The History of Cricket in India
Since the beginning of British Influence in India, cricket has always been an influential sport. The Olympics bring together competitors from all countries, like how cricket connects many different groups within India. But it wasn't always this way. Originally, cricket was brought over from Britain before it was introduced into India. But what made this happen?
To understand the beginnings of cricket, we must understand its foundations. Historically, In the 1600s, British merchants centralized power in India with the British East India Company (EIC). The Mughal Empire, the dominant power in India, collapsed, and the EIC began to be absorbed into Indian politics. Their power and territory began to increase, and a series of acts passed by the English Parliament to isolate trade for themselves only deepened the divide between the Indian Populace and British people. In 1803, the Mughal capital was invaded, and the ruler lost all his power to the British. One influential rebellion was the Sepoy Mutiny, where Indian soldiers rose violently against their British commanders. There were many reasons for this, one of the most important being the forced cohabitation of Hindus and Muslims. In 1857, the Mughal Dynasty and the EIC were terminated. Queen Elizabeth was claimed Empress of India and sealed the Koh-i-noor within her crown. To this day, India demands it back, claiming it was stolen.
Not all British influence was political; Britain developed India culturally and socially. For one, Pseudoscience like Social Darwinism, a theory that claims human groups are subject to natural selection like animal and plant species, only gave more incentive to imperialize. This created a cultural division within India, which had previously been social due to the caste system. Cricket was used to bridge the gap between the 2 groups, and Indian elites used to play it to gain favor with the high-status British. This cemented it as a sport of the elite and helped it travel throughout India along the British-made Railway networks. It soon spread to lower-class communities and was interwoven with Indian culture.
Originally, cricket was exported to all British colonies to enforce a cultural order via imperialism and diplomacy. Imperialism, the concept of spreading power through domination, was implemented by the previously mentioned Social Darwinism, where Victorian concepts such as Chivalry and Sportsmanship were introduced to the ‘uncivilized’ populations. But as time went on, cricket smoothed over cultural tensions by uniting them. In a simplified explanation, during the Indian Partition, Muslims went to Pakistan, and Hindus remained in India. Even though the countries had split, their rivalry was still apparent. Because of their shared origins, both countries maintained personal ties to cricket. As the years went on, tensions flowed and ebbed, and matches could either be an icebreaker or the calm before the storm.
In the twenty-first century, cricket has brought India unmatched financial success. The Indian Premier League (IPL) has become one of the most popular cricket leagues globally. For comparison, Each NBA game is worth 2 million, and each IPL game is worth 15 million. Foreign investment has also increased in countries like Japan and the Netherlands. Infrastructure development has led to bigger and better stadiums, academies, and training facilities. Consequently, this has stimulated a rise in tourism and jobs.
Although it started in Britain, Cricket has become a global phenomenon. And as the years pass, it deserves its place within India. From its humble beginnings as a simple pastime to becoming a symbol of rebellion, cricket represents a sense of Nationalism that transcends all groups and boundary lines; it represents the heart of the Indian subcontinent.
Sources
Ahiwale, M. (n.d.). Cricket and the Indian economy. In Focus. https://www.thaiindia.net/information/in-focus/item/5050-cricket-and-the-indian-economy.html
Ashik, R. I. (2024, March 11). Why is India obsessed with cricket? The shocking truth!. Why is India Obsessed with Cricket? https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-india-obsessed-cricket-rafiqul-islam-ashik-wfbof#:~:text=India’s%20obsession%20with%20cricket%20stems,diverse%20cultures%20within%20the%20country.
The British impact on India, 1700–1900. Association for Asian Studies. (2023, June 15). https://www.asianstudies.org/publications/eaa/archives/the-british-impact-on-india-1700-1900/
Doubtnut. (n.d.). Were there any positive contributions made by the British in India? discuss. https://www.doubtnut.com/pcmb-questions/47708
Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (2024, March 28). British Raj. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/British-raj
The history of cricket in India. The Spirit of Cricket. (n.d.). https://stevewaugh.com.au/pages/the-history-of-cricket-in-india
MeisterDrucke. (n.d.). The all-india cricket team of 1911 1912 by Unbekannt. https://www.meisterdrucke.uk/fine-art-prints/Unbekannt/705401/The-all-India-cricket-team-of-1911-1912.html
Not quite cricket? – cricket’s relationship with British colonialism. New Histories. (n.d.). https://newhistories.sites.sheffield.ac.uk/volumes/2010-11/volume-2/issue-4-sport-and-leisure/not-quite-cricket-crickets-relationship-with-british-colonialism
Team, R. (2024, March 28). Beginner’s Guide to Cricket Rules. https://www.realbuzz.com/articles-interests/sports-activities/article/beginners-guide-to-cricket-rules
Wikimedia Foundation. (2024a, May 13). Cricket in India. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket_in_India
Wikimedia Foundation. (2024b, May 24). India national cricket team. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_national_cricket_team
MeisterWerke. (n.d.). The all-india cricket team of 1911 1912 by Unbekannt. https://www.meisterdrucke.uk/fine-art-prints/Unbekannt/705401/The-all-India-cricket-team-of-1911-1912.html