A full week had passed since the Press Freedom Movement. It was now Friday, March 31, 1882. Inside the bustling printing office of Indian Daily News (IDN), everyone was busy. The newspaper delivery boys stood by, eagerly waiting to collect the day's papers. Everyone present knew there would be a major headline in today's edition, as the entire office had been preparing for this moment all week. Finally, everything was ready.
As usual, the IDN branch managers ordered the delivery boys to pick up the newspapers for delivery, but this time, they gave a special reminder to ensure the boys took extra care for their safety. The delivery boys grabbed their bundles and headed out.
On the streets of Indian cities, familiar scenes unfolded once again. The newspaper boys shouted:
"Breaking news, Breaking news! Indian Daily News has rocked the empire again!"
"Exposing British corruption!"
"IDN exclusive—revealing the ugly truth!"
These scenes weren't just limited to the streets of major cities but could be found outside offices, universities, colleges, mosques and temples as well. Crowds gathered, eager to buy the newspaper. Some bought copies and asked the delivery boys to read the articles aloud.
Even those who couldn't read understood the gravity of the situation—pictures inside the paper spoke volumes. Students gathered, flipping through the pages. Their eyes were soon drawn to a bold, attention-grabbing headline.
"The British Empire's most insidious tactic—Divide and Rule".The article was long, detailed, and filled with accusations that left the readers in stunned silence.
Divide and Rule: The Empire's Strategy to Control India
The article began:
"For decades, the British have not ruled India through strength or governance, but through division. The British Empire's 'Divide and Rule' policy has been its most effective weapon, not only to control this vast nation but to break the unity of its people, ensuring we remain fractured and unable to rise against them."
The article went on to explain how the British had expertly manipulated the country's rich diversity of religion, caste, and culture. In bold letters, it highlighted key points:
1. Religious Divide:
"In their thirst for power, the British have stoked the fires of division between Hindus and Muslims. Where once there was tolerance and coexistence, they now sow discord, using administrative favoritism to privilege one community over the other. Hindus are pitted against Muslims, weakening the very fabric of our society. They use census reports to divide the population along religious lines, inflaming tensions and ensuring that we are too busy fighting each other to fight them."
2. Caste Exploitation:
"The British have weaponized the ancient caste system, turning social distinctions into rigid hierarchies that they can exploit for control. By favoring certain castes in employment, education, and governance, they ensure that envy and resentment brew among the masses. The divisions they create become walls that prevent unity, weakening our collective strength."
3. Political Corruption:
"Political offices are no longer for the service of the people but tools in the British arsenal. They divide Indian leaders by sowing distrust and competition. Regional leaders are bribed, manipulated, and turned against each other, ensuring that no strong leadership rises to unite our people under a common cause."
The article continued, giving chilling examples of British policies that directly contributed to violence and distrust between communities. A particularly striking section described how the British authorities had inflamed old rivalries between regions, and even gone so far as to reorganize territories in a way that encouraged conflict.
Consequences of Divide and Rule:
The newspaper did not shy away from the consequences of these British actions. It vividly described the devastation that came with this policy:
"The British have turned our own land into a battleground, where brother turns against brother, and neighbor views neighbor with suspicion. This calculated division is what allows the British to loot our wealth, exploit our resources, and maintain their grip on our nation. While we fight amongst ourselves, they profit from our disunity."
It ended with a powerful call to action:
"This is not just a policy; it is a poison that has seeped into the soul of our nation. If we are to rid ourselves of this colonial tyranny, we must first recognize that our strength lies in unity. The British have taught us to see our differences as weaknesses, but in truth, they are our greatest strength. We must reject this divide and rule strategy and unite against the common enemy: the Empire that seeks to keep us forever in chains."
As readers finished the article, the weight of the British strategy became clear to everyone. The policy wasn't just about governance—it was about keeping India weak, fractured, and unable to resist.
This report doesn't stop here but continued, As the readers of the Indian Daily News poured over the explosive headlines, another article in particular captured their attention, revealing the staggering extent of British exploitation and looting of India by 1882.
British Looting India: Wealth Stolen, Lives Broken
The article opened with a stark proclamation:
"For over a century, the British Empire has systematically plundered the wealth of India, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. This latest edition of the Indian Daily News exposes the mechanisms of this exploitation, laying bare the staggering figures that illustrate the depth of the looting."
The Scale of Economic Exploitation
1. Land Revenue Policies:
The British implemented draconian tax systems, extracting enormous sums from Indian farmers. Under the Permanent Settlement introduced in 1793, land revenue demands often reached up to 50% of a farmer's total produce, driving many into debt and despair. In the 1880s alone, the British government collected approximately £12 million annually from land revenue, much of which was sent back to Britain.
2. Trade Imbalance:
The trade relationship between Britain and India was heavily skewed in favor of the British. Currently , India was exporting raw materials worth around £5 million while importing British manufactured goods valued at about £10 million annually. This created a trade deficit that drained resources from India, fueling British industries while crippling local economies.
3. Destruction of Local Industries:
Once the center of a flourishing textile industry, India saw its local crafts and manufacturing collapse under British rule. The introduction of tariffs and cheap British imports devastated Indian weavers, leading to unemployment and poverty. By the 1880s, Indian textile production had plummeted, with Britain's share of the global textile market skyrocketing at the expense of Indian artisans.
