Rape in India

Rape in India Brittany Jones As a woman in the United States, rape is the ultimate nightmare, but to women in India it’s everyday life. Many rape victims’ stories just show how the police in India fail to respond adequately to crimes, especially crimes involving children or women. On February 14th, three girls that were five, nine, and 11 were raped and murdered in the village of Lakhni, India. When the girl’s grandfather reported the girls missing to the police nothing was done about it. After two days, the girls were found dead in an old water well.The bodies were reported as â€Å"accidental† deaths. Nobody took any notice to the girl’s deaths until protestors blocked a national highway in uproar of the police inaction. When a television reporter from CNN arrived in the village on Thursday, the girl’s mother said: â€Å"The first day when we filed the complaint [about the girls disappearing], the police didn’t act on it. Had they l ooked for the girls, my girls would have been found. This is nothing but negligence. † The government offered the family about one million rupees (currency) in compensation for their losses.After the offer the mother said â€Å"No amount of money is going to bring my girls back. I appeal to the government to catch the culprits and hang them. † This case is a prime example of the corruption and negligence of the justice system and the government as a whole in India. In the Indian culture women and children are not looked upon as equals to men. This relates to authoritarian personality, the police aren’t handling the situations as abruptly as they would if the case were related to men rather than women or children.Theodor Adnoro concluded that highly prejudice people have deep respect for authority and are submissive to authority figures, especially in matters of religion or sex (Adorno et al. 1950). They concluded that are more of like possessions or something to own instead of human beings. It was only after a mob of people shut down a highway that people actually started to care about what happened to those little girls. Another example of the negligence of the Indian government is when a young girl was brutally ang raped on a bus in Delhi, the government promised better policing and faster legal action to protect women inside their homes and outside in the public. While lawmakers prepared to discuss a new law against sexual offense, they tried to keep the news of the recent rape and murder of three young girls on the down low. It was soon after that people took it into their own hands by rioting and blocking the national highway until they were promised a proper investigation. For a rape crime, capital punishment (the death penalty) is the most extreme measure the state takes.However, it’s shown that the death penalty isn’t administered evenly. Geography wise it can change your sentence just by where you are when you kill so meone. It also can affect the punishment you receive. Another death penalty dependent would be your social class. For instance, it’s very rare that someone of much wealth will be sentenced to death. They may rather receive time with just some fines that they can easily afford anyways. Gender is another big bias with the death penalty. It’s said to be unheard of for women to be sentenced to death, let alone actually be executed.Statistics show that women commit 9. 6% of the murders, but they make up 1. 8% of death row inmates (Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics 2009). On 3 February 2013, after the public made their voices heard about the brutal rape in Delhi, the Indian Government was forced to pass an ordinance which applied the death penalty in cases of rape that leads to death or leaves the victim in a â€Å"persistent vegetative state†. Although the death sentence is very rarely used in India they do believe in the death penalty because they feel it do esn’t involve torture, humiliation, or degrading of oneself.It’s usually carried out by hanging, even when upheld on appeal. In Ohio today the punishments for rape are somewhat different than they are in India. The rape of a young child 13 and under could be served a sentence of up to life. However, unlike India the term is expected to be served rather than the convicted just being executed, or in India’s views, hung. I personally feel that rape is a very serious crime and it’s something that can also affect someone for the rest of their lives. Reading about India and how lightly they take rape crimes just affles me. I can’t imagine what the mother of these three little girls was going through, especially with the police having no interest in the fact that her daughters were missing. It’s sad to think that someone could be so heartless to not care about little girls being brutally raped and murder, however I’m sure had it been the pol ice forces children it would have been a whole different story. People these days are not only bias but they tend to care only about their selves and ignore the feelings of others.I’m from a small community where everyone knows everyone and everyone is willing to lend a helping hand. When someone in our town were to die the entire community would come together to help, even if it was just giving their condolences. I realize however that India’s culture is very different than ours and not to mention the situations seem much more dangerous. Even though rape crimes seem to be a very frequent crime to them, you would think the police force would take a notice and try and stop this constant reoccurrence rather than ignore what’s happening.They are finally passing bills but why did it take a huge riot of the people for them to start taking action. Making the laws is just the first step; actually doing something to make them work is the hard part. They can make the law s but in order for things to change they’ll actually have to make it as big of a deal as it really is. Find the people, punish them, and make sure they know they’ll never harm another women or child again. This article was very interesting to read and it’s interesting to see what’s going on in other cultures today.I never would have imagined how lightly things like rape and murder can be handles, especially just because it’s children and women rather than men. It’s sad to think of all the prejudice and bias going on in our world today, and even worse to think that it will probably never end. India needs to make stricter laws and force the police field to do a better job. Reference Rahman, Maseeh â€Å"India: three girls raped and murdered, ages 5,9, and 11. † The guardian. 21 February 2013.

