How could a colony such as India benefit great Britain?

There are, to my mind, four huge benefits that accrued to Britain from ruling over India. Prestige: India .... But at the same time, it was realized that Britain could still control trade with the colonies without having to pay for their defense and governance. Economist .... Why was the Dandi Salt March such a big deal? read more

The British presence in India of 350 years could broadly be divided into 2 parts - The first 250 years (from 1600s to 1850s) of the East India Company and the remaining 100 years (1850s - 1947) when the British Crown took over and EIC was dissolved. read more

I think the British ruling classes are the ones that largely benefited. It gave people in that group far more opportunities. If they couldn’t find good employment at home, for examply, they could go help manage a tea plantation in India. The British underclasses, on the other hand, didn’t benefit nearly as much. read more