Consequences of Indian Rebellion

Question 1

How did the number of Indian troops change? British troops?

Answer 1

Indian troops reduced from 238,000 to 140,000

British troops increased from 45,000 to 65,000

Question 2

How did the ratio of Indian to European troops change following the rebellion?

Answer 2

Went from 6:1 to 3:1 (although 2:1 was the desired ratio)

Question 3

Which units were disbanded?

Answer 3

Indian artillery units

Question 4

Where was the recruitment of new sepoys focussed to?

Answer 4

The punjab region and the Sikhs and Ragputs since they had shown themselves to be the most loyal during the rebellion

Question 5

How did the British change their approach to the Bengal sepoys?

Answer 5

They respected their caste privileges more

Question 6

How many regiments of the Old Bengal army remained after the mutiny?

Answer 6

18

Question 7

Some regiments followed the approach of the Punjab Committee. What was this?

Answer 7

To keep different races and religions within the army separate

Question 8

Some regiments followed the approach of the Peel Commission. What was this?

Answer 8

To recruit for the Indian army from as many different nationalities as possible and mix them together

Question 9

What did Edward Tompson say in 1925, summing up the change in attitude of the British towards the Indians?

Answer 9

“Because of the mutiny, a fear broods over the European Community in India”

Question 10

Who acknowedledges that the British continued to feel superior to the Indians after the rebellion?

Answer 10

Nehru (the Prime Minister of India from 1948-65)

Pandey (‘The Break-Up of British India”)

Question 11

Which ethnicities did the British trust more amongst the Indian population? (this applied to jobs in the Civil Service and on the railways)

Answer 11

Christian Indians and Anglo-Indians

Question 12

How was public opinion in Britain turned very negative towards Indians?

Answer 12

Through widespread negative media coverage. For example, there were 108 stories about the Cawnpore Massacre in the London Times between 1857 and 1860. Likewise, graphic tales of rape and murder were recorded in the papers

Question 13

What social approach was largely abandoned by the British following the rebellion?

Answer 13

Westernisation

Question 14

Between which period was no social legislation introduced by the British?

Answer 14

1858 and 1929

Question 15

What is strong evidence to suggest that the lives for many Indians remained the same following the Indian Rebellion?

Answer 15

High poverty and illiteracy prevailed.
Infrastructure, such as roads, remained scarce.
Farming continued to be the dominant way of life for many.
The complex legal system made it still very difficult for the Indians to access legal support

Question 16

Where were universities set up in 1857?

Answer 16

Bombay, Madras and Calcutta

Question 17

What was the purpose of the elite schools set up by the British? Name an example.

Answer 17

To create Westernised Oriental Gentlemen (WOGs).

Mayo college is an example of one of these elite schools

Question 18

How many Indians entered universities between 1857 and 1887?

Answer 18

60,000

Question 19

What did Mary Carpenter establish in India?

Answer 19

A corps of British teachers for India
Girls’ schools in Bombay and Ahmedabad
A college to train female Indian teachers

Question 20

Who was the Viceroy who undertook a tour of India between 1859-61 to win the support of alienated Indians?

Answer 20

Viceroy Canning

Question 21

What actions were taken to help regain the support of the Indian elites?

Answer 21

• British announced the abandonment of the Doctrine of Lapse
• Princes of territories were consulted with and assisted in the governance of India. For example, they obtained positions in the Imperial Assembly or Civil Service
• The traditional hereditary class of tax collectors was re-adopted across India
• The Star of India medals were introduced to reward loyalty

Question 22

What did the British allow to form in 1876 and then in 1885?

Answer 22

The Indian Association - a group for educated, middle-class citizens who demanded greater equality in the civil service amongst other things 
Indian National Congress - a place of debate and discussion regarding the rule of India for those educated Indians

Question 23

What did the India Act of 1858 mean for the governance of India?

Answer 23

It meant that the British crown became responsible for Indian affairs, removing the East India Company from responsibility

Question 24

What was the power hierachy in the new Indian Government?

Answer 24

Secretary of State for India - Viceroy - Council of India

Question 25

What was the role of the council of India? Who appointed the members?

Answer 25

Role - each member had a seperate department (like a ministry) e.g. military which they had to oversee and run. They advised the Viceroy who possessed the ultimate power.
Appointment - up until 1869, they were appointed by a combination of the Secretary of State for India and the monarch. Afterwards, it was simply the monarch.

Question 26

Who had began the railway construction program in India and when?

Answer 26

Dalhousie in 1854

Question 27

How many miles of railway track was there in 1860 and 1880?

Answer 27

1860 - 838 miles

1880 - 15,842 miles

Question 28

How did India’s share of global GDP change during the colonial period?

Answer 28

It declined from 20% to 5%

Question 29

Why did India become dependent on food imports, reducing consumption per capita?

Answer 29

Since the agricultural economy was skewed to higher cash crops like rice and wheat which were not part of the typical Indian daily diet

Question 30

What proportion of land was affected by land improvment schemes such as irrigation?

Answer 30

Only 6%

Question 31

What two key aspects of the Indian economy remained the same before and after the Indian rebellion?

Answer 31

• There was very little heavy industry

- Subsistence farming prevailed

Question 32

Which two commodities saw an increase during the colonial period?

Answer 32

Tea and cotton

Question 33

How many tea plantations were there in 1851 and 1871?

Answer 33

1851 = 1
1871 = 295