Rise of New Social Classes in British India
The class formation in India took place as a result of the creation of a new economy in British India. This was reflected in the agriculture sector, in the form of introduction of private property in land, new revenue system and the increasing commercialization of agriculture which was a consequence of Agrarian Reforms introduced after independence.
The other spheres of this new economy were the growth of trade and commerce, extension of industrial enterprises and the development of State and administrative systems. System added to all this modern education was the other important social force which shaped the new classes in India.
Factors leading to emergence of new classes
The altering of the economic arrangement like introduction of new land relations, opening of Indian society for commercial exploitation by the capitalist’s world, introduction of a new administrative arrangement, a modem education system and the establishment of modern industries were the factors largely responsible for the emergence of the new social classes. The creation of private property in land by the permanent and Ryotwari settlements gave birth to the new classes in the form of large estate owners, the zamindars and peasant proprietors. The class of tenants and sub-tenants were born with the creation of the right to lease land. The right to private property in land and the right to employ labourers to work on land created classes like absentee landlords and agricultural labour. There also emerged a class of moneylenders.
The opening of a new economy for market forces also gave birth to new classes. Under British rule the production, both industrial and agricultural, became the market. This created an opportunity for people whose role was to import and export goods from and into India. These people came to be known as merchants. Even in Pre-British India there existed the class of merchants because both internal and foreign trade had existed but it was very small in scale and volume. This class did not carry enough weight in society. The accumulation of profit in hands of the trading class, a section of zamindar and the weather among the professional classes formed the capital for the rise of textiles, mining and other industries owned by Indians. This led to the emergence of the native capitalist class. Thus completely new classes appeared; one, the industrial capitalist who owned the mills, mines and other capitalist enterprises; two, workers who worked in factories, mines, railways and on plantations.
The new social, economic and state system introduced by the British needed a class of Indians having acquired modem education in professional fields like law, technologies, medicines, economics, etc. The introduction of the modern education system all over the country was done with this objective in mind. This ever-expanding class of professionals was the creation of the new socio-economic and administrative arrangement. This professional class was absent in pre-British India. These professional classes had acquired modem knowledge in the fields of science and arts. The legal system introduced by the British provided opportunities to those who studied law. Those who studied medicine were absorbed in government hospitals and medical colleges.
The emergence of social classes in British India was the direct consequence of the establishment according to the following point.
Change in Agriculture:
The emergence of classes is the direct result of British rule in India. The production relation in rural India underwent transformation in the British period resulting in the emergence of new classes due to introduction of private property, right over land, and making crops a commodity. The private property in the form of Zamindari and Ryotwari system was recognized and as a result two new classes, the Zamindars and the peasant proprietors, came into existence.
The British appointed a Zamindar with the specific right to get commission on the land revenue to be collected for the British. A new form of local power structure emerged with these Zamindars at the top. Below the Zamindar were the raiyats (Proprietary Cultivators) and the landless labourers.
Trade and Commerce:
Trade and commerce were centered on two things. Supply of raw material for industries in Britain was one. Procuring British manufactured goods for consumption in India was another. The latter had a disastrous effect on town and village handicrafts. Village and town handicrafts could not stand the competition brought about by import of goods from Britain and got disintegrated. Meanwhile there was a lack of sufficient industrial development. The result was that the emerging industry could not absorb the displaced population which eventually was a burden on an already stagnate agriculture.
Development of Railways and Industry:
Alongside the growth of trade and commerce, there was rapid development of the transport system in India. The railways expanded on an increasing scale from the middle of the 19th century. These developments were undertaken with a view to meet the raw material requirements of industries in Britain.
The construction of railways and roads also gave scope for investment of British capital in India. It led to better mobility of troops and establishment of law and order. Investment of British capital found an outlet initially in such spheres as plantations (indigo, tea), cotton, jute, and mining industries. This was the beginning of the industrialization process in India. By then, there was accumulation of sufficient savings on the part of Indian traders and merchants. This served as capital and made possible the creation of Indian owned industries.
Western Education:
The western education introduced by the British helped the Indian middle class to get English education. Because of modern education. The introduction of the English language helped India unite. English education divided India in two groups, one loyal to English and other not loyal to the British. By this education a new middle class. English educated social groups came into existence, which were not loyal to the British. They prepared a platform for the national movement. This class used English education to create awareness among Indians. On the other hand, a high class English educated group was loyal to the British. They joined either British services or were directly related to the ruling system. Similarly, Zamindars and princes were loyal to the British.
New Social Economy:
Economical changes also dragged people from their old traditional village professions to urban industrial labouring. Apart from high and middle class another class was of the people who were exploited by British or even Indians. They did not get the benefits of British policy and were exploited by the Zamindars. So, it can be said that the British new education system, economic development, the administrative reforms and social policy changes created a class society.
State and Administrative System:
Even before these developments, the British Government had organised a huge and extensive state machinery to administer the conquered territory. A large number of educated individuals were required to staff this machinery. It was not possible to secure the staff of educated people from Britain for running such huge administrative machinery. Therefore, the foreign rulers felt that there was a need for the introduction of Western education in India and to cater to the needs of the expanding economy and growing State machinery. As a consequence of the impact of British rule in India, the Indian society experienced an uneven growth of social classes.
Besides Zamindars and Jagirdars etc, there were also classes of administrative officers of various ranks, of merchants, artisans and specialists of various kinds. The colonial rule in India proved to be a turning point in Indian history. It introduced new elements which led to some radical changes in Indian society.
The process of the rise of new social classes was an uneven one. It did not develop uniformly in different parts of the country and also among various communities. This was due to the fact that the social forces which developed during the British rule spread both in time and tempo unevenly.
This was in turn, dependent on the growth of political power in India. For example, it was in Bengal that two social classes, Zamindars and tenants, came into existence. Again it was in Bengal and Bombay that the first industrial enterprises started. This led to the emergence of the class of industrialists and workers in this region. It was for this reason that the British established a complex administrative system and introduced modern education first in Bengal and then in Bombay.
The process of the rise of new social classes among different communities was also uneven. This was due to the fact that certain communities were already engaged in definite economic, social or educational vocations in the pre-British period. For example, Baniyas were traders by vocation in our traditional social structure. Hence they were the first to take up modern commerce, banking and industrial enterprises.
Similarly, Brahmins were the first to take up modern education and enter the professional classes. These communities took up the new challenges and entered these spheres of activity because they were already having the basic disposition towards these occupations. Thus, on the eve of independence we find that Indian social structure was made up of innumerable castes and classes. In some cases, these coincided with each other but in some they did not.
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