Less Talk, More Work Essay

Have you ever thought that there is a greater need to work constantly on a daily basis than to catch up on your social life with family and friends? Work addiction is a growing problem today. Most workaholics seem to put work, a main priority, before anything else such as time spent with others. The obsession with work is due to many reasons. For some people, work is needed to earn money to pay for necessary expenses such as food and bills. However, too much of a workload affects a person mentally, physically, or even both. Stress is one of the many reactions when it comes to constant hours or days spent at work. In â€Å"The Company Man,† written by Ellen Goodman, the main character Phil shows how chaotic he is with himself and with his work that eventually leads to his tragic farewell. The lifestyle of working excessively is common. The idea of becoming a workaholic is to strive for a certain value or feeling for oneself. Goodman’s story of The Company Man illustrates a vivid example of a common workaholic. If a workaholic is spotted, the image is depicted as â€Å"anxious, guilt-ridden, insecure, or self-righteous about †¦work†¦ a slave to a set schedule, merciless in his demands upon himself for peak performance †¦compulsively overcommitted† (Marlowitz 7). This workaholic image illustrates Phil. In Phil’s world, everything he does is directed towards work. As an addict living with a wife and three children, he works nearly every day as well as many nights (Goodman 61). He works for an important company, serving as a vice president (Goodman 60-61). Having a high-level position makes him feel important because he â€Å"worked like the Important People† (Goodman 61). Based on his high position, Goodman hints at Phil’ s pride, a powerful factor influencing his motivation and duty to work. While Phil is driven mainly by pride there are many other reasons why he works too hard. These reasons include his identity, self-respect, self-esteem, self-doubts, pressure from family expectations, perfectionism, a coping mechanism for his negative emotions, and his obsessive-compulsive behavior. Some of the key components of workaholism include intensity, energy, competition, and motivation (Machlowitz 26). Workaholism also includes three other main components such as enjoyment, drive, and work involvement (McMillan). When it comes to workaholic men like Phil, they view themselves as the family caretaker and feel completely responsible for taking care of all the family needs (Killinger 139). This viewpoint brings pressure on workaholic men because they feel that they are expected to ensure that there is both financial protection and emotional well-being in the family (Killinger 139). They must be independent especially with earning money. Money attracts power, freedom, and independence (Schaef 120). Chasing after the goal of money-making is a way for workaholics to ga in achievement, which sets off a powerful drive (Schaef 120). Not only do pressures from the family increase this drive, but the work addict himself plays a factor as well. A workaholic is able to enjoy and love a job if he is fairly good at it. His self-esteem increases with the thought of being good at something. Therefore, he would feel even better and take even greater pride in what he knows and what he is capable of doing. This pride takes over and motivates him to excel and become a perfectionist. However, there comes a moment when perfection gets out of hand and he develops an obsession. A psychological dependence grows out of the addictive behavior from workaholism (McMillan). Work becomes central and all other aspects of life are forgotten (Schaef 119). As compulsive workers, they become obsessed with work and cannot stop (Shimazu). Their drive is ongoing with the thought of taking charge and taking control over everything and everyone (Shimazu). Fears, doubts, and insecurities start to develop inside, which pushes their mindset to work to the full extent. Aside from these feelings, workaholics hold ambitions, enabling them to be superior and competitive at all times, which can bring an overload of stress (Machlowitz 43). Working hard appears to be the only solution to overcome and avoid negative emotions such as anxiety and to gain respect and approval from others (Machlowitz 43). Other reasons for Phil’s obsession with work include his Type A personality and fears of laziness, failure, and loss of control, and. Phil is motivated to work long and hard because he cannot bear the thought of failing. Failure portrays the end of the world to workaholics like Phil; therefore, they must succeed (Machlowitz 41). Another fear is laziness. Ironically, workaholics hold a strange belief that they are naturally lazy (Machlowitz 42). As a result, they drive themselves even harder to avoid falling behind in work. Some, but not all, workaholics develop a Type A personality. This personality consists of negative traits such as impatience, aggressiveness, and competitive impulses (Machlowitz 44). A Type A also includes the need to rush, to work rapidly, and to set aside feelings such as fatigue during working hours (Machlowitz 44). Workaholics hold an illusion over the loss of control (Machlowitz 45). Because of their obsession, they are made to believe they are given all the respect and hold all the power if everything is done only their way and no one else’s (Killinger 8). Work has the ability to consume selfish and demanding feelings in an addict (Killinger 9). Being a workaholic can significantly affect both psychological and physiological health. According to Barbara Killinger, workaholics are at a loss because they suffer through many mixed emotions. Workaholics experience confusion and pressure from their families, doctors, or colleagues which causes them to reduce the amount of hours they work (133). Severe fatigue and exhaustion also occur (133). When they decide to slack off and the work starts piling up, they are at a loss of control, becoming stressed, overwhelmed, and panicky, and experience claustrophobic moments (134). Some, but not all, may feel empty and at a loss for sense of direction (134). They may also become overly sensitive, restless, and easily annoyed (134). They then go into frenzy, taking all things personally (134). Workaholics have a problem with the need to regain control in order to feel satisfied after (134). They know they cannot accept failure and so, the goal is to succeed fully, otherwise, they turn irate and feel worthless (134). However, the more adrenalin they build up into their system, the more constant fatigue they will most likely experience after (134). Barbara Killinger also mentions fatigue as a leading cause of a number of conditions in behavior (134). A pattern of eating and sleeping changes, sexual desires increase or decrease, inability to concentrate, and lack of motivation in work or play. Other signs include isolation from family and friends, memory loss, mental, physical and emotional exhaustion, unreasonable frustration or mistrust, and lack of care and need to distance oneself from a problem (134). In addition to these signs of depression are the harmful responses from anxiety and workaholism. Such responses can include inability to keep calm, nervousness, dizziness, abnormal blood pressure, heart problems, difficulty breathing, and other physiological symptoms (135). As for the psychological responses, these include an increase in stress and defense responses. Once they experience extreme anxiety they may cope by resorting to fantasy and exaggeration (135). Excessive worry and sense of sudden danger occur as well (135). Once workaholics become paranoid, they also experience high levels of doubt. They feel anxious and worry that bad things are about to occur (135). Going back to Phil, he most likely could have experienced one or more of these kinds of signs or symptoms. As the passage states, â€Å"Phil was overweight and nervous and worked too hard. If he wasn’t at the office, he was worried about it. Phil was a Type A, a heart-attack natural.