English in India: An Historic Perspective

Abstract English Language stood strong here in India against all odds and tests of time. Its great success, potential and power is evidently due to its association with and patronage of the British Empire which itself emerged as the strongest colonial power / ruler and made English language to have an edge over the rest languages of the world. It crossed the British channel way back and is now no more a colonial jargon of ?authority?, ’s elf? or the ?other?. It is no more a colonizers? language and has become the prime choice for almost all the world over due to its unique characteristics such as resourcefulness, clarity, lucidity, adaptability, literature, etc. It has now set itself as a link or a bridging language across cultures, traditions, regions, nations, and continents. Its richness has successfully made it useful in all spheres of modern man’s life. It has become the language of national policies, Research, IT, trade, commerce, industry, business relation, discussions, Experimentation, Astronomy and what not. Now, every activity of our lives revolves primarily around this language for it symbolizes better education, brighter future, better culture and higher intellect especially in India. But have you ever thought of its historical background or reasons how it was born on Indian soil and who were the great people who worked for it in pre-independent India