The Architecture of British India and Its Impact on Civilisation

This essay provides a detailed analysis of the architecture of British India and its significant impact on the development and civilisation of India. It discusses how British architectural landmarks, such as the Rashtrapati Bhavan and Victoria Memorial, were instrumental in establishing a modern, civilised India during the colonial era. The essay delves into the historical context, highlighting the economic and infrastructural developments, such as the railway system, that accompanied the architectural projects. It also explores the evolution of architectural styles, the influence of Western culture, and the shift from ancient to modern architectural practices. Furthermore, the essay examines the debates surrounding the impact of British rule, addressing both the positive contributions to modernization and the potential displacement of ancient traditions. The essay concludes by emphasizing the lasting legacy of British architecture in India, recognizing its role in shaping the country's cultural heritage and attracting tourism.

Running head: ARCHITECTURE
Architecture
Name of Student
Name of University
Author Note

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The essay focuses on the architecture of British India that helped in representing and
promoting civilised influence in the country. The essay discusses the impact of the
architectural landmarks in developing India as a civilised country in the world. The history
behind the British rule in the development of architecture in India is also discussed in the
report. During the colonisation of the countries, people from Britain built upon the richness of
the countries. The architectural establishments helped the British people to establish a firm
foothold in the colonised countries and ensure that modernity is spread in the countries (Jia et
al. 2014). The birth of a new and modern India can be attributed due to the introduction of
British rule in India.
The development of modern architecture in India is largely due to the existence of
cultural expression and identity of the Western forms. According to Anderson (2013), the
reason for colonisation was the development of architectural buildings in order to improve
cultural hegemony. Moreover, the expansion of Western culture during did not contribute to
the expansion of the architectural culture of the British people but also helped in adopting the
cultures of the colonised countries. Thus the development of architectural culture in Britain
and India has helped in improving the civilised culture within India. In the light of this
statement, it can be said that the emergence of British rule in India has had many positive
impacts in the development of India. The British wanted to colonise India due to the
existence of the richness of the country. The rule continued from 1858 till 1947 during which
time most of the modern architectural landmarks were developed. Ching (2014) stated that
apart from architectural development, the country was also developed economically.
Economic trends such as the development of industries, railways and policies also resulted
due to the existence of British rule in India. The development of railways is considered to be
one of the best architectural projects in the country.

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This is mainly because of the fact that the railways helped in the development of
communication from one part of the country to another. The construction of railways also
paved way for building the modern architectural buildings as it became easier to shift
materials from one part of the country to another. According to Schmidt et al. (2013), the
development of architectural buildings started from the ancient periods during the time of the
rise of dynasties in the country. The development of architectural buildings such as the Stupa
of Sanchi or the Pillar of Ashoka proved to be significant landmarks in the country. With the
coming of the Mughals, India was enriched with the development of the Taj Mahal that is
considered as one Seven Wonders of the World. These places attracted the interests of the
British and paved way for the age of colonisation. Smith (2014) stated that the ultimate
contribution in the field of architectural development came into existence from the British
rule. In order to ensure that the spread of culture is maintained, the British people managed to
overthrow the constructions of the Maratha and Sikhs and construct buildings that emerged as
the architectural heritage of the country.
These architectural heritages helped in the development of civilisation in India. For
example, the construction of the Rashtrapati Bhavan is considered as one of the finest
buildings in India. Originally the building was constructed in order to house the Viceroy of
India. During the colonial days, the Viceroy was considered as a person holding prominent
power and position (Kelly 2015). Hence, the base of operations in terms of taking decisions
was conducted from the building. In the modern era, this building is used by the President of
India in order to conduct political meetings for the country. Apart from the Rashtrapati
Bhavan, the construction of courthouses and other buildings related to the political aspects of
the country have been constructed during the British rule. Places such as Victoria Memorial
are another architectural site that was constructed by the British in order to commemorate
Queen Victoria. Hence, according to Brittain-Catlin (2017), the architectural sites that had

