The East India Company came about by taking advantage of selfish Rajahs (kings) who bartered their souls for the comforts of a luxurious life to which these kings had grown accustomed. It started with trade, which was a disguise to push the British Agenda of control and conversion in the Eastern parts. Slowly, it grew into a mini kingdom within the kingdoms with its tentacles everywhere. They developed a private army larger than the then British army and, of course, with guns and ammunition that were not yet available. The army feigned to provide protection to the kings and nawabs and help in the administration, just as an extortionist provides protection for a payment. But slowly their intention of ruling began to become clear. But by then, few were ready to resist as the moguls were a spent force and the Hindu kings, by then accustomed to luxury and tired of centuries of fighting against the Moghuls, were also not ready to resist. By then, the empires were crumbling and the Rajahs were scrambling to snatch the booties of broken empires. There was no unity, only some kingdoms with poor resources and some relics of past empires. In fact, the Age of Empires through which Nature had experimented for a couple of millenniums was coming to a close. The Time Spirit was to bring in new ways for the unification of mankind. During this phase of transition, the British Raj established itself in the East, taking advantage of the prevailing confusion within a divided people who, barring a few who continued to put up a fight, had lost their strength and faith in themselves.
The night was thickest and complete, waiting for the New Dawn to arrive. Sri Ramakrishna revived the faith and Swami Vivekananda aroused the strength, but it was given to Sri Aurobindo to announce and bring the New Dawn, making a passage through the Night by awakening the soul of India. The rest is history.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
