British imperial expansion followed strategic defence of India, with trade trailing the flag

Evidence

Scholars note that the factors that motivated British imperialism were dominated by two main theories. Firstly, Ronald Robinson and John Gallagher assert that the strategic defence of India was the ‘primary motive’ for imperial policy. In this sense, the trade of Britain followed the flag.[xxi] They argue that Britain’s desire for direct control can be summarised as This website was built on Wix. — Robin Alexander Plant, Discuss the Relationship Between…, 10

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the broader Robinson-Gallagher ‘official mind’ / informal empire literature and to periphery-driven accounts of imperial policy.