M.N.Srinivas, an Indian sociologist defines westernisation as ‘the impact of 150 years of British rule & the resultant changes in technology, ideology, institution, and values in India‘.
Westernization opened new opportunities for social mobility. For example, making land as a saleable commodity & treating everyone equally helped people of lower castes in improving social status. The New Legal system by British rule tried to uplift the lower castes by bringing ‘The Caste Disabilities Removal Act’ and ‘Abolition of Slavery’. These laws helped in bridging the gap between lower castes & upper castes.
Westernization during the British rule also brought reforms by providing educational opportunities to the people of lower castes, who were hitherto denied the right to education.
Westernization did not begin or end with British rule. Even after independence, the impact of western culture is a lot not just on India but also on the other former colonies too.
