Civil Disobedience in Indian Tradition, with Some Early Nineteenth Century Documents c5.s3.21

c5.s3.21

The British in India, on the other hand, even when in certain areas they might have been temporarily conceded some legitimacy by some or all of the ruled, never seem to have felt that their right to rule had any other sanction and legitimacy than that of conquest and an occupying armed force. It is true that their conquests were achieved by a relatively most adroit and economical use of force. Still these forces were not all that small. ([Till 1857, the European component of British occupying forces in India was as one European to four Indians and at times dropped to one European to six Indians. After 1857, when the British became completely panicky and frightened, the composition was altered to one European to two Indians and stayed at that till after 1900. The number of European troops in India was 45,104 in 1856; 92,866 in 1860; and 75,702 in 1908. While the number of Indian troops in 1856 was 2,35,221; it was 1,48,996 in 1908. (*British Parliamentary Papers*, 1908, Vol.74)])