8-imperial And Colonial Policy🌿 Flashcards
Why did British policy change?
Because of the Indian mutiny
British policy in India
-the overall aim in India was to keep the British Raj secure
-The extension of education became important as India’s economy developed
-indian workers and troops where sent to other British colonies like Uganda to help with security and the construction of British funded railways
Viceroy curzons reforms
-1901 he set up the imperial cadet corps which gave Indian elites a military training- disbanded in 1915 after limited success
-he reformed universities and the police
-he lowered taxes for local Indians
The partition of Bengal
-it was intended to divide India into a Muslim majority east and Hindu majority west
-caused an uproar as many wealthy Hindus had owned land in the east- this was perceived as an attempt by the British to challenge their economic strength
-the Hindus saw this as a pay-back for their criticisms of British rule and there were boycotts of British made goods
-banerjee, who had twice been president of the Indian national Congress, led the campaigns
-the event triggered a huge wave of strident nationalism
-Curzons motive was to better manage Bengal and to focus on the neglected eastern region
-indians were outraged and saw it as a reputure on their mother land
- the event split the Congress between the extremists and continuing moderates
Divide and rule
-the Indian civil service adopted a policy of divide and rule which accentuated divisions in religions, locations and caste
The Morley-Minto reforms
-Viceroy Minto was left to deal with the fall out of Curzons plans
-the introduced a limited program of reforms in 1909 in an attempt to appease the Bengalis
-the Indian councils act of 1909 enabled 27 Indians to be elected from provincial constituencies of the viceroys council
-they advised the viceroy and assisted in the making of laws
-Further democratic reform in 1910 meant that in elections for enlarged provincial councils 135 indians were able to secure seats across the subcontinent
-while the reforms were a step forward they didn’t go far enough to satisfy Indian nationalists who were demanding greater self rule
Viceroy hardinge
-viceroy of India from 1910-1916
-He was in office during World War I, and India’s contribution to the war effort was significant.
-Indian soldiers fought in several major battles like the Battle of Gallipoli. However, the war also led to a rise in nationalist sentiment in India, as many Indians felt that their contributions to the war effort were not being adequately recognized.
-In 1915, Hardinge survived an assassination attempt when a bomb was thrown at his carriage during a procession in Delhi.
-The incident led to a crackdown on nationalists and the passage of the Rowlatt Act, which gave the British government sweeping powers to suppress dissent.
-The act was widely criticized by Indian leaders and led to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919, in which British troops fired on a crowd of unarmed protesters in Amritsar, killing hundreds.
The denshawai incident
-1906 between British soldiers and Egyptian villagers in the small agricultural town of Denshawai, Egypt.
-The incident began when British officers attempted to shoot pigeons in a field belonging to the villagers, which the villagers considered a valuable source of food. When the villagers protested, the officers became violent, and a fight broke out.
-Several British soldiers were injured, and one was killed.
- In response, the British authorities arrested 52 villagers and put them on trial.
-Four of the villagers were sentenced to death, and the others were given prison sentences or fines.
-The incident sparked outrage in Egypt and other parts of the world, and it became a symbol of British oppression and colonialism.
Why was the denshawai incident significant?
-it highlighted the tensions and inequalities that existed between the British colonial authorities and the people they ruled over.
- It also helped to galvanize the Egyptian nationalist movement, which would eventually lead to Egypt’s independence from British rule in 1922.
British policy in Egypt under Baring
-Also known as Lord Cromer, was the British Consul-General in Egypt from 1883 to 1907.
-His tenure was marked by a policy of economic and political control over Egypt.
-Baring believed that the British had a duty to “civilize” Egypt, which he saw as a backward and economically underdeveloped country.
-Baring’s most significant achievement was the construction of the Aswan Dam, which was completed in 1902. -The dam provided irrigation water and hydroelectric power, which helped to modernize the Egyptian economy.
-Baring was a strong advocate of free trade, which led to the dismantling of Egypt’s traditional industries and the rise of a new class of wealthy landowners who profited from exporting cotton.
-This led to a growing gap between rich and poor in Egypt, and many Egyptians resented the British for their role in this process.
-responsible for the Denshawai Incident, which I mentioned earlier, and which led to a wave of anti-British sentiment in Egypt.
