Railway Travel in Colonial India - Essay Example

Railway Travel in Colonial India and Influence on Identity and Community Introduction Railway travel was introduced in Colonial India around 1850s and it had profound influences in the areas that it passed through.1 It became the most important piece of infrastructure in colonial India as they connected almost all aspects of the Indian society affecting mostly their identity as a community. The main intention of the British introducing railway travel in India was to transport the military and the officials but the native Indians found it a suitable means of transport. It also strengthened the beliefs on identity on the Indians as a community especially the social relations existent in the country at the time. This is because the railway lines were relevant in the formation of imagined communities especially after the division of India into present day India and Pakistan. The train changed the social relations from that she refers to as concrete lived relations to abstract generalities while it also became a sign of collective identity. Travel through the railway in Colonial India also eliminated individual identities to communal ones which led to the doing away with the held social relations. Therefore, travel through railway lines in Colonial India greatly affected how the citizens identify with each other as well as how the community interacts. In this paper we will discuss the notions of identity in colonial India as affected by travel and transport through the railway line. Our focus will be on how travel through railway led to the growth of a sense of national identity amongst people of disparate regions in colonial India and the raising of the consciousness about the social order in the Indian community. The paper will also make a discussion on how travel by railway in colonial India mobilized the people around one political ideology thus giving them a sense of identity as one Indian community. Railway Travel in Colonial India and Influence on Identity and Community The most everlasting and contribution of European Imperialism to its colonies were through the invention of machines and amongst the most important was the invention of locomotives. The locomotives had the potential to move people and goods from one point to another which had serious impacts on the social, cultural, economic and political compositions and identities of societies. Almost all colonial governments used their superiority in technology to annex and exercise control over the affairs of nations. The colonialists used technology such as construction of railway lines rather than ideologies to further their imperialistic ideals over the colonies.2 These could be through the progress and power of industrial technology and for India; it was the railway line that became a major legacy of British colonization. Therefore, technology was used in subjugating populations as well as colonizing countries in Africa and Asia for their resources. In India, the British used the railway line as a means of conquering the sub-continent and appropriate its resources for their own gain. The British not only constructed the railway line for economic and political reasons but also to attain legitimacy for the colonization of India as well as the civilization of the people. 3 These railway lines connected the most important regions of India and at the time were seen as a symbol of modernity by the native Indians who used them for connection to the areas that it reached.  Questions arise whether these railway lines managed to civilize the Indians in the desired manner in terms of their identity and sense of community. Despite the reasons for the construction of the railway lines in India, its most important impact apart from travel and transportation was on breaking down the old cultural divisions present in colonial India and creating social exchange for people of all walks of lives. Travel through railway therefore emerged as the centre of social exchange as human beings met from diverse communities thus reducing the differences amongst regions. This helped in shaping a sense of national identity and belonging amongst the Indians. As already mentioned above, the British constructed the railway line as a colonial project with priorities of what was important to the British economy, it also managed to change the culture of India. The railway lines had social and economic impacts on colonial India apart from increasing mobility and stimulating other activities such as transfer of labour and uptake of pilgrimage. To some extent, the railway line helped achieve Indian homogeneity as travel helped in understanding the complex and diverse cultures of India. Travel through railway also helped in strengthening national solidarity during the times of the British colonization of India. The railways in colonial India therefore defined and reconfigured the society in colonial India as it changed the practices and sensibilities in relationships as well as the definition of the community. After the introduction of the railway travel, there was marked improvement in the numbers of those travelling by railway line especially those in the third class. When this happened, the railway line no longer became a subject of transportation only but that of effecting social and cultural change in colonial India. This means that in all those areas that the railway line crossed, it was expected that it would lead to a transformation of the socio-cultural well-being of the community thus giving it its identity. Social and Cultural Impacts of the Railway in Colonial India Travel through railway in colonial India broadened the social outlook and identity of the people. Initially, the caste system had determined the status of a person in the Indian