As we have learned over and over again in this course, language is extremely political. In this episode we can see how widespread English use in an area means British power in that area.
For example, in India British traders at first learned the Indian language and accquired some styles of Indian dress and customs. At that time, Great Britian was merely a trading partner. However, as the British took rule over areas a little at a time they stopped adapting to Indian customs and a new relationship began to form.
The English were the ruling power and, therefore, the highest class. They did not speak the Indian language, they spoke Enligsh. This meant that all of the best jobs were with the British in English. English became a sign of wealth and education that made people want to learn it.
The other side to the power of the English language in that sense is that by refusing to learn the Indian languages the British declared it as inferior. The same is true for their refusal to follow Indian customs and styles of dress. As people switched to English it was a form of control of the population and proving the power that the English held. By having everyone speak the English language, this forced their thoughts and words to be moulded by the words and rules of the language. Language also shapes culture, and thus shaped the Indian culture by nudging the British culture their way.
"Language of Empire." The Adventure of English. Dir. Nigel Wattis. Melvyn Bragg. LWT, 2003.
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