4. Forced Famine and Mortality:
British policies often prioritized revenue collection over the welfare of the Indian population. During the Great Famine of 1876-78, millions starved as grain was exported to meet tax obligations, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 6-10 million people. This tragedy highlighted the callous disregard the British had for Indian lives in pursuit of profit.
5. Loot from Princely States:
The annexation of Indian princely states by the British brought vast riches into their coffers. For example, the annexation of Punjab in 1849 yielded a treasure of approximately £20 million, which included gold, jewels, and lands. This systematic plundering of wealth was justified by the British under the guise of governance.
6. Military Financing:
India was made to finance British military operations both locally and abroad. Between 1857 and 1882, it is estimated that over £200 million was extracted from Indian resources to support British military campaigns, further exacerbating the economic drain on the country.
The Human Cost
The article concluded with a poignant reminder of the human impact of this exploitation:
"The economic policies of the British have not only looted India of its wealth but have also broken the spirit and lives of its people. The pervasive poverty, widespread famine, and destruction of livelihoods serve as a stark testament to the depths of British greed. While they amassed fortunes, the Indian populace suffered unimaginable hardships, a reality that cannot be ignored any longer."
As the students and readers absorbed this information, the weight of the British Empire's actions became clear. It was not just the loss of wealth that stung, but the profound betrayal of a nation that had once thrived, now reduced to mere shadows of its former self, all under the relentless grip of colonial rule.
As the crowds continued to gather around the delivery boys and the fresh copies of the Indian Daily News, the readers delved deeper into the articles that lay before them. What they uncovered next sent shockwaves through the masses. This was not just a story of exploitation or economic looting, but of cruelty, brutality, and the systematic oppression of an entire population under British rule.
Cruelty Under British Rule: Lives Crushed, Freedom Denied
The article did not hold back, exposing the darker, bloodier side of British in India. The words on the page painted a grim picture of life under the colonial regime, stirring anger, pain, and sorrow in equal measure.
1. Forced Labor and Slavery:
The article began by detailing the indentured servitude that millions of Indians were forced into. Under the guise of employment, countless Indian laborers were shipped off to distant British colonies—Mauritius, the Caribbean, Africa—where they toiled in brutal conditions. Promised work and wages, they were instead treated as little more than slaves. Many were never to see their homeland again, their lives spent under the whip of plantation owners, their labor exploited to enrich the Empire.
"Thousands of men, women, and even children are forced into backbreaking work, sold lies about their freedom while their chains grow tighter. This system is nothing short of modern-day slavery, and the British are its architects."
2. The Crushing of Rebellions:
Next, the article turned to the violent suppression of Indian uprisings. Most notable was the 1857 Rebellion, or what the British referred to as the "Mutiny." The piece recounted the sheer scale of British retaliation, where entire villages were burned to the ground, and anyone suspected of disloyalty was executed—sometimes without trial. Indians, young and old, were lined up and shot or hanged, their only crime being their desire for freedom.
"In 1857, rivers ran red with the blood of Indians. The British showed no mercy, killing men, women, and children alike. From Delhi to Kanpur, from Lucknow to Jhansi, their vengeance was total and unforgiving."
It cited examples of mass executions—how entire communities were wiped out to send a message. The infamous Bibighar massacre of Kanpur, where British forces executed Indian men suspected of rebellion and then tied the remaining women to cannons and blasted them apart, was described in harrowing detail.
3. Torture and Imprisonment:
The article exposed the rampant use of torture in British-run jails. Anyone who dared to speak against the British or protest their policies faced brutal repercussions. Indian freedom fighters, political leaders, and common people alike were subjected to horrific conditions. The Indian Daily News painted a vivid picture of the notorious prisons, where men were crammed into cells, starved, beaten, and tortured for information or simply to break their spirit.
"In the dungeons of the Empire, screams echo through the night. Bodies are broken, wills are shattered, and yet still they demand our silence. The British do not simply imprison our bodies, they seek to imprison our minds."
4. Famines as Weapons:
One of the most damning parts of the article revealed how the British used famine as a weapon of control. The recent Great Famine of 1876-78, which resulted in the deaths of 6-10 million Indians, was not merely a natural disaster but one exacerbated by British indifference and greed. Grain and food were forcibly exported to Britain while Indians starved. Those who could not pay the high taxes were left to die, ignored by the colonial government.
"In their hunger for profit, the British let millions of our people starve. As our fields dried up, as our children withered away, they hoarded food and wealth, concerned only with their coffers."
5. Public Executions and Humiliation:
The article also delved into the public punishments and executions that were common throughout British-controlled India. The British were known to make spectacles of Indian rebels and freedom fighters, often hanging them in public squares or beheading them in full view of terrified onlookers. In some regions, rebels were strapped to the mouths of cannons and blown apart in a gruesome display meant to instill fear and subjugation among the masses.
"To defy the British is to court death in the most humiliating and brutal ways. They hang our bravest sons in public, forcing our people to watch, reminding us of the price of resistance. This is not law; this is terror."
As the article drew to a close, the stark reality of British rule was undeniable. The British had not only looted India of its wealth but had also robbed it of dignity, freedom, and countless lives. The message was clear: British cruelty knew no bounds, and their empire thrived on the suffering of the Indian people.
The readers of the Indian Daily News were left in stunned silence, many overcome with anger, while others wept for their fellow countrymen who had endured such horrors. As the whispers and debates grew louder, one thing was certain—this was no longer just a fight for wealth or independence; this was a fight for survival, for humanity, and for the soul of India.