† (Goodman 62). Therefore, he did have three symptoms: nervousness, worry, and heart problems. These symptoms did some serious harm to him. It is no surprise that Phil passed away because of a coronary thrombosis (Goodman 60). Workaholism also affects those around the workaholic. Very often, workaholics do not consider how their behavior affects others, particularly family members. Consider Phil from The Company Man as an example. Work interference puts the role of parenting in jeopardy. Work serves as the main priority. Because Phil works so much, this interferes with his ability to be a good parent (Killinger 159). There are three types of fathers: authoritarian father, indulgent father, and negligent father (Killinger 147). All three types affect children in negative ways (Killinger 147). Phil is the negligent father type. He is oblivious to the needs of his family and engages solely in work (Killinger 147). A lack of communication exists between Phil and his twenty-four-year-old daughter. They have nothing to say to one another (Goodman 61). A lack of interaction also occurs between Phil and his twenty-year-old son who graduated from high school and works various jobs to support himself for food (Goodman 61). Phil is impressed by his son’s good actions of earning money and the son is Phil’s favorite. However, Phil’s absence and his unavailability is such a disappointment, especially for his son. Phil’s son tries so hard to reach out and grab his attention and approval (Killinger 161-62). Although Phil shows little affection by staying up many nights in excessive worry for his son, it is still not enough to say that there is interaction or love between the two because there is none. Sons of missing fathers think as if they don’t belong in society and feel like outsiders (Killinger 162). As a result, these negative thoughts and feelings cause them to turn to drugs and crime or drop out of school (Killinger 162). From the money Phil’s son earns, he uses it to buy â€Å"grass† or drugs (Goodman 61). His action portrays how badly affected he is for the lack of acceptance, personal warmth, and value he desperately needs from his father (Killinger 162). The negative affection is the same for Phil’s forty-eight-year-old wife Helen (Goodman 61). Phil’s constant absences emotionally harm her the most. As a spouse, it is hard to maintain an intimate, loving relationship if the significant other happens to be a work addict (McMillan). Maintaining such a need leads to a bad outcome. Since there is no emotional attachment, care, and intimacy presented, the relationship is put at risk due to work interference (McMillan). In addition, the family is left in dissatisfaction and distress. Phil chooses to give up his social life, an essential value, instead of his work obsession, what he believes to be most important than anything else (McMillan). Having to continue putting up with Phil’s behavior, Helen is left with no choice but to give up trying to fix the problem of keeping everyone united together when the real problem is Phil and his lack of presence and his role as the father. Emotional damage is not just in family members but in coworkers as well. Coworkers have to deal with the complaints and demands from workaholics (Machlowitz 52). In addition, they are given all the blame and criticism, especially if tasks are not done perfectly (Machlowitz 54). Some workaholics tend to do more than what is expected of them, making everyone else’s hard work seem very little as if they have not done enough (Shimazu). Recognized as aggressive individuals, workaholics put a great amount of pressure and verbal harassment on coworkers (Machlowitz 44). Because of this negative abuse, coworkers may feel easily annoyed or put down too much, which can affect their work performance (Shimazu 156). According to Marilyn Machlowitz, there are actually four types of work addicts (32). Knowing for a fact that there is more than one type is unusual for one may assume all workaholics are the same based on the one activity they have in common: work obsession. However, this assumption is not true. The four types of work addicts are the dedicated workaholic, the integrated workaholic, the diffuse workaholic, and the intense workaholic (33). Phil is a dedicated workaholic because this type of workaholic has no outside activities or hobbies (33). If anything, their relationship with their job serves as the only activity they will ever have because it is their only prime focus. Consider the line of the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, â€Å"I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date. No time to say hello, goodbye, I’m late, I’m late, I’m late!† (Killinger 132). Every second is precious because time is a major necessity that cannot afford to go to waste (Machlowitz 31). Impatience is presented but a strong dedication is shown as well. Workaholism works the same way. Like the white rabbit, Phil shows a strong commitment to work and to act on it fully. Studies have shown how badly workaholics put themselves in with themselves and their lives. Studies also show the negative health effects on workaholics more than non-workaholics such as sleeping problems, depression, and dissatisfaction with the balance between work and life, and constant worry over lack of quality time with family and friends (Keown). For example, 56% admit being unable to make time for leisure and making plans to change all that (Keown). Another example declared that one-third prefers to be more isolated (Keown). These studies show how much of a huge impact work has on their identity (Keown). Although they accept the consequences they must bear and the sacrifices they must cope with, workaholism does not eliminate the outcome of having poor detrimental health. Everyone has their own excuses, reasons, and values to workaholism. Their compulsive attitude and behavior gives the impression that nothing gets in the way of work, the â€Å"only† priority in life. However, workaholism puts one’s health, whether mental or physical, at high risk. Emotional and physical harm is targeted not just towards the workaholic but towards his or her family members and coworkers too. The Company Man depicts Phil’s workaholism displaying a serious effect on his wife and children. His work obsession also illustrates the loss of his social life with his family and his coworkers.