society and the conservatives amongst these lots had greatly opposed the introduction of the railway line. This is because they thought that the railway line would destroy the structure of the castes and the traditional family structure as practiced by the Hindu.4 They also thought that the introduction of the railway line by the British was an attempt to convert them into Christianity thus eroding the influence of the Hindu religion that was largely practiced. However, with the introduction of the railway line, the practice of the caste system was considerably reduced and people from all castes mingled freely within the trains during travel times. Travelling by train was open to any other person who could afford it and not only to those of particular castes or class in the society. This enabled all citizens of India to broaden their views and beliefs of different religions or social backgrounds making them adopt one identity as that of the larger Indian community. Travel by railway in colonial India also helped in breaking the isolation that some communities had experienced by removing prejudices that some communities had experienced due to traditions and customs. It promoted unity amongst Indians from the different regions that the railway line passed through as almost all Indians embraced the national language as opposed to their native dialects. This enhanced national unity amongst Indians from all walks of life as they could easily communicate with one another thus creating a sense of identity and community. Further, the intermingling of people from different castes in the railway coaches and stations led to the liberalism of ideas which could be used to enhance social harmony in colonial India. Political Impacts of the Railway in Colonial India The political life of colonial India was also greatly affected by the railway travel as it turned the whole of the country into a closely-knit political unit that can identify with specific political ideals. Before the introduction of travel by railway line, different parts of India identified with different ideals depending on their geographical locations. However, travel by trains brought out the feeling of oneness and nationality as well as the desire to participate in the freedom movement. This could be seen by nationalists such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawahar Nehru using rail travel to spread the message of freedom and mobilize the people against British imperialism.5 Therefore, through travel by railways, the political activists found cheaper and reliable means of transport to far-flung areas with the aim of mobilizing and unifying the people under a common political identity. The railway stations and the wagons were used as centers of communication of the anti-Imperialism message as it was easy to mobilize people from different regions and help convey the information on the freedom movement. Through this, the railway acted as a driver of cementing the political identity of the Indians and making them bond into one Indian community with common political stand. Travel by railway in colonial India was also important in the administration of political units as the national and the state government could coordinate in the performance of their administrative duties. For instance, the princely states of Cochin and Travancore were united in administration through the construction of a railway line for travel. It can therefore be concluded that traveling in colonial India through railway line helped to connect different administrative units for the benefit of all the citizens concerned in India during those days. Having a uniform and connected administration made the Indian society develop similar identity and live as one community. Conclusion Technology more than ideology, played a key role in structuring the identity of colonized people by European imperialism. This could be in the form of construction of railway lines and travel by train to disparate regions by the colonized people as happened in the vast colony of India. Travel by railway in colonial India led to serious influence in the identity of Indians as a community as it changed the hitherto social and cultural relations in the society while at the same time unifying the community on one political ground. The railway was more important in redefining the caste system which was not supported by most Indian citizens who felt that it was retrogressive and discriminatory in nature. It also helped in the integration of people from different backgrounds along one culture that identifies with a particular identity and lives as a community. We can therefore restate that the most enduring legacy of travel through railways in colonial India was to bring people from all the major spheres of Indian life and created a homogeneous India as opposed to the previously existent heterogeneous people in India before transport by train. By connecting different regions of colonial India and bringing different cultures and social relations together, India established a common identity and lived as one community. References Ali, D., & University of London. (1999). Invoking the past: The uses of history in South Asia. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. Fischer-Tiné, H., & Mann, M. (2004). Colonialism as civilizing mission: Cultural ideology in British India. London: Anthem Press. Headrick, D. R. (1981). The tools of empire: Technology and European imperialism in the nineteenth century. New York: Oxford University Press. Vicajee, F. R., & National Indian Association in Aid of Social Progress and Education, London. (1875). Political and social effects of railways in India: Being a paper read before the National Indian Association, London, on the 25th May, 1875. London: Printed by R. Clay. Read More