Expansion and Empire Flashcards
Reasons why Britain became interested in colonising India?
India’s economic benefits and natural resources.
European competition for prestige and power.
Loss of American colonies meant Britain was looking elsewhere to expand.
India was ruled by princes who did not get along after the fall of the Mughal empire in 1740 so it was easier to take over
What was the East India Company
Set up in 1600, it was a company granted with a monopoly on English trade with south asia
By 1740 It wanted to expand its influence in India to maintain economic interests by builiding a private army
Who were Nabobs
Many nabobs began their careers as East India Company employees in roles such as traders, administrators, or military officers.
Through trade, taxation, military conquests, or gifts from local rulers, they accumulated vast wealth, often exploiting India’s resources.
Explain the significance of Warren Hastings in bringing changes to British Rule in India?
Hastings is often credited for laying the foundation for the British rule in India along with Robert
Clive. After becoming General of Bengal in 1773, Hastings orchestrated the building of a Muslim
school in Calcutta. As someone who valued Indian culture, Hastings saw the benefits in promoting
Indian language and literature, believing that this would strengthen ties between the British and
Indians. Hastings was interested in developing British power and was an advocate
of using the army as a means of controlling more Indian territories during his stint as Governor.
He was put on trial in 1784 for mismanagement of EIC funds. The British Government decided that the EIC could not be trusted to rule India alone. The 1784 India act gave Parliament in Westminster joint control of India alongside the EIC.
Explain the significance of Robert Clive to the development of British control in India.
Robert Clive initially arrived in India in 1744 as an administrator for the East India Company.
However, he hated his role and joined the army, playing a major role in British victories at the battle
of Arcot in 1751, where he defeated the French and their Indian allies and the Battle of Plassey in
1757, where he defeated the Nawab of Bengal. These battles were significant as they helped to
remove European competition in the shape of the French and in defeating the Nawab of Bengal,
Clive was able to secure Bengal as a British power base.
However, more significantly, in 1765 he secured the Treaty of Allahabad meaning the British were
now governing, not merely trading in India as they were now allowed to collect tax revenues. This
signified a major change in British policy, as they were now in direct control of large territories of
India and would remain so until 1947 when India declared its independence.
Who were Sepoys
Indian troops in the EIC private army
List reasons for the Sepoys being unhappy with how they were being treated
Unfair treatment e.g. dangerous missions and only British officers.
New cartridges that were made using animal fat that went against religious practice
What was the Great Rebellion?
The Great Rebellion, also known as the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Sepoy Mutiny, or First War of Indian Independence, was a large-scale uprising against British rule in India. The rebellion, which began in Meerut on May 10, 1857, spread across much of northern and central India and marked a significant moment in the history of British India. It was a key turning point that eventually led to the dissolution of the East India Company and the direct control of India by the British Crown.70000 British troops were sent to supress the rebellion.
What was the government of India act 1858?
This Act was a response to the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (also known as the Sepoy Mutiny). It marked the end of the East India Company’s rule and the beginning of direct British control over India.
Key Features:
Transfer of Power: The administration of India was transferred from the East India Company to the British Crown.
Establishment of the British Raj: India came under the direct rule of the British government, and the Governor-General of India became the Viceroy of India, representing the British Crown.
Control Over Indian Affairs: The British Crown took over the governance of India, and the Secretary of State for India was created to oversee Indian affairs in the British government.
Indian Civil Services (ICS): The Act confirmed the continuation of the Indian Civil Services, a body of British officials who governed India. The ICS remained overwhelmingly British and was a powerful tool of British administration.
Disbandment of the East India Company: The Act formally ended the rule of the East India Company, which had been the primary agent of British rule in India since the mid-18th century.
Changes to how Britain governed India after 1857?
-Religion: The British tried to interfere less with religion
- Economics: Trade to India began to expand with the British acquisition of the Suez Canal in
1875
- Education: The British interfered less with education. However, The Indian Universities Act
created universities in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras.
- Government: The Raj became the new system of governance. Indians had more say in the
running of India and in government.
- Social: An Indian middle class started to emerge with the new opportunities. However,
Indians were still treated as inferior to the British.
Explain the significance of the 1857 Indian Rebellion to the development of the British Empire. [8
marks]
When the Indian mutiny morphed into a widespread rebellion against British rule, the British
government had to deploy some 70,000 to India to supress it. The Great Rebellion ended officially in
July of 1858 and would have significant consequences on the development of the British Empire.
The British Government was taken aback at the level of animosity that had been shown towards the
British during the Great Rebellion. Significantly, they decided to replace East India Company control
with direct and total rule from the British Crown through the Government of India Act 1858. Indians
were to be treated as ‘equal subjects’ within the British Empire with the British interfering less in
education and religion. Some received more opportunities for middle class jobs and social climbing
with universities being opened in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras through the Indian Universities Act.
Although, this was limited through the Caste System.
The governing of India would now be carried out through a nominated Secretary of State for India
who acted as a representative of the Queen – the Viceroy. This system was called the Raj. Perhaps
most significantly, the Great Rebellion had sparked nationalist fervour in India and leaders such as
Gandhi would emerge in the fight against colonialism, culminating in India declaring its
independence in 1947. This nationalism would reach far and wide, influencing other nationalist
leaders across the British Empire in their quest for independence.