Modeling of Water Uptake essays

Modeling of Water Uptake essays Modeling of Water Uptake into Polymeric Aerosol Particulates Deposited on the Lung Surface Inhalation of aerosolized drugs holds promise as a means to treat localized disease states within the lung and may also represent an ideal method for drug delivery to the systemic circulation. The use of polymer-based aerosol carriers for controlled drug delivery via the lung is an approach that may improve the duration and effectiveness of drugs delivered to the respiratory tract. However, the ability to optimize new formulations for pulmonary drug delivery has been limited by the inability to closely mimic the conditions the particles encounter in the various regions of the lung. Conventional "complete immersion" methods used to characterize microparticle water uptake rates, polymer degradation kinetics, and drug diffusion rates may not be relevant for particles designed for inhalation due to the extremely thin aqueous layers in the lungs. In this paper, I discuss the forces on a particle at the air-surfactant-particle interface used to determine the extent of submersion. Then, I model the water uptake into particles completely immersed in liquid and compare it to water uptake into spherical particles partially submersed in liquid. From published water contact angles, it was found that 10 mm PLGA 50:50 particles would be submersed 6.8 mm into the liquid phase; more hydrophobic PLGA 90:10 particles would be submersed 6.1 mm. The aqueous layers in the lung have a significantly lower surface tension than water. Particles will therefore be submerged more into the lung liquid than in water, and may be completely submerged. Concentration profiles for 5 mm particles completely submerged in an aqueous solution showed the concentration within the particles increases with time until a steady value is reached in approximately 67 hours. Water uptake into particles submersed in humidified air depends on adsorption and condensation of water on the...

Theories of International Financial Managemen Assignment

Theories of International Financial Managemen - Assignment Example With intent to increase cross-border trade for international expansion, nations have liberalized their cross-border trade regulations. Hence the world is said to have facilitated with effective circulation of ideas, languages and cultural ideologies. Countries opened their doors to each other and thereby entrepreneurs looked for opportunities even outside their home lands. This liberalization process was further intensified by the rapid advancement in telecommunication and transportation technologies which offered increased flexibility to day to day business operations. Apart from this, as described in the article International Financial Management (August 29, 2010), a series of financial innovations such as cross border stock listings, international mutual funds, currency derivatives, and multi currency bonds have also contributed to the development of international financial management. The practices and scope for domestic financial management and international financial management are entirely different. Although, the meaning and objective of financial management will not change in an international setting, its dimensions and ranges vary dramatically. This report will critically evaluate theories of international financial management and the extent to which each stands up in the real world. Major elements of financial management The management of business finance is a complex process as it plays a crucial role in each and every area of a business. For the successful operation of financial management process, three key elements have been included. They are financial planning, financial control, and financial decision making. 1. Financial planning As in the case of every management process, planning is an inevitable factor in the organizational financial management. It is necessary to ensure that sufficient fund is available at the right time in order to meet the business needs (The 100 times). An organization generally plans short term and long term financial programs. Short term funds are required to pay salaries to employees and to invest in stocks and other securities. On the other hand, medium and long term funds increase the productive capacity of the business for making business acquisitions. 2. Financial control Financial department is highly vulnerable to fraud. Hence every financial manager would implement ranges of internal check systems in order to check falsification of accounts and thereby fraudulent transactions of money. In short, the financial control element ensures the safety of business assets so as to comply with business rules and thereby act in accordance with the best interest of the shareholders. Financial decision making The important financial management decisions relate to investment, business financing, and distribution of dividends. It is the duty of the financial management to discover the most appropriate resource of money in times of contingencies. A most major financial management decision is whether the business profits must be retained as reserves or distributed to shareholders as dividend. This element is the focal point of the financial management process as this tool determines the degree of efficacy of business financing process. Domestic and international financial management These two concepts aim at the same goal but function differently to achieve them. To

Tesco PLC expansion into Germany using Foreign Market Servicing Essay

