I think that the way you phrase this goes to the heart of our disagreement, I for one do not see that Britain had any responsibility to modernise India, any more than the Romans or the Danes had a responsibility to modernise Britain, though it is certainly true that;
Well, I would argue all governments have a duty to improve the lives of their subjects.
[*]the accidental gifts of the English language as well as the system of British law and governance,
Hrmm. While I will give the British some credit for this, I am curious.
How many elections were held in 19th century India?
the amount of blood and treasure the British expended in defending India from the Japanese
Of course, the fact that so many Indian nationalists were willing to cut a deal with Japan is a condemnation of them, but also a system which made them perceive Japan to be better.