Answer: Originally the British went to India as tradesmen, but gradually they became the rulers of the country. On Dec. 31, 1600, the East India Company was established, and, like all commercial bodies, its main objective was to trade. Gradually during the 18th century, the pendulum swung from commerce to administration. The deterioration of Mughal power in India, the final expulsion of French rivals in the Seven Years’ War, and the virtual appropriation of Bengal and Bihar in a treaty of 1765 had all made the company a ruling power. Despite this, the company did not recognize the promotion of education among the people of India as a part of its duty or obligation. For a long time, the British at home were greatly opposed to any system of public instruction for the Indians, just as they were for their people.