Target age range: Year 12 students of A-level history, OCR Y320 specification

This seven‑lesson enquiry investigates the question ‘What was the economic impact of colonialism on the lives and livelihoods of Indians?’ for OCR A-level history. Through case studies on land, railways, business, capital and famine, labour, and economic nationalism, students explore the economic impact of British rule on India between 1857 and 1947. The sequence combines data, graphs, primary sources and personal stories to examine both the structures of colonial exploitation and the varied Indian responses, framed by the concepts of accommodation and resistance. Lessons culminate in a reasoned judgement on the experiences of Indian people and the economic consequences of empire.

This enquiry was written by Ammar Khan TFHA, Assistant Headteacher (Teaching and Learning) at Drayton Manor High School in London.

Every effort has been made to trace all image copyright holders and permissions in these resources, although occasionally it has not been possible to identify them. Please contact Maheema Chanrai at maheema.chanrai@history.org.uk with any queries.

Image: British-Indian women, probably in Surinam, circa 1900. Credit: Nieuwenhuis, A.W. (public domain). Collection: Leiden University Library; Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies.