Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeWaters
another point is that the British were pretty good folks to wage a campaign of independence against. they don't have the stomach for genocide.
Whereas I think certain countries would relish the opportunity.
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That too. Though if you took Mel Gibson's movie about the American revolution at face value you'd conclude the British were like Nazis.
The truth is that there was a lot of British sensitivity to India's culture and rights to be free. India's independence ultimatly came about because a large part of British leadership and citizens believed they were entitled to it and lobbied for it. There really was no fight. In fact, a little known fact is that the British East India company first colonialized India, at India's request, then the British government took the responsibility from the company. These entitities were always valued trading partners. There was never an armed take over; India asked the British to run it. The British incorporated much of India's culture into its own. The British Raj was by far more a mutually beneficial relationship than an oppressive one.
My wife has been to Egypt. She said that the best parts of Egypt are 1) the ancient ruins; and 2) improvements, hotels, etc. built by the British.