European colonialism resulted in a new form of empire. For the first time, a distinction was formed between the conquerors and the conquered. Unlike earlier kingdoms and empires, the rulers would come for a short period of time and were themselves answerable to superiors in the home country. Western empires were also a period of great triumphalism in that culture. This was reflected in the "civilizing" mission that these empires imagined for themselves.
Take India as an example. This was the crown jewel of the British Empire. The resources and manpower of India were crucial to the maintenance and reach of British might. Indian troops were used in the various wars with Chinese and in both World Wars. India was critical as a supplier of raw materials and as a market for British manufactures. Originally coming as traders, the British had established themselves first as a major power and then as a dominant power before finally formally absorbing India into the British Empire.
What was the impact of British rule on India? Uniting India into a political unit had always imposed the problem of distance and the twin problem of communication. The territory to be governed is so large that pre-industrial empires could not maintain effective control over regions remote from the political and administrative center for very long. Industrialization, more specifically the development of trains and telegraph resolved this problem. Over the course of the 19th century, the British extended and cemented their hold over the country. There were many positive developments as a result. The spread of trains and telegraph and later roads and telephone helped to weave the country into a single market. Political control gave stability after a long period of unrest as the once mighty Mughal Empire slowly decayed. This gave a fillip to economic activity. There was a slow gradual spread of education. There was a slow but steady process of industrialization. Practices like thuggee and sati were eliminated. Law and order was imposed and overseen by a bureaucracy that was generally viewed as impartial and non-corrupt. Perhaps the best legacy viewed was the transplantation of parliamentary democracy. Viewed like this, British rule over India does not sound bad at all. But this presents only part of the picture.
To see an alternate view, look at what happened to Bengal under British rule. Prior to British rule, Bengal was the wealthiest and most prosperous region in India. The British started ruling this area after defeating its rule in the Battle of Plassey. The immediate aftermath was a massive plunder of the province. This was compounded by misguided efforts to introduce a market based land system. The net result was the impoverishment of Bengal to such an extent that it has not recovered its former prosperity till this point.
India's industrial output fell from approximately 25 percent of the world's output in 1750 (the effective start of British rule in India) to 2% in 1900. By any measure, this was a massive decline. The worst affected was the Indian textile industry which was essentially wiped out during this period. This was a result of deliberate British policy which imposed tariffs on Indian exports to Britain but did not do so for British exports to India. India was deindustrialized first and then a process of slow, reluctant industrialization was allowed. The industrialization process mentioned above was despite the British not because of it. Strong efforts were made to impose a market based land system in India without regard for local conditions and history. In the process, traditional structures were dismantled without anything similar being put in place. Laissez faire policies were pursued to an extent that on occasion famines would occur.
Another point to keep in mind is that apart from these negative aspects of British rule, there was also a change in British attitudes as their hold consolidated and solidified. Arrivals in the 18th century had not viewed themselves as being inherently superior. 100 years later, there was a strong conviction of inherent superiority. By the early 20th century, a hierarchy in which the British were at the top was firmly established. This attitude reflected in their attitudes towards the local culture and local institutions. The spread of Western education was encouraged with a two fold purpose. One was to introduce a class of people who looked to the British for inspiration. The second was to use this class for clerical administrative requirements. The end result was a class of people who were alienated from their local culture and history but who were also not accepted by the ruling class. On top of everything, the British also imposed "home charges" over India which effectively meant that Indians were paying the British for the privilege of being ruled by them. These home charges were carefully calibrated to ensure a profitable British rule.
What about the political front? Surely the British imposed stable political structures over India. Again, the record here is spotty. The British were directly responsible for creating what is today the single biggest flash point between India and Pakistan: Kashmir. After annexing Punjab, the British handed over Kashmir to one Gulab Singh for the then princely sum of Rs. 7.5 million. This imposed a non-Muslim ruler over a Muslim population. Fast forward 100 years. At the time of the partition of India, the so-called Princely States were given the option of joining India or Pakistan or becoming independent. The last option was basically not practical so essentially there were only two choices. India annexed the princely state of Junagadh and Manavadar (which had a Muslim ruler) on the basis that the population was not Muslim. Yet this principle was not followed over Kashmir and that set the stage for one of the most dangerous rivalries in the world.
Was Imperialism beneficial for India? It was responsible for short circuiting India's local political, economic and social development. It did provide some benefits but these came at a cost. British actions were influenced by their desire to preserve their rule in India. These actions resulted in some benefits but also set the stage for future conflict. Having said this, I will also say that nothing has prevented India and Pakistan from negotiating towards a decrease of hostilities. But we have to recognize that the seeds of conflict were set during Imperial rule.
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