthermore, because they were unable to match the Europeans and their weapons in a fight, they often chose to withdraw from the path of the colonies. Unlike in India, where violence and diplomatic scheming were necessary to rule, Australia was established by completely ignoring the Aboriginals. No treat...