The British in India
Mr. Meester
World History
9-4
Vocabulary
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East India Company
Sati
Caste System
Sepoy Rebellion
Viceroy
The East India Company (EIC)
This private company gained exclusive
rights to India in the early 1600’s.
By the mid-1800’s they controlled 3/5ths of
India.
They took advantage of India’s diversity by
playing one group against another
• Encouraged competition & disunity
• Hindus, Muslims, & others
Their main goal was to make money.
Indirect Rule in India
The EIC used diplomacy when possible, but
were willing to use force when needed
British improvements
Built more roads for better transportation
Brought in Western legal and education systems
• Tried decrease crime
Worked to end slavery and the caste system
Improved women’s rights
• Outlawed the Sati
Growing Discontent
The East India Company began making
unpopular decisions.
Require Sepoys (Indian Soldiers) to serve
overseas & allowed Hindu widows to remarry.
• Both violated the Hindu faith.
New rifle cartridges cause outraged both Hindus
and Muslims.
• They used animal fat to grease the cartridges
 Cows were sacred to Hindus
 Pigs are considered unclean by Muslims
Sepoy Rebellion
Angry sepoys rose up against British officers.
They marched on Delhi and declared the last
Mughal ruler as their leader
In some places sepoys slaughtered British men
women and children
The British rallied after early losses, and
crushed the revolt
They took revenge by torching villages and
killing thousands of unarmed Indians.
British Crown Takes Over
Following the Sepoy Rebellion the British
government took direct control over India.
A British Viceroy ruled in the name of the queen
• British officials controlled the civil service and the
army.
They begin to modernize India, building
railroads and telegraph lines.
All of which helped the British make more money
and keep India under control.
The Good Part of British Rule
The British brought peace, order, & justice to
India.
Modernization improves communication,
transportation and medicine
• Population rises
Upper class Indians are allowed to send their
children to British schools and colleges
Tried to end the caste system & grant women
more rights
• Neither was entirely successful
The Bad Part of British Rule
The British textile industry changed
India’s economy
Indian agriculture changes
• Deforestation was used to increase amount of
farmland
• Increased production of cash crops leads to wide
spread famine and death.
Cheap textiles destroyed India’s handmade
textile industry
The Indian people had no voice in the
government
Indian Nationalism
The movement will be lead by western
educated Indians who were unhappy with
British rule
Believed in democracy, equality an freedom.
They formed Indian National Congress
They called for greater democracy
Used peaceful protest to gain their objectives.
The Muslim League split off from the INC
Believed the Hindus had too much power
Both wanted their own country