The British Empire's Conquest of India The British Empire was able to assert control over India, a subcontinent more than 20 times its size. This conquest greatly empowered the British and led to South Asian nationalist movements. The East India Company played a significant role in this process.
Factors Leading to British Rule in India "In order to understand how the British were able to take control of India, we need to go back to New Year's Eve on 1600." The East India Company focused on trading with other European powers before shifting their attention towards the Indian subcontinent. As they established forts and settlements across the region, they became leading exporters of spices.