Slavery in the British Empire

The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century the foremost global power in the world. Its influence extended in the political, cultural, legal and linguistic domain. The Age of Discovery led to the European exploration of the globe and in the process the establishment of large overseas colonies.

At the end of the 14^th century Europeans began to take people from Africa against their will. In 1672 Charles II gave the Royal African Company (RAC) the monopoly to supply African slaves to the British colonies. These slaves were mainly transported to the Carribean and American colonies to work as indentured labourers. At times the slaves resisted and there were frequent rebellions by slaves against their masters. The slaves lived in inhuman conditions and many of them died of disease, starvation and misery. The white colonists claimed racial superiority over the enslaved black Africans. Between 1698 and 1797, 75,000 slaves were transported from Africa to the Carribeans through the Atlantic slave trade. It was estimated in 1796 that every year about 72,000 slaves were transported from Africa to the West Indies.

Over the next 20 years the Royal African Company (RAC) carried over 90,000 slaves to the Americas. In the beginning of the 18^th century the RAC lost its monopoly to supply slaves to the British colonies. Between the 16^th and the 19^th centuries up to 15 million Africans were carried as slaves to the Americas. The Church of England encouraged the British slave trade and owned a large number of slaves. However, many church members condemned slavery and opposed it. Two of them, Granville Sharp and Thomas Clarkson established the society for the abolition of the slave trade in 1787. In the beginning of the 19^th century there were various efforts made for the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. The British Parliament finally abolished slavery in 1833 but it was not until 1838 that slavery was officially abolished in the British Empire. After the abolition of the slave trade new societies emerged in America and many Africans were displaced from their homelands. Britain used racial superiority to justify the enslavement of Africans.

Thus, it can be said that the slave trade in the British Empire was an outcome of the European colonization of the Americas, Africa and Asia. It was a profit for the slave owners to own slaves and engage in the enslavement of Africans. However, in the present context with the advancement of human rights and democracy slavery no longer exists since all nations of the world have recognized the natural rights of human beings.

The emergence,rise and decline of Buddhism in ancient India.

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When we hear about Buddhism, we converse about Gautam Buddha and his philosophical ideas.  But do we really know who Gautam Buddha was?

Gautam Buddha born between 6th century BCE- 4th century BCE was the founder of the Buddhist religion in India. Born in a  Kshatriya family in Lumbini, Nepal. Gautam Buddha was a prince who belonged to the Shakya clan.

When Gautam Buddha was young he witnessed scenes where he saw an old man with a stick, a dead body being taken to a cemetery , a poor man begging . This completely changed his outlook towards life. He investigated the  root  cause of all these problems and came to the conclusion that human life was full of sorrows and sufferings.

After  seeing this, he gave up his princely life and started meditating under a tree. After years of meditation Buddha became enlightened and attracted followers which became his disciples. For preaching the Buddhist philosophy he used the language of Pali. Over a period of time his followers came to be known as  Bhikkus or Monks.This was the beginning of Buddhism in India and subsequently it spread to East-Asia, South-east Asia and Central Asia.

Gautam Buddha emphasized the doctrine of transmigration of soul until it attains a state of Nirvana. He was against the prevailing caste system in ancient India. After his death, Buddhism eventually split into two schools of thought – “The Theravada school of Buddhism” and “The Mahayana school of Buddhism”. The Theravada school of Buddhism is the leading school in Srilanka,Myanmar,Laos and Cambodia. They believe that it is the most complete form of Buddhism. It lays stress on Spirituality, individual enlightenment,pure thoughts and actions, self discipline and it has a separate role for monks whereas Mahayana school of Buddhism emphasizes complete enlightenment and it is mostly prevalent in Korea, Japan, China,Vietnam, Tibet, Bangladesh, Malaysia. Over the course of time monasteries were established throughout India .

Initially Buddhism was confined only to eastern India but with the passage of time kings patronized Buddhism.The most famous of all these was the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka who converted to Buddhism after the battle of Kalinga.He sent missionaries to various parts of India and throughout East Asia,Central Asia and Southeast asia. After Ashoka the Greco Bactrians, Indo Greeks and the Kushanas patronized Buddhism.The main reason for the rise of Buddhism in Ancient India was that it was against the rituals and caste system prevalent in the Hindu religion at that time. Also Buddha preached in the language of the common people which was Pali.

Buddhism also had a  cultural impact on the art and architecture of  ancient India as exemplified by the Ajanta and Ellora caves where Buddha is shown in a symbolic expression meditating. Also the Sanchi stupa in Madhya Pradesh is another example of Buddhist architecture. The Amaravati stupa in Andhra Pradesh though ruined is also a testimony to Buddhist architecture.

Buddhism eventually began to decline in India .A number of causes have been attributed which are loss of royal patronage,regionalization of Indian kingdoms,the reassertion of Brahminical ideology,the rise of Rajputs and the Muslim Invasions.

In short it can be said that Buddhism was a response to the changing social and political conditions in ancient India. Its emergence,rise and decline coincided with the rise and fall of Indian kingdoms .It can be concluded  that Buddhism's philosophical and cultural significance held prominence in ancient India .