British Imperialism in India

1
27.4

• British Imperialism in India

2
British Expansion and Control over India

• Began 1600s
• 1757 East Indian Company (EIC) troops defeat
  Indian forces (Battle of Plassey)
• EIC controls India until 1858
• Governs directly and indirectly between
  Bangladesh, southern India, nearly all territory
  along Ganges River in north
• EIC has own army led by Sepoys, Indian soldiers
• British gov. does not interfere with company
• Regulates from London and India
• India major supplier of natural resources
• Population a major market for goods
• Considered Jewel in the crown
• British prevented Indian economy from operating
  on its own
• India produced raw materials
• Indians prohibited from competing with British
  goods
• British cloth flooded India

3
Transportation

• Railroad network in India
• Transports raw goods from interior to ports
• Tea, indigo, coffee, cotton, jute
• Trade of resources linked to international events
• Crimean and U.S. civil wars increase jute and
  cotton production

4
Colonialisms Impact

• Benefits result in modernization
• Laying of worlds 3rd largest railway
• Modern road network
• Telephone and telegraph lines
• Dams, bridges, irrigation canals
• Negative Effects
• British held political and economic control
• British restrict Indian-owned industry
• Cash crops restrict land usage (food) cause
  famine
• Hands off-policy (religions and social customs)
• Missionaries threaten traditional way of life

5
Sepoy Mutiny

• Threat of Christianity leads to rebellion
• Constant British racism
• Resentment and nationalism increases
• Guns, pork, and meat
• Sepoys refuse to accept cartridges
• Jailed
• Soldiers rebel and capture Delhi
• Hindu vs. Muslim
• Hindus prefer British rule over Muslim
• Sikhs remain loyal to British

6
Impact of Mutiny

• British take direct control of India (1858)
• Area of India under direct control called Raj
• Raj refers to the British rule b/t 1757-1947
• Independent Indian states (center) remained free
• Fueled racist attitudes of British
• Increased distrust between British and Indians
• 1919 Amritsar Massacre "The incident in Jallian
  Wala Bagh was 'an extraordinary event, a
  monstrous event, an event which stands in
  singular and sinister isolation"...Winston
  Churchill
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vXE9_zB8k_lk

7
Nationalism Surfaces

• Indians demand more control and modernization
• Ram Mohum Roy father of modern India
• Modern-thinking
• Wants to move away from tradition
• Caste system and arranged marriages need changing
• Calls for the adoption of western ways of life
• Nationalism
• Second class citizens in own country
• Groups form
• Indian National Congress (1885)
• Muslim League (1906)
• Division of Bengal
• British divide area into Muslim/Hindu areas
• Acts of terrorism by both sides break out