SOC4021 - Understanding Society: Marx, Imperialism, and Capitalism

This essay examines Karl Marx's perspective on British Imperialism in India, focusing on its significance within his theory of capitalism. The introduction presents Marx's concept of capitalism as a progressive historical phase, prone to internal contradictions leading to socialism. The main body addresses the question of why Marx considered British Imperialism crucial to his theory, highlighting the materialistic understanding of societies based on work and the conflict between the bourgeoisie and the working class. It discusses Marx's views on the caste system, his assessment of the Mughal Empire's decline, and his belief that British rule would modernize India by fostering a bourgeois revolution and dismantling feudalism. The essay further explores Marx's predictions regarding the impact of railways and modern industry, the potential for social revolution, and the limitations of British influence. The conclusion summarizes Marx's view of British Imperialism as essential to his theory, particularly in its role in the destruction and regeneration of Indian society through capitalist modernization. The essay concludes by referencing relevant academic sources.

Understanding Society
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Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Why did Marx view British Imperialism in India as important and necessary to his theory of
capitalism?..............................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5
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INTRODUCTION
The theory of capitalism given by Karl Marx stated capitalism as progressive historical
phase that would ultimately stagnate because of intrinsic contradictions as well as be followed
through socialism (Milios, and Dimoulis, 2018). This is an essay report which answers a
question, i.e., Why did Marx view British Imperialism in India as important and necessary to his
theory of capitalism?
MAIN BODY
Why did Marx view British Imperialism in India as important and necessary to his theory of
capitalism?
The capitalism theory of Marx proposed a materialistic understanding about human societies on
the basis of changing nature of work. According to the capitalism system stated by Marx, the
society was form through two classes the business owners or the bourgeoisie who control means
of production, and waged people, or workforces whose labour alters raw supplies into economic
goods which are valuable. Marx argues quite polemically that “the inherent barbarism and deep
hypocrisy of bourgeois society lies unveiled before eyes of people, whirling from its home,
where it takes up respectable forms, to colonies, where it goes bare.” The caste system is also
convicts by Marx, which is never did by Mahatma Gandhi and supported Indian Revolution of
year 1857, dissimilarly an extremely influential researcher Sayyid Ahmad Khan. But, due to
factual inaccuracies, he gets into trouble and, above all, an obsession with ancient progress
which leads to doubtful predictions regarding future of Indian society (McLaren, and Jandrić,
2018). According to Marx, Mughal Empire had deteriorated to such an extent that it was obliged
to be conquered ultimately. As per the perspective of Marx, it was suitable that it be conquered
through a capitalist superpower which would lay the base of a bigger social revolt. The theorist
was not so much enthusiastic regarding imperialism as he excited regarding the resistance to
imperialism which British rule would inevitably generate.
In the analysis of Marx in his theory of capitalism, the British were obliged to force India by
a bourgeois revolution, as they will crush feudalism under modern industry’s demands. The
villages would be linked through roads, railway networks and telegraphs. Apart from this,
modern institutions would be aid through a national military which was skilled. The British
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Empire would bring about modernisation, developing an anew centralised India, independent
from cruel loneliness of rural life as well as the backwardness represented through the caste
system. “Resulting from railway system, the modern industry will liquefy the hereditary labour
divisions, upon which rest castes in India, those conclusive impediments to progress and power
of India (Smith, 2017).” It is also predicted by the theorist that Indian people will not “reap the
fruits” of a new-fangled society till either a socialist revolution happened in Britain, or when they
“shall have grown resilient sufficiently to throw off English yoke completely” through
themselves. Whereas the latter did ultimately occur first, the theorist fully overstates the liberal
influence of British presence.
CONCLUSION
As per the above mentioned report, it has been concluded that British Imperialism in
India is as important and necessary to the theory of capitalism given by Marx as according to
him, caste system would be removed through capitalist modernisation as a part of destructive and
regenerative impact of British empire on India.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Milios, J. and Dimoulis, D., 2018. Karl Marx and the classics: An essay on value, crises and the
capitalist mode of production. Routledge.
McLaren, P. and Jandrić, P., 2018. Karl Marx and liberation theology: Dialectical materialism
and Christian spirituality in, against, and beyond contemporary capitalism. TripleC:
Communication, Capitalism & Critique. Open Access Journal for a Global Sustainable
Information Society, 16(2), pp.598-607.
Smith, K., 2017. Capitalism. The Wiley
‐Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Theory, pp.1-8.
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