Tesco PLC expansion into Germany using Foreign Market Servicing Strategy - Essay Example Center of discussion in this paper is Tesco PLC. The first store of the company has opened in Edgware, North London. The main business of the company was grocery but the company has made wide the portfolio as they started to offer their products in the following sectors. †¢ Home Electronics †¢ Clothes and Home-wear †¢ Entertainment e.g. Television, Mobile communications †¢ Pharmaceuticals †¢ Finance / Credit cards †¢ Insurance. Tesco has the core competency in strategic pricing. They are able to offer their product to every class of people using the plan of strategic pricing. Their strategic pricing plan includes branded products, premium private level, budget private level and private level. Tesco developed the online shop in the year 2007 which is a revolution in the sector. The customers can purchase the goods through online. The company has gained competitive advantage and ever since 2007 they have remained in that way. The company is present mainly in Asia and Eastern Europe where they dominate in the market. The company is present in over 13 countries. Wal-Mart and Tesco are the main competitors of Tesco. The retail and more precisely the grocery market is dominated by the low pricing competition and focusing on the private level brands (own brand products). But in the European Union the levels of competitive pricing is controlled by the regulatory bodies that control the levels of market price.. As the company is already in the E.U. they are abide by the rules of the regulatory bodies, so it will not be difficult for the company to expand their business in a new E.U. country. The company has to only maintain the country specific legislations along with the little implications of the vertical integration. Tesco Corporate Social Responsibility An accommodative stance was adopted by the company when they approach to CSR. Tesco used to organize some social and voluntary programmes; they meet the ethical and legal requirements. (Griffin, R. Pustay, M 2009, p.158). The company follows the CSR which is followed by the European Union. Lisbon Agenda is followed by the company which aims for creating better jobs and social cohesion which would ensure the economic growth for the specific country, (European Citizens Consultations 2009). The companies have to maintain the environment properly as per the P.E.S.T. analysis of the E.U. The main focus of Tesco is maintaining and improving the supplies which are environment friendly and also recycled; develop job availabilities and maintaining good relations and support for the farmers who are supplying. Market Selection W estern Europe can be a positive move strategically for Tesco as it has presence in 13 countries including Asia and Eastern Europe. The researcher argued that the western region of Europe is the most attracting part of the world for the businessman as there are lots of wealthy customers (Griffin, R. Pustay, M 2009, p.54). A short list of top 4 most appropriate countries can be drawn

Van Creveld. Fate of the State Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Van Creveld. Fate of the State - Essay Example This however, changed when in the rise of modernity; monarchs emerged and slowly took over power and authority from the local lords. The emergence of the monarchs therefore, laid a foundation for nation-states. In the 19th-Century, the modern nation-state, which is integrated, was established first in the European world. However, the 1648 peace of Westphalia is the most important aspect in the establishment of the nation-state, as it allowed for the sovereignty of the nation-state. The nation-state today is on the verge of decline, because of the forces of globalization and devolution, which have reduced its sovereignty. The nation-state was considered the dominant social entity in the world starting the mid-19th Century, as the state and society were virtually merged to become one entity. However, many changes happening in the world have led to changes in the dominance of the nation-state as the most influential social entity. The cultural revolution that began in the West had a gre at influence on the nature of the nation-state. Other important factors that affected the nation-state include the international communist movements, increased freedom of capital transfer across international borders, and political, social, and economic dysfunction in former colonies of Asia and Africa. By the beginning of the 1990’s, the role of the nation-state was reduced due to different global forces (Creveld, 1999). The future of the nation-state is uncertain today. There are different factors that have been responsible for the diminishing importance of the nation-state. These are globalization and transnationalism, and devolution. Globalization has led to the breaking down of national boundaries, as different countries can now interact economically, socially, and politically. Globalization has paved way for transnationalism, and it is anticipated that in future, there might be a transnational government. Transnationalism today occurs at the political level. Internation al organizations such as the World Trade Organization and the United Nations are responsible for transnationalism, as they provide economic security and military protection to a variety of vulnerable countries. On the other hand, the European Union has broken down all national boundaries in its member states, paving way for high levels of interaction (Creveld, 1999). Devolution has been adopted by various nations today. This grants power and authority to the local government and not the central government. This is why the process is called devolution, as power is taken away from the central government, and given back to the local government. When the central government, which is core of the state, loses power, the sovereignty of the state reduces. If these trends of globalization and devolution persist, there are possibilities that a transnational government will replace the nation-state. However, only time will tell what the future holds for the nation-state (Creveld, 1999). Accord ing to Creveld (1996), the capability of the state to fight others for self-defence is on the decline. This is a proof that the function of the nation-state is slowly fading. Initially, defence was among the main reasons for the formation of the nation-state. Failure to perform that today is a clear indication of its decline. The events of French Revolution in the 18th Century and industrial revolution sparked transnationalism, which is responsible today for the decline of the nation-st

Effects of British Colonial Rule in India Essay Example for Free

