Final answer:
The British educated Indians to efficiently manage their colonial enterprise, introduce Western cultural values, and prepare India for self-rule. This process created an elite class of Western-educated Indians who later led the movement for Indian independence.
Step-by-step explanation:
The British decided to educate Indians as part of their colonial strategy to utilize India's vast resources and manpower in the most efficient way possible. This included training local administrators, soldiers, and police to help run the Empire and eventually prepare India for self-rule. British educational initiatives were also influenced by their belief in the superiority of their culture and made efforts to implement social changes such as the abolition of Hindu customs and the promotion of English language and Western laws.
By the late 19th century, an educated class of Western-educated Indians began to arise. These Indian elites eventually used their education to lead nationalist movements with the goal of ending British Imperial rule, contrary to British expectations that it would secure their power. To implement these policies and manage the colonial enterprise, Britain needed educated Indians who could assist with administrative duties and serve as intermediaries between the British rulers and local populations.