backround to india and the east india company Flashcards
what was india’s climate/geography like
very diverse (from west deserts to north mountains)
people depend on seasonal monsoons for survival making india prone to famine
why did india’s climate/geography make it hard to govern
vas geography means a vast strategy is needed
large population means british are outnumbered
famines cause riots for food
what were the different religious groups in india
hinduism
mughals
marathas
sikhs
describe the hindus
it’s a polytheistic faith and people were divided into castes which were determined by birth status
the brahmins were at the top then kshatryia then vaishya then sudra and the untouchables at the bottom
describe the mughals
they were of islam faith in the north
there casey system was based on quality of belief
how did the marathas affect brittan
they were the main opposition in the 17th century
describe the sikhs
they were in the punjab area and had a fusion of faith between hinduism and islam
amritsar was the holy city
how did the variety of ethnic and religious groups make india hard to control
they will have to balance respect for the groups
have to accommodate for each group differently
have not navigate different languages
there was tension between groups
who did india’s history make it hard to control
indians have experience of take overs/power struggles
british will have to be careful of who they give power to
how did the east india company gain the right to rule india
through the monopoly granted by the monarch in 1600 and a charter
when did the east india company have significant presence
from 1757 (post 7 year war) to 1857 (indian rebellion)
how did the east india company’s political control increase
through agreements with nawarbs and princes
the mughal empire began its decline
how did the east india company have military control
through their own private army of indian soldiers
fortifications in bombay, calcutta and madras establishing law and order
what did the east india company’s governing role entail
public administration
tax collection
this encouraged british to migrate for work and money
by what year did the british government become concerned with the east india company and why
1773
thought they were too powerful
they also still had the power to take the charter