Effects of British Colonial Rule in India Essay The colonization of India and the immense transfer of wealth that moved from the latter to Britain were vital to the success of the British Empire. In fact, the Viceroy of British India in 1894 called India â€Å"the pivot of our Empire †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I examine the effects of the Industrial Revolution on the subcontinent. Besides highlighting the fact that without cheap labor and raw materials from India, the modernization of Britain during this era would have been highly unlikely, I will show how colonial policy led to the privation and death of millions of natives. I conclude that while India undoubtedly benefited from British colonial rule, the negatives for the subject population far outweighed the positives. . Colonialism, by definition, is exploitative and oppressive, with the rulers enriching themselves at the expense of those they rule. Generally speaking, colonizers dominate a territory’s resources, labor force, and markets; oftentimes, they impose structures cultural, religious and/or linguistic to maintain control over the indigenous population. The effects of the expansion of European empires, which began in the 15th century, on the colonized can still be felt today. Some historians, for example, argue that colonialism is one of the leading causes in income inequality among countries in present times. They cite patterns of European settlement as determinative forces in the type of institutions developed in colonized countries, considering them major factors in economic backwardness. Economist Luis Angeles has argued that the higher the percentage of Europeans settling in a colony at its peak, the greater the inequality in that country so long as the settlers remained a minority, suggesting that the colonizers drained those lands of essential resources while reaping most, if not all, of the profits. In terms of per capita GDP in 1995, the 20 poorest countries were all former colonies, which would seem to bolster Angeles’ contention. There are, however, competing views on how much underdevelopment in today’s poorest countries is a byproduct of colonial rule and how much of it is influenced by factors such as a country’s lack of natural resources or area characteristics. For poet, activist and politician Aime Cesaire, the verdict was in: Colonizers were â€Å"the decisive actors †¦ the adventurer and the pirate, the wholesale grocer and the ship owner, the gold digger and the merchant, appetite and force, and behind them, the baleful projected shadow of a form of civilization which, at a certain point in its history, finds itself obliged, for internal reasons, to extend to a world scale the competition of its antagonistic economies. This is not to suggest that Western European nations were the first and only countries to pursue imperialistic policies or that nothing good came out of colonial policies for the subject population. Dinesh D’Souza, while arguing that colonialism has left many positive as well as negative legacies, has stressed that there is nothing uniquely Western about colonialism, writing: â€Å"Those who identify colonialism and empire only with the West either have no sense of history or have forgotten about the Egyptian empire, the Persian empire, the Macedonian empire, the Islamic empire, the Mongol empire, the Chinese empire, and the Aztec and Inca empires in the Americas. † For this paper’s purposes, however, I will focus on the British Empire, its colonizing efforts in India (1757-1947), and the effects British policy had on that subject population. A couple of caveats before examining the British-Indian relationship: experiences differed from colony to colony during this period of European imperialism; India was unique in the colonial experience because of its size and history. It also should be noted that India was rather unique among colonized lands during this era for at least two reasons. First, South Asia was â€Å"already a major player in world commerce and possessed a well-developed trading and financial world† by the time Europeans arrived. Indigenous administrative structures already existed for taxation purposes, while commerce within the country and throughout the continent offered prospects of giant profits. Second, British India, which included today’s India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, was a region so large that there were areas in which Britain exercised direct control over the subject population and others where it exerted indirect control. It is exceedingly difficult, therefore, to extrapolate from one experience to another. Although it is impossible to determine how India would have developed had England never established a dominating presence there, I find the results of British colonialism to have been a mixed bag for India: the negatives, however, far outweighed the positives. Liberal and democratic aspects of British colonialism in India played a significant role in leading to a democratic South Asia following Indian independence in 1947. Yet, the British first through the East India Company and then through direct government control held almost all of the political and economic power in India during the Empire’s expansion and apogee, guaranteeing the Indian economy could not evolve and/or function independent of the ruling power’s control; ensuring raw materials extracted from Indian soil would go towards British manufacturing industries mostly without profiting the vast majority of Indians; and leading to lives of privation for millions of indigenous subjects. Although there have been arguments made that, in political and economic terms, south Asia was backwards until the arrival of Europeans, recent research has debunked that myth, showing the region to have possessed healthy trading and financial structures prior to the Europeans’ arrival. British Colonial Strategy in the Subcontinent Imperial powers followed two basic strategies when colonizing. They either allowed a large number of Europeans to settle overseas (known as Settler Colonies) or sent a much smaller number – usually less than 1 percent of the population to serve as administrators and tax collectors (known as Peasant Colonies). Britain followed the latter strategy in regards to India. The percentage of English people in India in 1913, for example, was only 0. 1 percent of the country’s population; by comparison, they accounted for over one-fifth (21. 