British Imperialism in India
BRITAIN IN INDIA:
CHAPTER 14
SECTION 3
In the beginning…
1757 o Robert Clive leads
British East India
Company in a decisive victory in
India gaining power in the area
The British East India
Company
Who were they?
An English company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but ended up trading with
India and China
Rule in India
•
• Ruled India for 100 years
Had it’s own army: included
SEPOYS (Indian soldiers)
Britain’s “Jewel in the
Crown”
o Name given to India because it was seen as the most valuable of Britain’s colonies
Why valuable?
o Major supplier of raw materials o Huge population of people lived there who the
British could sell their goods to
Impact of Colonialism
Positive o Building of railroad in
India enabled the country to modernize o For example: schools founded and literacy increased
Negative o Britain held most of the power in India as they put many restrictions on Indian businesses o Traditional Indian life was threatened
Social Class in India
The Sepoy Mutiny
By 1850, Indian people were fed up with British rule in their country
Indian people felt that:
British were trying to convert them to Christianity
British were very oppressive
So…after the rumor about the bullets oiled up with beef and pork fat, the Sepoys revolted against the
British
Video of Sepoy soldier
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLE542NoWC8&f eature=related
Did it work??
NO o Indians couldn’t unite because…
1.
weak leadership
2.
Hindus didn’t get along with the
Muslims
Turning Point…
As a result of Sepoy Mutiny, Britain’s gov’t took direct control of India
Racist attitudes of British soldiers increased… o
“ It is this consciousness of the inherent superiority of the European which has won for us India. However well educated and clever a native may be, and however brave he may prove himself, I believe that no rank we can bestow on him would cause him to be considered an equal of the British officer.”
Lord Kitchener, British commander in chief in India
Distrust between British and Indians increased
Ram Mohun Roy
Modern thinking, well educated Indian o Indian reformist who called his countrymen to break away from arranged child marriages and the rigid caste system o This would free India from others ruling them
Nationalism in India
Nationalist groups formed who fought for self – government
Partition of Bengal
Britain split province into 2 sections:
(Muslim and Hindu) making it hard for Indians to unite for independence against the British…
