ABSTRACT
Often called the jewel in the crown, India was central to Britain’s imperial interests from early in the eighteenth century. Initially run by a private trading company, British India passed into formal government control in the 1850s. Its importance was such that protecting it involved a global network stretching from China to South Africa. The huge profits from opium out of India involved Britain in war with China and the creation of the new colony of Hong Kong. Throughout its colonial history India supported – and was supported by – a vast military that was frequently deployed around the Empire in defence of British interests. India was the largest single territory under European rule in the world.
