The British rule in India lasted for about 190 years if considering the period starting from the Battle of Plassey in 1757, when the British East India Company began its rise to power, until India gained independence in 1947. More specifically, the period known as the British Raj, during which the British Crown ruled directly over India, lasted from 1858 to 1947, nearly 89 years.
Key periods of British rule in India:
- The British East India Company started establishing control over parts of India from 1757 after the Battle of Plassey.
- British Crown rule, known as the British Raj, officially began in 1858 after the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
- British colonial rule ended in 1947 with the independence and partition of India into the Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan.
Thus, British influence and control spanned roughly from 1757 to 1947 (about 190 years), while direct Crown rule lasted from 1858 to 1947 (about 89 years).