4 percent) of the population in South Africa and Losetho during the same period. As previously mentioned, Britain exerted both direct and indirect control over the Indian subcontinent. Areas of indirect control are called â€Å"native states. These were controlled by Indian rulers who wielded considerable power over the internal administration of the land, while the British exercised complete control over the area’s defense and foreign policies. When looking at this two-pronged approach Britain took in establishing an Indian colony, the economist Lakshmi Iyer has argued that there is a differential long-term effect on areas the Empire controlled directly compared to areas in which it basically outsourced control. Rather than expropriating Indian land, which was negligible, the English taxed Indian land, producing considerable revenues and inducing the indigenous population to shift from traditional to commercial products (e. g. tea). Areas that were directly under British control today have significantly lower levels of public goods relative to areas that were not under direct colonial rule. In 1961, for example, districts (administrative divisions below state level) that had been under direct control of the British Empire had lower levels of primary and middle schools, as well as medical dispensaries. Present-day differences between directly and indirectly controlled areas, Iyer argues, are most likely the result of differences in internal administration during the colonial period because once the British left in 1947, all the native states were integrated into independent India and have since been subject to a uniform administrative, legal and political structure. The Company and the Crown By the middle of the 18th century, there were five major European colonial powers the Dutch Republic, France, Great Britain, Portugal, and Spain. From about 1850 on, however, Britain’s overseas empire would be unrivaled; by 1901, the empire would encompass 11. 2 million square miles and rule about 400 million people. For much of the 19th and 20th centuries, India was Britain’s largest and economically most important colony, an â€Å"empire within an empire. † It should be noted that although this period coincided with the birth of the Industrial Revolution historians and economists have cast doubt on whether industrialization was the sine qua non for British imperialism. They have noted that England’s first major advance into the Indian subcontinent began in Bengal in the middle of the 18th century, long before large-scale mechanization turned Britain into the â€Å"workshop of the world. † Historian P. J. Marshall, in studying early British imperialism, has written: â€Å"As a blanket term the Industrial Revolution explains relatively little about British expansion in general at the end of the eighteenth century. † While Marshall and others may be correct in asserting the British would have pursued empire even without the Industrial Revolution, its advent impacted colonial policy in that it required expanded markets and a steady supply of raw materials to feed the country’s manufacturing industries. Cotton, for example, was one of the driving forces behind the evolution of Britain’s modern economy. British traders purchased raw cotton fibers from plantations, processed it into cotton cloth in Lancashire mills, and then exported them to the colonial markets including India. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, India had been the world’s main producer of cotton textiles, with a substantial export trade. By the early nineteenth century, however, Britain had taken over dominating the world market for cotton textiles based on technology that lowered production costs . â€Å"This dramatic change in international competitive advantage during the Industrial Revolution was surely one of the key episodes in the Great Divergence of living standards between Europe and Asia. † Britain’s 200-year run ruling India began in the mid-17th century when the British East India Company set up trading posts in Bombay, Madras and Calcutta. In 1757, Robert Clive led Company-financed troops – led by British officers and staffed by native soldiers known as sepoys in a victory over French-backed Indian forces. The victory at the Battle of Plassey made the East India Company the leading power in the country. It would dominate India for just over 100 years, the area it controlled growing over that time to encompass modern Bangladesh, a majority of southern India and most of the territory along the Ganges River in the north of the country. The East India Company’s control of Bengal alone yielded taxes of nearly  £3 million; by 1818, its territorial revenues in India stood at  £22 million, allowing it to finance one of the world’s largest standing armies. This established British rule well before the Industrial Revolution could have played any major role in Britain expanding its overseas empire, strengthening historians’ – Marshall, et al. – arguments regarding the significance, or lack thereof, of the role mechanization in England had in the country’s expansionist efforts. The fact remains, however, that Britain in the 19th century would become the world’s leading industrial power and India a major source of raw materials for its industry. What’s more, the subcontinent’s population of 300 million would constitute a huge source of revenue and a gigantic market for British-made goods. Although, the English expanded gradually in India during those first 100 years of colonization, once the British government gained control of the country’s administration following the Indian War of Independence in 1857, India was virtually incorporated into the British Empire and became its â€Å"crown jewel. † During the life of the Britain Empire, India was its most profitable colony. Examples of huge returns on British investments in India based on surviving business records are plentiful. To give two examples: Binny and Co. , which was founded in 1799 with 50,000 rupees in capital, returned profits of 140,000 rupees only 12 years later; and William Mackinnon’s Indian General Steam and Navigation Co. , which began trading in 1847 and whose assets five years later were valued at more than nine times the original capital of 72,000 rupees. The 1852 prospectus of the Chartered Bank of India, Australia, and China stated that â€Å"bearing in mind the very high rate of interest which prevails in the East and the very lucrative nature of the Exchange Business †¦ a very large Annual Dividend may be looked for with certainty. British investment in India increased enormously over the second half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. According to economist James Foreman-Peck, by the end of 1911, 373 stock companies were estimated to be carrying on business exclusively or almost exclusively in India, yet were registered elsewhere, with the average size of those companies (railways accounted for nearly half of the capital, and tea plantations about one-fifth) dwarfing the far more numerous – 2,463 Indian-registered companies. The discrepancies between the two are stark. The companies registered outside India had paid-up capital of â‚ ¤77.979 million and debentures of â‚ ¤45.353 million compared