British Empire 1 Flashcards
What were ‘Colonies’?
Parts of the Empire directly controlled by the British with a British individual as leader.
What were ‘Protectorates’?
Informal parts of the Empire which were not officially ruled by the British, usually used ‘advisors’ and/or a puppet ruler
What were ‘Dominions’?
White settler colonies with self-government
What was the East India Company?
Royal charter company given a charter in 1600 by Elizabeth I for trade in India. Specifically their spice and textile trade. Over time gained more power and control over the Native Indian people especially following the Battle of Plassey against the French in 1757.
What was the significance of the Battle of Plassey?
Allowed EIC to collect taxes.
British dominance in India, defeat of French imperial rivals.
Who was Mangal Pandey and why was he significant?
Sepoy in the EIC’s army.
29th March 1857- wounded two British Officers.
Hung a week later which sparked the Indian Mutiny (1857)
What were the causes of the Indian Mutiny?
East India Company’s Rule- had 2/3 of the subcontinent and taxed the Indians, taking up land as landlords.
British trying to impose British ideas on economy, courts and trying to enforce Christianity.
Rifle Cartridges with Pig and Cow fat
Mangal Pandey
Doctrine of Lapse
Support of local rulers
What happened at Cawnpore?
Group of British troops sieged by Indians in June 1857. Offered false escape by boat and then the boats were shot at. Most of the 60 British men involved were killed. Women and children were kept alive as hostages for a moment, then butchered and some bodies stuffed down a well. Afterwards, on a mission to find those responsible thousands were hung, many innocent.
What was the ‘Devil’s Wind’?
British response to the mutiny with extreme violence, saw over 100,000 Indians killed in brutal ways including being smothered in pigs fat and blown to pieces by a canon.
What was the British press’ reaction to the Indian Mutiny?
Focused on the violence towards white women and children, especially the image of an Indian man raping a white woman to elicit more of an outraged response.
The mutiny depicted in art and paintings of the period.
Depicted Indians as savage and violent.
What were the consequences on the Indian Mutiny?
End of EIC rule, India became an official crown colony (The Government of India Act)
Mughal Emperor exiled and his sons assassinated
Doctrine of Lapse abolished
What happened at Lucknow?
British were barricaded selves inside the city after rebellion reached Lucknow.
About 3,000 inside the fortifications, mostly Europeans, some Indian sepoys. Surrounded by 10,000 rebels.
Starvation, disease and wounding was rife in the settlement.
A relief force came but couldn’t get them out so it just brought more people.
How was India governed after 1857?
Queen became the Empress of India
Secretary of State for India advised by an Indian Council
Viceroy in control of actual India
Indian Civil Service- mostly Europeans, some bilingual Indians allowed to carry messages
Native Princes - 565 princely states, 40% of India
Who was the first Viceroy of India?
Viceroy Canning
What was the Indian National Congress (1885)?
Political forum for Indians to join ough they didn’t have any actual power.
Complained about British Rule and how it limited Indian industry and that Indian taxes were used to pay the British.
