Contextual information for India: The Road to Independence Flashcards
What was the East India Company, and what was it doing in India?
The East India Company was a trading/merchant business that was officially sanctioned by the British government. They officially began their rule in India in 1757 after the Battle of Plassey, but first began trading in 1600 after a royal charter by Elizabeth I was sent to explore and trade in the region. Eventually, they came to rule large areas of India and was comprised of its own private armies. The comapny wanted to secure goods such as spices, cotton salt and sugar, along with any other items that the British could profit on.
State the reason for the Battle of Plassey, 23 June 1757
The Indian people fought back against the rule of the East India Company because they are tired of the British taking all of their resources. This commenced at Fort William in Calcutta, where the horrendous incident of the Black Hole of Calcutta occurred, during which the British were imprisoned in cramped conditions and 123 out of the 146 died within a matter of hours. This deeply angered the British and worsened already prevalent Anglo-Indian tensions.
State the outcome of the Battle of Plassey, 23 June 1757
The East India Company quashed the rebellion quickly and assumed full authority over Indian affairs. Robert Clive, with the assistance of the Nuwab of Bengal, secured the state of Bengal and made himself its Governor after killing Nuwab Siraj Ud Daulah, who was later given martyr status by Indian nationalists. This later formed the catalyst for almost 200 years of British rule in the region.
State the causes of the Indian Mutiny in 1857
The Lee Enfield P-53 Rifled-Musket, the standard issue weapon for sepoys at the time, required the use of pig or cow fat as a lubricant for the musket due to its narrow barrel; therefore, the paper cartridge had to be ripped open with the teeth. This deeply offended both Hindu and Muslim soldiers who were ordered to do this, as Hindus believe cows are sacred and in Islam, pigs are considered ‘dirty’ creatures. The cultural insensitivity and ignorance displayed by the British was the principal reason for the first war of Indian Independence, as it is alternatively known.
What did the British do after the Mutiny to restore control?
The Government of India Act of 1858 was a piece of legislation that replaced the failure that was the East India Company with the ‘Raj’. This new form of rule in India meant that the British government could closely observe the country’s affairs whilst creating an illusion of respect for Indian traditions and customs by maintaining positioons of authority. however, many of these leaders were merely ‘puppet leaders’ as they remined in their roles, but had very little influence over the country itself.
Explain the roles of the Viceroy and Secretary of State for India
The Secretary of State was based in Britain and was superior to the Viceroy as they made the decisions that the Viceroy had to enforce on the ground in India.
On the other hand, the Viceroy was the highest port of call in India and was tasked with implementing the actions decided by the Secretary of State and the Crown in London.
Explain the role of the Indian Civil Service (ICS) and who it served
The Indian Civil Service’s function was mostly administrative as they put forward ideas regarding the country and were tasked with enforcing the legislation passed regarding India. Initially, the ICS did not contain any Indian members; however, this changed over time as nationalists became more demanding regarding who was deciding the future of India. After decades of protest and negotiations, Indian nationals were gradually permitted to join.
Was it a good idea to form the British Raj?
From a British perspective, the Raj acted as a form of appeasement towards Indian nationals by showing they respected their way of life, which would prevent riots such as the Indian Mutiny. However, the formation of the Raj meant India was under tigther surveillance from paternal Britain than ever before, and over time had greater restrictions placed on them in an attempt to control the region and its people.
Why was involving Queen Victoria in the Raj important?
By giving Queen Victoria the title of ‘Empress of India’, the monarchy was given a greater tie with the British Empire, which had been expanding astronomically. The Raj, along with other countries within the Empire, were also given an element of prestige and almost superiority over surrounding regions across the globe. Indeed, India was often referred to as ‘The Jewel of the Empire’, giving the nation the status as a prospering and fruitful country.
What were the Princely States, and how did they link to the British Raj?
The Princely States were areas of India which were not directly under British rule and control, but most rulers of these states had treaties and agreements with Britain. This meant they only acted as ‘puppet leaders’ in order to maintain their wealth and status whilst Britain made the decisions behind the scenes. Due to Britain having more say in the affairs of these states than the public were led to believe, they can only be considered ‘self-autonomous’.
What was the overall Indian attitude towards British rule by 1900?
Despite the formation of nationalist group the Indian National Congress in 1885, the group first pledged their loyalty to the Raj before commencing their fridt meeting, which leads historians to believe that the main and accepted belief was that the people of India were not unhappy with British rule in their nation. This was arguably due to the way in which Britain modernised India due to the Industrial Revolution, coupled with the stabilisation of the riots and rebellions occuring in the nation at the time. Additionally, the limited input that the ICS had on the running of India, giving the false impression that the Indian people were more involved in their country’s affairs.
Outline the history and principles of the Indian National Congress
When the INC was first established in 1885, the organisation mostly consisted of high-caste, educated Indian men who worked as lawyers, doctors, businessmen or traders. Many were also Hindus due to Hinduism being the dominant religion in India at the time and the nature of India’s rigid social hierarchy which was made to complement the religion.
The INC met annually in Decemeber up until the First World War, with the aim of the group being to gain equal power in comparison to the British. Additionally, the INC wanted to have a say in the running of India without demanding full independence from the British Empire, in an attempt to negotiate with the British.
Outline the histroy and principles of the muslim League
The Muslim League was mostly made of Muslims formerly of the INC who did not feel represented based on the organisation’s founding principles on Hinduism.
The Muslim League was created in 1906, with their principal aim being to raise the voices of Muslims and fight for their rights as a minority group within the protest for equal power in the British Raj. They also wanted to change the ‘one man, one vote’ system due to the lack of Muslims that would be elected into government in a democracy.
Explain how the Hindu caste system operated, what percentage of the nation identified as Hindus, where they were mostly located and how the British Raj angered the Hindu population?
The highest within the Hindu caste system were known as the ‘Bahramin’ and were mostly priests and academics, with the second class (Kshatyria) being warriors and kings. The third class (Vaishya) worked as merchants and land owners whilst the penultimate class (Judra) were considered ‘commoners’. The bottom of the Hindu caste system were known as ‘untouchables’ and were social pariahs who were outcastes from society and had menial roles such as street and latrine cleaners.
80% of the Indian population identified as Hindus, with their origins being the Indus Valley near the River Indus, previouslt situated in northwest India, now modern day Pakistan.
The Partition of Bengal in 1905 angered the Hindus because they perceived this action as an attempt to ‘divide and conquer’ the Indian population by appealing to the Muslims in the Bengal state. The separation of the region greatly pleased the Muslims, as predicted, which enfuriated the INC who believed they represented all of India and felt it undermined their cause should the two religious groups be given separate territories.
How does the Muslim faith differ from Hinduism, where were the Muslim population within India concentrated and how did the British Raj anger the Muslim population?
Muslims believe in one God, Allah, who is not represented by deities, but sent prophets to teach Muslims how best to live their lives. Muslims believe in Jannah (Paradise) and Jahanam (Hell) whilst Hindus believe in reincarnation and the concept of good and bad karma.
Muslims dominated the majority of eastern India; however, there was of course some Hindus that resided in these areas.
The annulment of the Partition of Bengal in 1911 greatly angered the Muslim population, as following disapproval from the Hindu community. This enfuriated Muslims as their independence gifted from the Partition was removed due to the overwhelming influence of the Hindu majority, which led to a souring in previously positive relations between the Muslims and the British government.
