Indian History Essay 

In order to be enlightened about the present one must first have an understanding of a
nation's past. The British rule of India had a significant impact on the nation, which has been
represented in numerous sources. In the film ​Victoria and Abdul​, directed by Stephen
Frears, the audience is able to gain an understanding of the impact of British rule on India
through the relationship between Queen Victoria and an Indian man, Abdul Karim. Frears
shows us the positive impact Abdul has on Victoria through the filmic device employed.
In the artwork ​The British Lion's Vengeance On The Bengal Tiger​ (1857) published by Punch
Magazine, viewers are able to gain an understanding of the power held by the British over
India through the use of visual devices. Whereas in the separate image a photograph of a
railway bridge​ said to be taken in 1900, designed by british engineers and constructed by
indian workers. Some could argue about the positive impacts made by the english in these
times.

When one can understand the past, they can also make sense of their present. The film
Victoria and Abdul​ presents this through the character of Abdul Karim, an Indian man who is
being sent to England to present the Queen with a mohur. His influence over the Queen is
displayed in the film enabling responders to comprehend how the past informs the present.
The opening scene of the film helps capture the hustle of the vibrant and busy Indian setting,
then takes us to the boring British port that Abdul and his friend arrive at. The panoramic
shot that captures Abdul a Muslim man, praying with an image of the Taj MaHal in the
background, phelping place veiwers in a particular context and culture. The image of Abdul
praying shows his Islamic religion and places his character within this context, representing
an example of one of the many religions practiced in India. The onscreen text reveals to
viewers that India has been ruled by Britain. This also suggests that England’s past and its
relationship or views of India, have informed the present.

Body: (2)
In order to fully understand our past, we need to grasp the terms of the present. India’s
position in the 18th century was significantly different to that of Australia both politically,
religiously and culturally. This is stated by Punch Magazine’s ​The British Lion’s vengeance
on the Bengal tiger​, an illustration which shows a lion attacking a tiger, symbolic of Britain
and India respectively. This source specifically shows that the Bengal tiger is being beaten
by the bigger and more powerful British lion, this indicates that Britain would continue to
maintain power in India, which it did until Indian independence in 1947. This significant event
happened through the violence that is represented in this artwork. The vector created by the
Lion draws attention to the tiger who is pinning down a lifeless body. This body could be
symbolic of India, a fruitful and fertile, life filled woman, dominated by external forces. It is
evident that by examining sources from a particular time period, one is able to discern how
the past informs the present.

Body: (3)
Once you can finally grasp the past, we need to come to terms with the past. The british had
invested large sums of money into the process of building railways. ​This was partly for
military reasons. Railways made it easier to transport troops and that made it easier to
control a huge area like India. But the investment in railways also helped to develop the
agriculture industry and communications in India. A source like this proves just how hard it
was to make judgements on the empire in India. On the other hand, India did not experience
rapid economic growth in the same way Britain did. The population did not rise dramatically.
Many of its own industries, like the cloth industry, were destroyed by competition with
Britain's industries. This proves that the 1900s in India was the point of economic
development in India as well as the negative impact it would bring the country such as the
target they would have benign such a spice rich country while having the benefits of
transport. It is evident that in such times like the past that we understand them it has
informed the present in many different ways.

Conclusion:
We are able to grasp the present by understanding the past through these sources. Through
using the three sources of information. ​the film ​Victoria and Abdul​, directed by Stephen
Frears, and the artwork ​The British Lion's Vengeance On The Bengal Tiger​ (1857) published
by Punch Magazine and a photograph of a ​railway bridge​ said to be taken in 1900, designed
by british engineers and constructed by indian workers.