Key Terms – Nationalism in India
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British East India Company
Sepoys
Sepoy Mutiny (1857)
Indian National Congress
Amritsar Massacre
Mohandas K. Gandhi
Nonviolent Passive
Resistance
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Salt March
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muslim League
Jawarhalal Nehru
Pakistan
Ottoman Empire
Young Turks
Mandate
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
Theodore Herzl
Zionism
Palestine
The British in India
• Britain acquired control of
India in the 1600’s and
governed through the
British East India Company.
• British East India Company
 trading company given a
monopolistic control over
India
• The East India Company was
an indirect form of rule over
India by the British 
Imperialistic in nature.
Britain Improves India
• Even though the people of India were under
the control of the British, they actually were
able to benefit from the indirect rule of the
British.
• They acquired:
– Telegraph lines
– Railroads to improve transport
– Irrigation systems
– Industries (factories)
Other Changes in India
• Though the British improved the infrastructure of
India, many of these changes did not directly help
the people of India, rather it was more to
improve the use of India for the British
• People of India were not treated as equals.
• Made the central government extremely vital to
the daily running and maintenance of India
• Introduced schools and educated many Indians to
use as workers in many fields.
Sepoy Mutiny
• Sepoys  Indian soldiers hired by the British East India
Company.
• In 1857, the sepoys were asked to unpack ammunition
covered in beef and pork fat (prevented accidental firing).
– This action insulted the Hindus who revered cattle and Muslims
who refused to touch pork or eat it.
– Many sepoys would be jailed for not using the ammunition.
• Thousands of sepoys rebelled against the British, and
marched to Delhi in an attempt to install a new
government.
• Rebellion would be known as the Sepoy Mutiny. It would
be put down by the British in 1858-1859. The British would
take direct control of India as a result.
Reactions
• Nationalism in India grew as
a result of the Sepoy
Mutiny.
• This led to calls for new
governing bodies for Indians
and Muslims alike.
• Indian National Congress 
national organization set up
in 1885 by middle class
Hindu professionals.
• Muslim League  national
organization set up by
Muslims to acquire more
rights from the British
Incursions
• British gave small rights to the people of India
but still restrained their rights in many ways.
• Indian troops fought for the British in World
War I and demanded more rights upon their
return.
Amritsar Massacre
• In 1919, crowd of 10,000
people gathered in a public
garden for a festival.
• The British assumed this
would be another violent
protest and ordered soldiers
to fire at the crowd.
• 400 people were killed and
1200 people were wounded
 this event would be
known as the Amritsar
Massacre.
Mohandas Gandhi
• The massacre increased the want
for Indian self-rule.
• Gandhi  lawyer who became
the head of the Indian National
Congress and promoted
nonviolent protest.
• Gandhi encouraged people of
India to engage in non-violent
passive resistance  protest
actions via boycotts and marches.
• He believed that through actions
such as refusing to pay taxes,
serve in the military or buy British
goods, Indians could force the
British to give up control of India.
The Salt March
• Gandhi would lead a
massive demonstration in
1930.
• He led a boycott on
British salt where he
asked the people of India
to walk to the sea and
acquire salt.
• This long walk was known
as the Salt March.
• Many were arrested and
jailed for the protest.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
• Jinnah  activist within
the Muslim League in
India and would
become president in
1934.
• Was an active
proponent of
establishing an
independent Muslim
state carved out of
India.
Jawarhalal Nehru
• Nehru  Hindu
nationalist leader.
• Fought to improve
relations between
Muslims and Hindus
• Would also attempt to
protest British rule.
• Would be imprisoned
numerous times as a
result.
Independence From Britain
• Independence could have
occurred at a much earlier time
but infighting between Muslims
and Hindus made it difficult and
the advent of World War II also
did not help.
• Bloody riots would occur in 1947
between Hindus and Muslims
over how an independent
government in India would look
– Pakistan would be carved out of
India and become a separate
Muslim state.
– Nehru became the first Prime
Minister of India while Jinnah led
the first government of Pakistan.
– Gandhi would be assassinated a
year later by a Hindu extremist.
The Ottoman Empire
• The Ottoman Empire
governed the Middle
East since the 14th
Century and grew
weaker over time as
more and more groups
sought to separate.
• A new constitution
would be constructed in
1876 but would be
ignored by the sultan.
The Young Turks
• Young Turks  group of
military officers who wanted
the restoration of the
constitution of 1876.
• The Young Turks sought to
westernize the Ottoman
Empire to improve its
economic and social viability
on the world’s stage.
• After the end of World War I,
the empire would be divided
into mandates  areas
indirectly controlled by other
countries for financial reasons.
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
• The Young Turks wanted
to resist the division of
Turkey by the major
powers of World War I.
• The Young Turks led by
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
refused European rule
and held Constantinople.
– Ataturk would become the
first president of the new
government of Turkey.
Theodore Herzl
• Jewish peoples sought a
place they could be safe
and call their homeland.
• Herzl  Austrian Jew
who led a movement
known as Zionism 
movement that sought a
Jewish state in Palestine.
• Currently, Palestine was
under the control of the
Ottoman Empire.
Jewish Homeland
• Zionists believe that after
suffering through the
pogroms in Russia that they
deserved a homeland
where they would not be
persecuted.
• Britain would assist with the
Balfour Declaration 
support from the British for
a Jewish national homeland
in Palestine.
• Arabs grew upset that their
territory had been given
away by an outside power.
Results
• The outbreak of the Holocaust forced many Jews
to move into Palestine.
• After the war was over, Britain, at this point
would not support the immigration of further
Jews.
• Palestine, in 1947, would be divided into a Jewish
state and an Arab state.
• Zionists declared the birth of Israel which would
be attacked by neighboring Arab states.
• Israel would gain the territory but fighting would
continue even today.