How did the Development of English Help British Imperialism

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How did the development of English help British Imperialism flourish in the th century and onwards NU The Rise of English is a famous book by Terry Eagleton present In this book the author explains how English studies and British imperialism worked together in the th century He shows that English was not only a language but also a political tool It became a way to spread British culture and support colonial rule Education for Colonial Administrators The British made English studies compulsory for civil service jobs Eagleton shows that this policy trained colonial officers in English culture They spread this culture among colonized people This made officials active agents of cultural imperialism He remarks The era of the academic establishment of English is also the era of high imperialism in England English as Cultural Domination English literature was used to shape the minds of colonized people Promoting English helped

the empire impose its values Eagleton points out that literature worked as a soft weapon of control Colonies absorbed British ideas through stories poems and plays This cultural power helped the empire grow stronger Literature as Moral Force Religion was losing its authority in the th century Literature began to act as a guide to morals Eagleton explains that it carried the empire s ideology He writes English is constructed as a subject to carry this ideological burden from the Victorian period onwards Literature thus served both social control and political needs In short Eagleton clearly shows that English supported British imperialism It trained administrators shaped colonial culture and acted as moral authority By spreading English the British spread power This close tie of language and empire helped colonial rule succeed

The Rise of English

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How did the Development of English Help British Imperialism

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Terry Eagleton

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