2nd lecture: Company Ray and 1857 Rebellion

Question 1

The 2 major periods of colonial rule

Answer 1

1757- 1857 Company Raj
(1857-1859 Rebellion -> Government of India Act 1858)
1858 - 1947 Crown Raj

Company Raj started when the East India Company won the Battle of Plassey 1757 -> appointed new Nawab that supperted the Company -> he grants the Company the right to collect revenue in Bengal and Bihar

Question 2

Zamindar System
-> PERMANENT SETTLEMENT

Answer 2

• feudal system:
• Zamindar as landowning families collecting the land revenue
• built on existing structures -> indian Zaminars rewarded by brits with titles
• East India Company used Zaminars for their interest (e.g. granting Zaminars land to collect taxes from)
• but if Zaminar couldn’t pay the EIC they lost their land, titles and power to richer families

Question 3

Consequences of Zaminar System

Answer 3

• peasants exploited for money (zamindar had to pay to EIC)
  -> burden on peasants increased: harder to survive based on their own means
  -> hunger and famine
• Commodification of land and labour

Question 4

Consequence of Industrial Revolution for India

Answer 4

• British are not buying produced textiles
  anymore from India, but raw materials and
  manufacture it in Britain.
• British entrepreneurs pressure parliament
  to end the monopoly of EIC
• downfall of industry in India
• at same time: commodification of land and
  labour
  -> cheap labour in peripheries -> wallerstein world-systems theory

Question 5

2 misconceptions the british had about local indian laws

Answer 5

1) source of laws were books (and not costume)
2) those written laws wouldn’t change

Question 6

British Effort to codify Indian local Law

Answer 6

• end of 18th century
• british saw Darmasastra as the ancient indian body of jurisprudence (ignoring local differences and customs)
• British plan/ idea: hindu laws for hindus, Muslim laws for Muslims and British laws for brits

Question 7

Doctrine of Lapse

Answer 7

Sons can inherit their father’s kingdom.
But if the only heiresses are women, then the kingdom will be given to the British
-> small kingdoms fell to the British one after the other
-> Annexion Policy

Question 8

1857 - 1859 Indian Mutiny/ Rebellion / War of Independence

Answer 8

• Began 10th may 1857 with mutiny of
  sepoys in East India Company’s army in
  Meerut -> quickly spread over north and central India
• not one unified rebellion, various organisations
• Rebellion posed military threat to British
  power
• 1st November 1858 British granted amnesty all rebels (not involved in murder), but
  British didn’t declare end to hostilities until 8th july 1859

Question 9

Reasons for Rebellion 1857-1859

Answer 9

• British-style social reforms
• Harsh land taxes
• Summary treatment by landowners
  and princes
• Scepticism against british rule
• Some places: patriotic revolt against british oppression

Question 10

Military Consequences of the Rebellion 1857-1859

Answer 10

(-More indians integrated into the army)
- New social groups recruited -> from nepal,
punjab, sikhs
- Idea: if there was any other munity, sikhs
might fight against hindus -> British
assuming solidarity among ethnicity and
religion

Question 11

Consequences of the Rebellion 1857-1859

Answer 11

• Dissolution of East India Company
• Forced brits to reorganize army, financial system and administration in india
  -> Government of India Act 1858
  ○ India administered by the British
  government in the new british Raj
  ○ Queen victoria proclaimed similar
  rights for indians to british (despite
  no actual constitution)
  -> But those rights didn’t really
  come through, leading to new
  nationalism
• public work sector increased to build up infrastructure in India (canals, railways) to stimulate economy and trade

Question 12

Kala Pani

Answer 12

Danger of loosing caste status if send over the ocean, used as punishment by the brits