The very words “middle class” imply people with a regular
occupation, steady income, education of their kids, property ownership, and
strive for comfort and prosperity.
Have you ever thought of the time when the middle class
emerged in India?
The emergence of the middle class in India didn’t happen
overnight. This process occurred gradually over the course of centuries as a
result of development of educational, commercial, governmental, urban and
industrial spheres of life in the country.
Life Before the Modern Middle Class
Society in ancient and medieval India was structured mostly
on occupational, communal, agricultural, commercial and social bases.
There were kings, rich landlords, merchants and influential
clans in the society. In addition, a considerable portion of population were
farmers, artisans, laborers and petty traders.
However, the concept of the modern middle class as people
engaged in office work, governmental services, teaching profession, business,
banking and other professions wasn’t that common at that time.
It was formed mainly during the British era.
The British Period and the Emergence of a New Class
With British rule came many changes that took place in
administration, education, transport, and business in India.
The British administration required educated Indians who
could be employed in clerical and administrative positions including those of
clerks, teachers, accountants, lawyers, translators, and others.
Thus, a new class of Indians emerged, who were formally
educated and had paid employment.
English education was a part of this change. English
universities and schools were set up in cities like Calcutta, Bombay, and
Madras in the nineteenth century.
Educated Indians started taking up professions like law,
teaching, journalism, medicine, and administration.
This class formed one of the first elements of the modern
Indian middle class.
Education Brought About Major Changes
The growth of the middle class owes much to education.
Previously, many families would have relied on farming or
traditional means of survival. However, education brought about a novel avenue
in terms of earning through professional expertise and knowledge.
The individual would acquire an education, join government
or private service, get a monthly salary, and change his/her family's
socio-economic status.
Education also brought about certain ambitions.
Families now thought along the lines of,
"If my child does well in school, his/her life would be
better than ours."
This was crucial to the development of the Indian middle
class.
Importance of Government Employment
Government employment emerged as another crucial pillar of
the middle class.
Under the British period and thereafter, government
employment was highly respectable and stable.
Teachers, workers in the railway, police personnel, clerks,
engineers, doctors, and others in government employment became part of the
growing salaried population.
The monthly salary gave them the opportunity to lead
different lives altogether.
After Independence
India got her India became independent in 1947.
After independence, the government put emphasis on
constructing the nation.
There were constructions of new schools, colleges,
factories, government offices, banks, hospitals, railways and publicly owned
firms.
As a result, many job opportunities emerged.
Slowly, the middle class started to consist not just of
government workers.
There were engineers, doctors, teachers, accountants,
businessmen, factory workers, bank workers, and other professionals in this
ever-growing class.
The 1991 Economic Reforms
However, one of the most significant milestones in the
development of Indian middle class was reached in 1991.
There was a set of economic reforms which helped the country
to open up to the international business community.
Thus, the private sector started to prosper.
There appeared many new industries and firms, especially in
sectors like information technology, telecommunication, finance, manufacturing,
retail and service industry.
The cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi,
Chennai, Pune and others became important job centers.
The IT industry played a crucial role in forming the middle
class of a new type.
Now, young Indians could study engineering or other
professional courses, work for private firms and earn good money in the cities.
The New Indian Middle Class
Unlike in the past, the middle class of India is more
diverse than ever before.
It includes government employees, professionals in the
private sector, teachers, doctors, engineers, owners of small businesses,
shopkeepers, IT professionals, entrepreneurs, and many more.
In addition, there is no single factor that makes an
individual or a family belong to the middle class anymore.
Rather, it involves the way of living and aspirations of
people.
They aspire to provide good education to their children,
improved house and healthcare, financial stability, cars, savings, vacations
and, ultimately, bright prospects for the future.
Importance of Middle Class in Modern India
The middle class has emerged as one of the most crucial
factors behind India's growth.
The spending of the middle class on education,
accommodation, transportation, healthcare, technology, food and entertainment
among others stimulates growth of various industries and creates employment.
However, the middle class also experiences certain
challenges.
Growing education expenses, cost of accommodation, rising
healthcare costs, inflation, fierce competition in job market and financial
pressures make life quite tough.
Moreover, middle-class families usually have a stable income
but strict budgeting every month.
The Tale Unfolds
The Indian middle class is the outcome of a journey through
history.
This has been the journey of education, salaried
occupations, urbanization, industry, growth of the state, and reforms.
From the educated clerical and professional classes in the
days of colonization to the IT professionals, teachers, entrepreneurs, state
officials, and businessmen of today, the Indian middle class continues to
evolve.
In layman's terms, the Indian middle class emerged out of a
revolutionary change in Indian society where dependence on traditional
occupation and agriculture gave way to earning through education, profession,
salary, trade, and industry.
This tale is not only an economic tale. It is also a tale of
education, aspiration, hard work, parental ambition, and pursuit of a better
future.
And till today, there are millions of Indian families
aspiring to rise up to create a better future for their children.