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been constructed by the British serve the purpose of fulfilling the main requirements of the
country during colonisation. Nevertheless, it has helped in improving the civilisation of India
and has brought about modernisation in the country. As of today, these sites are considered as
ancient heritage sites of the country and are useful for attracting tourists. The attraction of
tourist is a way of increasing the economy of the country as well as improves upon the
culture of the country.
Shukla and Misra (2016) observed that the idea of modern architecture in India is
most difficult to understand as there exists no clue about the development of architecture. As
stated earlier, the development of architectural richness in the country started from ancient
times. The advent of the British rule modernised the concept and provided the impression that
the era of modernisation in India had begun. Some scholars deem it to be true as, without the
construction of the political house, courtrooms, transportation facilities and so on, India could
still remain as one of the underprivileged and underdeveloped countries. The historical
aspects of the development of architecture in India have evolved with the change in time. The
ideas formulated by during the British rule were considered modern due to the existence of
some of the ancient relics. However, as stated by Hunt (2013) the preservation of the ancient
relics were made in order to send a message about the unity of the country. The post-British
rule, the development of the art of the 20th century created a uniform architectural movement
in the country. With proper analysis and understanding of arts and architecture, India was
transformed into a modern artistic country with the development of civilisation. In this
regard, the modernisation was considered as an overall approach to life that helped in
designing the world taking in consideration the works of great minds in the history of Indian
literature.
The biggest development that occurred during the British rule was the fact that the
public buildings that were designed for the purpose of carrying out British colonisation

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operations became a centre of attraction for the people. Educational institutions, railway
stations and monuments became a landmark for the country. These were constructed in order
to demonstrate the superiority of the British culture in terms of cultural and architectural
design. Some of the structures in the modern days include the monuments that were
constructed during the time of the Mogul period. This signifies the fact that the architectures
in the country are a mixture of Indo-European culture. Dobraszczyk (2014) stated that the
study of architecture in India developed after the end of the British rule. However, it can be
said that the architectural monuments that were built during the ancient days did not need
people to be trained by any institutions. Natural talents of the people helped in the
construction of the buildings that were built before the emergence of the British in India.
Post-emergence of the British rule, many modern technologies were developed that
highlighted the progress of the nation and helped in the construction of the British cultural
sites in the countries.
According to Misra (2016), during the time of independence India had a handful of
trained architects. The population of the country was as high as 330 million with only one
institution dedicated to teaching arts. However, the number grew with time and people
pursuing courses related to the history of India began to take interest in the architecture of the
country. Financially capable people moved abroad to study art and be enriched with the
culture of different countries. The reverse is also true as people from abroad travel to India to
study art and try to create a fusion between the style of arts in India and abroad. This is an
important step in the development of civilisation in the country as the people began to be
more civilised by pursuing the Western cultures (Almeida 2017). Over the years, the country
has developed and has managed to make minute changes in the traditional monuments and
places that have been the landmark of the country. This is mainly due to the fact that Indian
people studying abroad have contributed to the wellbeing of the country. The advent of

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civilised culture began with adopting ideas from the foreign lands and implicating it in order
to enrich the cultural heritage of the country.
According to Hunt (2016), the development of civilisation in India began early during
the ancient times. Ancient history claims the development of Indus Valley, Mohenjo-Daro
and Harappa as the early strides towards building a civilised India. This was the early phase
in which the development of coins and some of the modern day tool was developed. Over the
ages development towards a civilised culture in India progressed with the emergence of the
rulers and dynasties. The development of coins, weapons and so on helped in civilising India
to some extent. These proved to be the base of which the adoption of modern technologies
from the British rule was accepted in the country. However, Pinter-Wollman, Fiore and
Theraulaz (2017) stated that during the British rule many Indians had opposed the use of
technologies due to the fight for independence in the country. This resulted in some
backwardness in the advent to civilisation in the country. However, with the effectiveness of
the technology, the country began to be more civilised in terms of the development of
architecture. The tools and materials brought about by the British contributed to the
development of proper development of architects as well as a civilised people.
Hutchins (2015) is of the opinion that civilisation does not refer to the development
of the people in terms of reduced crime rates. The term is used to indicate the social
development that is undergone in a country in terms of the behaviours of the inhabitants.
Human development, advancement in the field of technology, culture and education and so
on constitutes the development of civilisation in a country. In this regard, it can be said that a
particular country cannot be considered as highly developed or civilised as there exist some
flaws in the development. Every country wants to be civilised covering all the aspects that are
required for the growth of civilisation. For example, India is considered to be a hugely
populated country currently at the developing stage. The country is equipped with modern

