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British rule also brought administrative unity several ancient
inside the country. Less than one rule, one Sanskrit texts of this
administrative framework, one set of law, judicial land and established
court, administrative officers, etc. became same before the people the
everywhere inside the country. It created aware- glorious cultural heri-
ness among Indians that this vast united India tage of India. Inspired
belongs to them and by the way, created nation- by them, the Indian
alism within them. scholars like R.D.
Development in the Means of Communica- Banerjee and R.G.
tion and Transport : Lord Dalhousie made a Bhandarkar. Mahan
lasting contribution for Indians by introducing Mahamahopadhyaya
railways, telegraph and new mode of postal Haraprasad Shastri, Lord Dalhousie
system. Roads were connected with India from Bal Gangadhar Tilak, etc. rediscovered India’s
one end to the other. Though, all these were past glory from the history of this land. This
meant to serve imperial interest, the people of encouraged the people of India who felt that they
India capitalised it. The railway compartment were the ancestors of grand monarchs of this
reflected a united India. It narrowed down gap country and ruled by foreigners. This flared up
among them and gave them the feeling that they the fire of nationalism.
all belonged to this vast India which was under Socio-religious Reform Movements : The
the grip of the British rule. national awakening in the nineteenth century
Impact of Western Education : The introduc- was largely due to the socio-religious movements
tion of English education in 1835 was a mile- launched by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami
stone in the British administration. It was primar- Dayananda Saraswati, Swami Vivekananda, Syed
ily meant to create an educated Indian mass who Ahmad Khan, Annie Besant, etc. These reform-
would be faithful servants to the British rule. ers championed the causes of human equality,
However, with the gradual march of time, the individual liberty, abolition of social disparity and
English educated Indians became the pioneers in so on. This reformed the minds of Indians and
the socio-politico-economical and religious awoke them from centuries of thralldom.
reforms in India. Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Growth of Vernacular Literature : The
Vivekananda, Feroz Shah Mehta, Dadabhai influence of western education prompted the
Nairobi and Surendranath Banerjee championed educated Indians to reflect the idea of liberty,
the cause of liberty, equality humanitarianism freedom and nationalism through the vernacular
etc. Gradually, the English educated Indians literature. They aimed at arousing the mass to
became the torch-bearers of Indian nationalism oppose British rule being surcharged by the spirit
and aroused national consciousness in the minds of nationalism. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s
of millions of Indians. Anand Math (which contained the song Vande
Rediscovery of India’s Glorious Past : The Mataram) and Dinabandhu Mitra’s play Neel
nineteenth century Indian Renaissance created Darpan extorted tremendous influence upon the
several avenues in the field of oriental studies. people and created anti-British feelings among
Western scholars like Max Muller, Sir William them. Bhartendu Harishchandra’s play Baraga
Jones, Alexander Cunningham, etc. translated Purdahs reflected the miserable condition of
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