Which colony was known as 'the jewel in the crown'?

India was known as the “jewel in the crown” of the British Empire. The phrase reflected India's enormous economic, strategic, and political importance to Britain during the period of British rule, especially after the establishment of the British Raj in 1858.

India supplied valuable raw materials such as cotton, jute, tea, indigo, and spices, while also serving as a major market for British manufactured goods. Its large population generated tax revenues, and the Indian Army became a crucial force used by Britain across Asia, Africa, and Europe. India's ports and position along routes to the Middle East and East Asia also made it strategically indispensable.

The phrase does not mean India was literally the only important British possession, nor was India simply one colony governed in a uniform way. The Raj included directly administered provinces and numerous princely states under indirect British influence. British rule ended with independence and Partition in 1947, creating India and Pakistan.