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technologies and development in the economy in terms of the rising of industries. The level
of development in the country is different as compared to other countries due to the existence
of a mixed cultural heritage. Hunt (2013) stated that civilised India began after the
independence the country. This is mainly due to the fact that the freedom wars between the
British and India led to the rise of many uncivilised activities.
In this regard, it can be said that the British people provided the impetus for the
growth of a civilised culture in India. However, Sen (2016) stated that many people are of the
opinion that the British rule causes the decline of civilised in India. This is because the advent
of new technologies, monuments and other architectural development overshadowed the
ancient tradition of the country. The development of relics, architecture, philosophies and
cultures began from the ancient times. Hence, the advent of the British rule led to the
destruction of the ancient beliefs and installed a sense of new cultural development in the
country. According to Hawes (2013), this is a debatable factor among many scholars as it is
important to identify the extent to which the cause and effects of the development of British
culture in India. Hence, people of India are divided in terms of providing opinions about the
pros and cons of British rule. In the light of this, it can be said that the mixture of Indo-
European culture is one of the biggest advantages that the country has witnessed during the
time of civilising the country. Some of the opinions of the scholars can be analysed in order
to understand the impact of the Indo-European culture in the country.
Hawes (2013) stated that India had been an agricultural country in the ancient times.
The fact that the people managed to create food for the mass and ensure that other people got
work in terms of aiding in the agricultural fields marks the development of civilisation.
Evidence of such agricultural background can be traced back to the ancient times. The growth
of crops such as rice, indigo and wheat were the main components that helped India to remain
a country of interest in the ancient times. This resulted in attracting the dynasties that ruled

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the country and the emergence of British rule. The crops harvested in the country were used
by the British to enrich their land thereby, exploiting the poor people of the country. The
economic exploitation that the British rule caused in the country can be considered as
negligible given the development of infrastructure and industries in the country (Viswanathan
2014). This can be argued by stating that the education on science and technology provided to
the people of India during the British rule were not aimed at the development of the country.
Rather the aim was to execute a complete domination of the country by using technologies
developed abroad. The fact that the local dialect proved to be difficult for the British
prompted the Empire recruited Indian people for their benefit. This led to the slow
development of civilised culture among Indians.
Most people are of the opinion that the developing stage of the country would not
have occurred had the British people not conquered the land (Khan 2017). This is evident
from the fact that the growth of infrastructure, modes of communication and industries
developed as a result of the British rule. However, Smith (2014) stated that trade relations are
also important for the growth of a civilised nation. Modern technologies spread from one
country to another largely due to the existence of various industries in the country. Trade
between countries have resulted in the development of technologies and contributed to the
growth of a civilised country. In this regard, an example of Japan can be considered as a
highly developed and civilised country in the world. Unlike India, Japan was not colonised by
any of the European countries. However, due to the trade relations with other countries in the
world, Japan managed to develop itself in terms of culture, technology and industries. Thus,
the British rule has managed to exploit India more than it has helped in its development. The
native of the country were forced to harvest crops that were sold to the British people at low
prices. The growth of crops like cotton and indigo is used for the development of fashionable
industries and the selling of these in large amounts helped in the growth of the economy of

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Britain. In this regard, a counter statement can be made citing the art of learning to harvest
these crops.
Despite these flaws, the British rule provided historical landmarks in the country. It is
due to the existence of such landmarks and the rich history of the country; people from
abroad are attracted to study and perform research in India. This is one way of improving the
economic growth of the country. The British rule also united the nation which may have been
difficult during the time of the dynasty rulers in the country. The emergence of courts and the
Indian Civil Service helped in civilising the country as any crime committed in the country
are solved by courts. In modern day, however, the civilised people of India have had some
setbacks in terms of behaviours and the way by which people are treated. Ching (2014) stated
that the mixture of the Indo-European culture proved to have a positive impact on the
country. The unification of the political parties in the country made India develop into a
democracy. The development of modern transport facilities also contributed to the growth of
a civilised country. This is largely backed by the modern education that the people receive.
This contributes to the modernising of the society and making the country more civilised
(Pinter-Wollman, Fiore and Theraulaz (2017).
Thus, it can be said that despite the differences of opinion of the people, the cultural
identity of India has resulted from the British rule. The architectural buildings, development
of educational centres, modernising of the country are a result of the 200 years of British rule
over India (Anderson 2013). The fact that the economy of India has been exploited
vehemently is indicative of the current economic state of the country. The architecture of
modern India contributes to civilising the society with the mixture of western as well as
regional cultures and ideas. One of the most important aspects of modern India is the fact that
most of the technological development, cultural development and the lifestyle of the people
are mainly due to the existence of British rule in the ancient times. Dobraszczyk (2014)

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observed the fact that the development of India from an agricultural based country to a
technologically driven country is one of the biggest achievements of the country since its
independence.
Thus, it can be concluded that the architectural development during the British rule
contributed significantly to the growth of a civilised nation. Some of the modern facilities and
technologies that are used in the modern world were developed during the British rule. The
foundation of civilisation in India began in the ancient days and resulted in the slow
development of the country. Despite varied opinions, British rule and architecture have
contributed heavily to the progress of India. The economic exploitation that the country had
encountered during the British rule can be recovered with the modernising of the society.
Thus, the contribution of the architectural buildings promoted a civilising influence in the
country.

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