British Raj

The British Raj refers to the period of British rule over the Indian subcontinent from 1858 to 1947. It began after the Indian Rebellion of 1857, when the British government took direct control of India from the British East India Company. The Raj sought to modernize India with infrastructure and education but was marked by economic exploitation, cultural imposition, and significant social unrest. Independence movements grew, leading to the end of British rule and the partition of India into two independent nations, India and Pakistan, in 1947. The British Raj significantly shaped India's history and identity.