British Imperialism In India
KEY IDEA As the Mughal Empire
declined, Britain seized almost the
whole subcontinent of India.
East India Company Dominates
In the early 1700s, the Mughal Empire
of India fell into decline.
By the middle of the century, the British
East India Company was becoming the
most important power in India.
The East India Company
Set up in India to exploit the natural
resources of the land.
Acted as a government in India. It raised an
army and governed a large area of eastern
India know today as Bangladesh, most of
southern India and nearly all of the territory
along the Ganges River in the north.
Jewel of the Crown
It held huge amounts of land—almost the
entire subcontinent.
British law forced India to supply raw
materials such as tea, indigo (a dye), coffee,
and cotton.
The British set up restrictions that prevented
the Indian economy from operating on its
own. The law also forced Indian
manufacturing out of business.
The Introduction of Railroads
India became even more important
when the East India Company built rail
lines that linked growing regions in the
interior with ports on the coast.
Over the rails, Great Britain was able to
rapidly ship India’s agricultural
resources to other regions.
Opium, Jute and Cotton
Great Britain introduced China to the
addictive drug opium that came from India.
India supplied the jute to the world after the
Crimean War had stopped all shipment of jute
out of Russia.
India began to sell cotton all over the world
as a result of the American Civil War. Cotton
from the southern United States was in very
short supply during the Civil War.
Impact of Colonialism
Its rail system was the third largest in the
world and helped make the economy more
modern.
The British made other improvements, too.
They built telephone and telegraph lines,
dams, bridges, and canals.
They also improved sanitation and public
health and built schools.
Disadvantages of Colonial Rule
British rule caused problems as well. Many
economic benefits flowed out of India to
Britain.
Indian industry died out because of British
trade laws.
Many farmers and villages lost their ability to
feed themselves because they were made to
grow cash crops.
Many peoples died when famines struck.
British Religious Policy
The British officially adopted a handsoff policy regarding religion and social
customs.
However, the presence of missionaries
and the unspoken racist attitude of
most of the British officials threatened
Indian traditional life.
Racism in India
By 1850, the British controlled most of the
Indian subcontinent.
Many Indians believed that in addition to
controlling their land, the British were trying
the convert them to Christianity.
By the mid-1800s, many Indians felt growing
resentment.
The Sepoy Rebellion
The sepoys were Indian soldiers that worked for
the East India Company.
In 1857, rumors began to circulate that the
cartridges of the new British riffles the sepoys
were issued were sealed with beef and pork fat.
Because Hindus did not eat beef and Muslims
did not eat pork, they refused to accept the
cartridges.
The Commander of the garrison began
to imprison all soldiers who refused to
take the cartridges. The East India
Company needed a year- and British
troops-to put it down.
After the sepoys were jailed, the sepoys rebelled.
This rebellion spread throughout India.
The sepoys captured the city of Delhi.
The British and sepoy armies slaughtered each
other.
It took more than a year for the East India
Company to regain control of the country.
The British
company sent
troops to help
the East India
company put
down the
rebellion.
British Treatment of the Sepoy Soldiers
Sepoy's would
be placed in
front of the
muzzle and the
cannon's would
be shot through
their body. They
called this "The
Devil's Wind".
Why Were the Indians Defeated?
The Indians lost because of their own divisions.
Muslims wanted to restore Mughal (Muslim) rule.
Muslims and Hindus did not trust each other.
Hindus actually preferred British rule over Muslim
rule.
The Sikhs also remained loyal to the British.
After the revolt, the British government took direct
control of British India.
Turning Point
The Sepoy Rebellion marked a turning point
in Indian History. It is at this time, 1858,
that Great Britain took direct control of India.
The British divided up the subcontinent into
11 provinces and 250 administrative districts.
The term Raj refers to the period of British
occupation of India which lasted from 1858 to
1947.
Rebellions Fueled Racism
The sepoy rebellion fueled the racist
attitudes of the British.
The rebellion increased distrust
between the British and the Indians.
Ram Mohun Roy
Indians tried other ways of resisting British
control.
Leaders such as Ram Mohun Roy urged
changes in traditional Indian practices to
make Indian society more modern.
He hoped to free India of foreign control
with these changes.
Ram Mohun Roy’s Reforms
Called for an end of widow suicides.
End of child marriages
End of the caste system
Separation of religion and politics
Nationalist Feelings lead to Change
Indians resented the fact that they were
treated unfairly.
They formed two groups-the Indian National
Congress and the Muslim League.
Both began to push the British to make
changes.
In the early 1900s, they called for selfgovernment.
The Partitions of Bengal
The British partitioned Bengal. They felt that
it was necessary in order to administer the
population of 85 million.
The British divided the area into religious
sectors.
The nationalists rebelled through terroristic
acts. The British backed off of their plans
and divided the area based on different
criteria.
Social Classes
Social classes determined the way of
life for the British army in India.
The upper-class men served as officers
while the lower-class served as lesser
rank and did not advance past the rank
of sergeant.
Only men with a rank above sergeant
were allowed to bring their wives.
The wives recreated England within
their homes. She directed as many as
20 – 30 servants.
British Economic Impact
on Indian Classes
British economic policies affected Indian
classes unequally, although they were
supposed to improve the lives of poor
farmers.
The only classes to benefit from British rule
were the landowners, who leased the land to
tenant farmers and entrepreneurs in Calcutta,
who served as bankers and agents to the
British.