British Empire : India Flashcards
East Indian Company
The honourable East India Company was granted a
Royal Charter by Queen Elizabeth on 31 December
1600
Private merchants wanted to receive Royal Charters
because of the prestige and legitimacy it provided their
company as well as the protection of the British Crown
of their commercial interests
The Company’s origins were as a small group of investors and businessmen looking to capitalise on new trading opportunities
Primary trade was in silk and cotton textiles
In 1600 India was under the Mughal Empire, although
regions had their own rulers
What was the economic significance of the EIC for the British government?
The significance of the EIC on the British empire was that its yearly sales of £2 million made up a fifth of Britain’s total annual imports, also able to lend Britain £1 million. They were thus financially beneficial.
The causes of the 1857 Indian rebellion : The Bengal Army
Between 1847 and 1857 the EIC had decided to equip its Indian sepoy regiments with the new Enfield rifle. The loading procedure including ‘cartridge’ with cow and pig fat. To the Hindus the cow was a sacred animal; the Muslims believed the pig contents to be unclean. This coupled with religious grievances instigated the mutiny within the Bengal army because it proved that the British were trying to implement Christianity.
Indian Soldiers were extremely frustrated at their lack of promotion prospects. High status military posts were reserved for the Europeans.
The causes of the 1857 Indian rebellion : Religion and tradition
In the mid 1800s, the twin doctrines of liberalism saw Indian culture as a barrier to economic growth and evangelical Christianity.
Missionaries want to free Indians from ‘cruel’ religions so spurred more aggressive policies.
“Cruel” Indian traditions were outlined as the :
1) the female infanticide in north west India
2) Thagi; Cult of assassin priest
3) Sati; and act of self immolation when Hindu women was burned alive on her husband’s funeral pyre.
The causes of the 1857 Indian rebellion : Expansion
Dalhousie confidently asserted the power of the company thus implying the superiority of British over Indians. his series of annexation and taking the province of Awadh, angered the sepoys.
On the evening of the uprising they (British) forcefully annexed the kingdom of Awadh with its capital Lucknow, the largest in land city in India and one of the great centres of India’s Islamic Civilisation. This created great resentment.
Explain the Doctrine of the lapse
The doctrine of the lapse was where no legitimate male heir was forthcoming, the British took control of the state.
The causes of the 1857 Indian rebellion :Government
The imposed new system of higher education based on the English language was challenging, making the Indian community status low.
Free trade had ruined the urban artisan class.
New order on land, introduced new concepts like Land ownership, money, rents and the free market. This meant that families were forced to abandon land, farmers unable to pay government taxes, accumulating debt.
The impact of the mutiny on British methods of rule : Government Of India
1) under 1858 Government of India Act, the East India Company was stripped of its powers over India and replaced by direct Crown rule.
2) In recognition of their loyalty during the rebellion itself, the British granted greater powers and responsibilities to the Indian Princes. in return for absolute loyalty, the British agreed to halt their policy of annexation.
The impact of the mutiny on British methods of rule : The Army
1) The 1858 Peel commission into organisation of the Bengal Army called for the introduction of the ‘irregular system’, whereby each army unit had at least one European officer.
- Commending officers were also given new powers under the 1861 revised Articles of War to dismiss unruly soldiers from ranks.
2) The composition of the Indian army changed. The high caste Hindu brotherhood who had been prominent in the mutinous Bengal army was broken up and the British purposefully recruited from ‘loyal’ groups, such as Sikhs, Punjabis and Ghurkhas.
The impact of the mutiny on British methods of rule : Indian representation
1) In November 1858, as the rebellion was in its closing stages, Queen Victoria issued a proclamation promising that ‘ the principle of perfect equality was to exist, as far as appointments were concerned, between Europeans and Natives.’
2) Indians could, in theory, take the demanding Indian Civil service exams. However, the questions were strongly weighted towards English candidates. One Indian passed the exam in 1863, three more did so in 1871.
The impact of the mutiny on British methods of rule : Economic Change
1) The greatest change to the Indian economy following the changes of 1858 was a growth in investment.
E.g. the railways which helped stimulate trade and the development of previously inaccessible areas. ( although built more for strategic purposes rather than economic purposes for India by the British )
2) European style factories were built, since the bulk of manufactured goods came from Britain, there was virtually no heavy industry.
3) Number of tea plantations increased from just one in 1851 to 285 by 1871.
4) An increase in the domestic production of raw cotton for export to Britain in the 1880s and 1890s.
The importance of railways on British rule after the mutiny
Trains were used to lend a higher profile to British rule and to help affirm control, not least by transporting personnel and soldiers more quickly.
The British relied on Indians to run the railways and those employed included a disproportionately high number of (mixed race) Anglo-Indians and Christian Indians since they were regarded as likely to be more loyal to the Raj.
Long term consequences of the Mutiny : Social divisions
Fearful to set in motion an Indian reaction similar to the one that had precipitated the great uprising of 1857, the government avoided drastic political and social change. Missionary activity was curbed.
As a result of these reforms and reactions by the 1870s British India stood pacified and to some extent reformed.
However, the bitter aftermath of the mutiny with a distinct hardening of racial attitudes and a tendency for crude stereotyping meant that genuine dialogue between 2 races was for the foreseeable future out of question.
Long term consequences of the Mutiny : Economic significance of IND to GBR
Anglo-Indian trade was greatly stimulated by the opening of the Suez route Canal in 1869 and by the cheaper freight costs of the longer sea passage round the Cape of Good Hope.
The value of trade exports in India was £23million in 1855 to by 1910 £137 million. imports in India rose from £13.5 million to £86 million leaving Britain a favourable net balance of trade of some £51 million.
Long term consequences of the Mutiny : Society
British rule emphasised the savagery of the Indians, whilst ignoring much of the Brutality of the British.
The legal system imposed favoured the white man and were far too complex and expensive to help the poor, particularly in matters of land tenure.
British rule provided were educational opportunities for some of the wealthier Indians who tamed new professional classes, but it did little for the mass of peasants.
