Transcript 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
Negative
o Building of railroad in
o Britain held most of the
India enabled the
country to modernize
o For example: schools
founded and literacy
increased
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…
“ 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
o 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…