The Survival of English in India

The prevalence of English in India has to be attributed to the British presence there for well over 350 years and to their colonial administration for about 200 years.If India had not been conquered by the British, perhaps the Indian subcontinent today would be hosting a multitude of independent nations each having its own language, for India as a single political entity did not exist until 1947, when the British left the subcontinent.Prior to the British advent, the Indian subcontinent consisted of several kingdoms and principalities, some large and some small, governed by local rajahs 'kings' and maharajahs 'great kings.'Even towards the end of the British reign, 500 rajahs and maharajahs are reported to have remained in India, some holding on to only their title but many possessing substantial wealth, estates, and kingdoms.The British had let them continue as rulers of small enclaves since they posed no threat to the British rule over most of India.The peoples of India belonged, as they still do, to different religions, races, cultures, castes, and languages."It was the common enemy, the British colonialists, who united these diverse peoples as they struggled to break the alien yoke.Paradoxically, it was English, the language of the conquerors, that helped Indians communicate among themselves and work out strategies against the conquerors, for apart from English, the linguistically divided Indians had no common language.