How ‘evil’ was the British Empire? Centuries of theft and destruction
A viral clip renews the headlined question for me. Jameela Jamil, a British actress of Pakistani and Indian descent, caused a public row in the UK for her interview last month on Yestergays, a pop culture podcast. She said: “Americans think British people are so sweet, which is crazy because British people are truly the most evil people in history. Like, they are Thanos. They owe 43 trillion to…
The British Empire is often questioned for its alleged "evil" actions throughout centuries. Jameela Jamil, a British actress of Pakistani and Indian descent, sparked controversy with her statement that "British people are truly the most evil people in history." Indian economist Utsa Patnaik also weighed in, calculating that Britain drained around US$45 trillion from India between 1765 and 1938.
British colonial rule in India, leading to the creation of Pakistan, was a result of reckless and violent partitioning of newly independent India. China under the Qing dynasty was also exploited during this time period. The British Empire is responsible for man-made famines, causing millions of deaths in India and Ireland. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Britain oversaw and contributed to dozens of famines, culminating in the 1943 Bengal famine that killed 2 million Indians.
The East India Company, which grew to become one of the world's pre-eminent trading firms, faced challenges with its income being booked in pounds sterling, making it incompatible with the Asian trade. Silver was the international currency, so the British used their ports to engage in the transatlantic slave trade and exchange pounds for Spanish silver. This led to the downfall of the Indian cotton and textile manufacturing industry and other economic consequences.
Britain's actions had far-reaching consequences, including the American Revolution and the eventual formation of a more powerful American empire. India and China were affected negatively, with India being impoverished, dispossessed, and its textile industry decimated. China, meanwhile, experienced a trade deficit and had its country dismembered, leading to a revolution.
While karma is a prevalent theme in history, the Americans rebelled and formed their own empire, while India has become a major power, and China now holds the second-largest economy in the world. The British Empire, on the other hand, faces different circumstances today.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