to â‚ ¤46.251 million and â‚ ¤6 million, respectively, for Indian-registered companies. According to Foreman-Peck, â€Å"The magnitude of foreign investment and the rate of return on it, broadly defined, have been seen as a means by which empire imposed burdens on colonies and boosted the imperial nation’s economy. † This was not an idea that could only be gleaned in hindsight. Writing at the end of the 19th century, historian Brooks Adams wrote the following: Probably since the world began no investment has yielded the profit reaped from the Indian plunder. The amount of treasure wrung from the conquered people and transferred from India to English banks between Plassey and Waterloo (fifty-seven years) has been variously estimated at from $2,500,000,000 to $5,000,000,000. The methods of plunder and embezzlement by which every Briton in India enriched himself during the earlier history of the East India Company gradually passed away, but the drain did not pass away. The difference between the earlier day and the present is that Indias tribute to England is obtained by indirect methods under forms of law. It was estimated by Mr.  Hyndman some years ago that at least $175,000,000 is drained away every year from India without a cents return. Plunder and Famine At the time Britain established its colony on the subcontinent, the Indian economy was based predominantly on agriculture. Iyer has shown that since the Indian economy was so dependent on farming, British annexation policy focused on acquiring land with the most agricultural potential, guaranteeing that land taxation would be the East India Company’s/British government’s biggest source of income throughout the colonial period. In 1765-66, the East India Company had collected â€Å"the equivalent of  £1,470,000; and by 1790-1791, this figure had risen to  £2,680,000. † To ensure the land-revenue system, known as â€Å"tax farming,† would continue to supply money to the East India Company’s treasury, the Company introduced the Permanent Settlement of Bengal in 1793, an agreement between it and absentee landlords, known as zaminders. Through this policy, peasants who worked the land became the tenants of the zaminders, who, for themselves and the tax collectors, extracted as much as possible from those who cultivated the land. This settlement created a class of Indian landowners loyal to the English and a division in the rural society between the tenants and landlords, which last well into the 20th century. Indian climate is characterized by the monsoon, which generally includes nine months of dry weather followed by three months of rains known as the monsoon. At least once in a decade, the monsoon fails to arrive and a drought occurs. Indians for centuries had set aside a portion of crops to ensure there would be adequate food in times of drought. This practice was so successful that between the 11th and 18th centuries, India experienced only 14 major famines; yet, from 1765-1858, when it was under East India Company control, India suffered through 16 major famines, followed by an average of one famine every two years under British Colonial Office rule from 1859-1914. Under British rule during the 18th century, over 25 million Indians died of famine between: 1 million between 1800 and 1825, 4 million between 1825 and 1850, 5 million between 1850 and 1875, and 15 million between 1875 and 1900 ; more than 30 million deaths occurred from famine between 1870 and1910. Why did tens of millions die from starvation under the East India Company and the British Raj? Why, comparatively speaking, did so many famines occur under Britain’s watch? Historian Laxman D. Satya argues the famines were price-induced and that timely government intervention could have prevented millions of deaths from starvation. State intervention was minimal, however; Lord Curzon acknowledged once that a famine in Indian excited no more attention in Britain than a squall on the Serpentine. Like other European imperialists in the late 18th century, Britain – first through the East India Company – followed a laissez-faire doctrine whereby government interference in the economy was anathema; in addition, famine later was seen as a natural way to control overpopulation. According to Satya, â€Å"†¦ any act that would influence the prices of grains such as charity was to be either strictly monitored or discouraged. Even in the face of acute distress, relief had to be punitive and conditional. † The powers that be also began using famine labor to build an infrastructure – railways, roads – ensuring that revenues would continue to increase, expenditures would be kept low; worst of all, the new infrastructure allowed for the exportation of grain that could have fed the starving. Studies have shown that even in years of official famine – Britain only recognized three periods of famine there was never a shortage of food grains. The problem was that with prices for grains so high and wages stagnant, most people could not afford to buy them. As an example, during the Indian Famine of 1887-88, nearly 44 percent of total exports from Berar, one of the hardest hit provinces, were food grains. Between 1874 and 1903 the province exported an average over 40 tons of grain, and Satya has shown that this could have amounted for nearly 30. pounds of food per person. Historian and social commentator Mike Davis has cited even evidence that grains were exported to Europe for speculative trading while millions were dying of starvation. Since the primary concern for the government was maximizing returns on investments, it didn’t prioritize famine relief, considering those expenditures wasteful; therefore, relief camps were â€Å"deliberately kept in remote locations and beyond the reach of the physically weakened population. What’s more, people seeking relief were required to work on colonial projects as a condition for receiving food – as little as 16-22 ounces of food for a minimum of nine-10 hours of often grueling labor Fearing that Indian nationalists would take to the newspapers – in general, the government had a comparatively lax policy toward the press the Raj implemented tight press control through various laws including the Newspaper Act of 1908 and the Indian Press Act of 1910. It’s important to note that despite these and other attempts at press censorship, a large number of vernacular newspapers were published throughout the country and played an integral role in creating a nationalist/political consciousness in India.