British Empire in India and the struggle for every Indian to achieve its own identity through Independence has perhaps been the most talked-about concept in modern history and in the present era of globalisation. Indeed, staying lavishly in the modern cosmopolitan Indian society, it is always hard to comprehend the then pre-independent Indian society, with no such thing as to call one`s own and no trace of modernity touching any household. British rule in India had tenaciously tolerated for 200 prolonged years, with their everlasting impression been forever etched upon the succeeding Indian citizens. Impact of British rule in India, in this context, is one that had perhaps emerged forth right from the 16th century, when British missionaries had sailed to eastern soil to spread Christianity, much before the East India Company. Although, all is not bad and even worse for the British impact upon India. There always exists a bright side to every dark silhouette; hence, impact of British rule upon India and Indians both constitutes superior and appalling elements, still in use in present times.

However, British invasion on India was not the first of its kind; India has prior to British arrival, been host to pellets of ruthless foreign invasions. During its last 5000 years, the country has been invaded by Aryans, Greeks, Huns, nomadics from central Asia, Muslims and European Christians. All the former invaders slowly but surely got assimilated within the Hindu and Muslim dominated Indian society. As can be conceivable, they just did not come single-handedly; these invaders also brought along with them their language, culture, architecture and food habits. They, in turn, became `Indianised` in good time. The British, in this regard, were the last to arrive in the European `take over sport `. However, when it came to speaking of the `power game`, it undoubtedly was the British and their East India Company, who completely captured Indian power and people. They surreptitiously and smoothly expanded their empire with the competent aid of Indian soldiers. Indians however had joined the East India company army solely for the reason that they received salary on the first day of every month, very much unlike the Indian emperors and their system of reign. As such, impact of British rule in India already had begun to do its work, with the very first Christian missionaries arriving to India, with the intention to turn a majority of population into Christians. They tried to cast Christianity in the light of a superior religion and with economic inducements convinced the poor Indians into Christianity.

The very foremost impact of British rule on India was the religious impact, as was established by the missionaries and their establishment of churches in every possible corner of the country. In this regard, the port cities like Calcutta, Bombay and Madras gained sufficient importance, due to their accessibility for navigational purposes. They were later turned into the three cardinal Presidency towns. The ardent attempt of British Christians to turn several bunch of Indians into a complete alien religion was successful, though only in parts. Some had gladly accepted it, in fear of inviting the wrath of the Company, while others had turned hostile, in turn giving rise to oft collisions and difference of opinion. The British rule lasted 200 years and their primary philosophy was to oppose `Indianisation`, yet assimilate themselves into one out-and-out Indian society. Initially, during the 18th century, they walked the native way and branded themselves as nawabs. They dressed like Indians, consumed Indian food and married Indian women and lived in Indian-styled houses. As such, the socio-cultural impact of British rule upon India was also another profound impression that had lasted throughout their rule, never for once losing their significant status. From every field of living, be it in education, art, architecture, painting, literature, poetry, drama, novels or even Indian religion and philosophy, the whole Indian set-up had suffered a gradual metamorphosis, still making its mark in society.

After the abolition and termination of the East India Company rule, they chose to erect Europeanised cantonments far from the `overcrowded` Indian cities or villages. Here they dwelled in spacious British bungalows in splendid segregation and the local `whites only` gymkhana clubs became their cultural nerve-centres. Even braving this tropical humid climate, the colonialists struck to European mode of dressing during the early 20th century. They however went out of their way as much to learn the Hindi language, which was often satisfactorily presentable for their servants and cooks.

The conventional and ordinary Indian society however respected and dreaded the `white` rulers. British aristocrats travelled throughout India in separate "Europeans only" first-class railway carriages. They had for themselves segregated waiting rooms in most of the major railway stations. They also came to establish elite schools for their children. In most of the theatre halls, the balcony was earmarked for the whites and the local maharaja. Their significant passionate pastime during late 19th and early 20th centuries appears to be hunting animals and birds in Indian jungles. As such, the population of tigers, lions and elephants slumped down because of indiscriminate hunting. Impact of British rule in India however, not only restricted to spheres like these being noted above, the economic impact was yet another domain, which practically had drained out the native populace, creating a forever draught in 1947. The chief aim of these settlers was to make India an agrarian country that would supply an industrialised England. As such, the Indian farmers suffered with their land revenue, most of which were ruthlessly being seized by the hyperbolic zamindar class. Each passing year further tightened the economy, making Indians go insane to the nerve; Indian local-manufactured products were sold in tremendously cheap rates in Britain, making the native money-making policy even harder, with the graph running penniless. The world-over societal degradation also had spilled in India, like the First World War or the Great Depression of the 1930s. The situation had become so very dire that there could not be found any out of such an entangled mess.

Amidst all these alarming states and conditions, the imperial rule were compassionate enough to introduce European education in India. This ground-breaking impact of British rule in India truly has benefited India in the long run, carving a out a prestigious position of India in the world map. Knowledge of English was essential to earn a job in the British bureaucracy, in the British trading firms and of course in the British Army in the officer`s level. Many dignified concepts like `parliamentary democracy`, the `European scientific ideas`, `industrialisation` and `liberal human philosophy` permeated into the Indian brain. They had even travelled a step further to introduce the system of railways in a chain method, with the whole of the country staying witness to placing of railways tracks, railway platforms and railway carriages. Indeed India`s railways, postal services, legal and judicial systems and other government-based services have all been derived primarily from the British administration. British rule virtually had helped unify India, which till then was quite fragmentary.

The `in-built` inferiority complex was the characteristic trademark of the mass of the native population, till Mahatma Gandhi arrived onto the scene. Most of the people in an almost reflexive manner started to revere a white man or a woman, looked upon them as a race in equalising terms. The bulk of Indian students who set sail to England for higher studies were at first profoundly shocked in seeing white men and women performing lowly jobs in England. Hence, in spite of such harsh impacts of British rule upon India, they did still try to maintain equilibrium.