India

Question 1

In which battle did the British gain divani rights and start tax collecting ?

Answer 1

Battle of Plessey
1757
Clive of India

Question 2

Example of EIC territorial expansion before 1800

Answer 2

4th Mysore war
1798-99
Tipping Sultan (rather be a tiger than a sheep)
Defeated

Question 3

What is a subsidiary alliance ?

How were they used to increase British presence in India ? STATS PLEASE

Answer 3

Mughal empire was in decline so there was an increase in Indian princes (occupied 2/3 of India) turning to the British for protection in exchange for territory / money

WELLESLY
territory increases 243,000 km2 1798-1805

Question 4

When did the government bail out EIC ?

What did this mean?

Answer 4

1773 bailout

Meant British had more of a say over EIC matters and were effectively overseen by the British

Question 5

What was the 1813 charter act ?

Answer 5

Ends EIC monopoly on all but opium and tea

Question 6

When were Christian missionaries let into India

Answer 6

1813 in line with the charter act

Question 7

What was the charter act 1833?

Significance?

Answer 7

Ends EIC monopoly on everything

Solidifies EIC as rulers who collect tax

Question 8

Which philosophical idea was adapted by the British to justify interfering in India ?

Answer 8

Utilitarianism

Question 9

How did utilitarianism and Ideas of British superiority lead to a sense of dusty to reform India

Answer 9

The British ideas of parliamentary superiority and ideas of utilitarianism came together the idea that
The British government would bring the most good and happiness

There was therefore a British sense of duty to enforce their ideas and enforce their democracy into India

Question 10

What happened with British women coming to India ?

Answer 10

As British women started coming to India, this created a divide between the Indians and the British men who were previously cohabiting and embracing Indian culture

Question 11

What was thuggee?

When was it suppressed and by who?

Answer 11

Thuggee meaning “deceive” was the practice of thugs posing as travellers killing rich merchants with yellow scarfs
- a tribute to the god Kali

Banned by Bentinck
1836 +

Question 12

What was the reaction from the Indians from the suppression of thuggee and sati ?

Answer 12

Not as resented as other campaigns
But used as a pretext for interfering in other matters like the remarriage act

Viewed by some, particularly the Higher castes who practised Sati as interfering

Question 13

Outline sleeman’s campaign against thuggee

How did this reflect British values ?

Answer 13

Sleeman tried and punished 3000 thugs and was portrayed in Britain as an iconic hero.

He released three books “confession of a thug”

He reflected the British idea that we had a duty to protect and save India from their “backwards” way of life

Question 14

What was sati?

When was it outlawed and by who?

Answer 14

Sati was the practice of widow burning amongst higher castes
It was practiced in line with sati burning herself alive to be with her husband

It was outlawed by Bentinck in 1829

Question 15

What did the British originally do before outlawing sati

Answer 15

Charge money for it to take place (the bastards)

Question 16

What were dalhousies main 3 reforms

Answer 16

Doctrine of the lapse
Talukdar reforms
Social reforms

Question 17

What was dalhousie’s doctrine of the lapse
What year ?
What was this a philosophical reflection of ?

Answer 17

Dalhousie’s doctrine of the lapse went against both Indian and Muslim customs.
If the prince did not have an heir and died, the British could take control of that area. Both Muslim and Indian custom dictated that an heir could be nominated.
Also if a province prince was behaving corruptedly, the British could annex and takeover

Came in with Dalhousie 1848

Direct reflection of ideas of British superiority.
No need for subsidiary alliances as the British way of life was more superior so Britain should be in charge.

Question 18

Example of a place annexed in the doctrine of the lapse that contributed to the mutiny

Answer 18

Awadh
1856

Annexed under doctrine of the lapse and joined the mutiny

Question 19

What was Dalhousie’s policy towards Talukdars

Answer 19

If they couldn’t provide legal claim to the estates they had ,
They would be taken by the British

Question 20

What were dalhousie’s social policies ?

What were the reactions to these ?

Answer 20

Widow remarriage act
Disabilities act
- you can still get inheritance if you convert to Christianity

These were widely resented by the Indians as British attempts to turn India Christian. The sati and thuggee were pretexts to the British interfering in culture that did not necessarily need changing

Question 21

What happened with Christian missionaries in India ?

Answer 21

Allows in 1813 in line with whiggish evangelical ideology and the campaigning of the Clapham Sect.
They tried to convert children and the higher classes !

Seen as massively overstepping and evidence that the British were indeed trying to convert India to Christianity
In line with ideas of British superiority

Question 22

What did Bentinck do with the English language.

Answer 22

Made it the official government language

Question 23

What was Roy’s philosophical reaction to the evangelical Christian’s ?

Answer 23

Advocated for and adaptation of Indian and British thought.

Accepted that some British reforms were good but Indian culture should be reserved

Question 24

What was Macauley’s minute on education ?

Answer 24

Made English compulsory in schools

This is in line with the British language being considered to have “greater value”
CULTURAL SUPERIORITY

1835
Caused tension as viewed as interfering in culture

Question 25

What was the Enfield rifle campaign ?

Why was this a short term cause of the rebellion ?

Answer 25

1853
Enfield rifles introduced that had to be greased .
Rumours circulated that the grease was pig and cow grease ( offensive to Muslim and Hindus )

Directly caused religious sepoys to rebel

Question 26

What was the enlistment act of 1856?

How did it cause the mutiny short term?

Answer 26

The enlistment act ensured that all new recruits would have to serve abroad. Many high castes thought that crossing water would pollute their caste

Sepoys feared this would soon spread to existing recruits and viewed this law as the British intervening in their religious and cultural lives

Question 27

Which 2 places started rebelling because they were victims of doctrine of the lapse ?

Answer 27

Awadh

Jhansi

Question 28

Where did the Enfield rifles campaign take place and the rebellion begin ?

Answer 28

Meerut

Question 29

What were Dalhousie’s positive reforms ?

Answer 29

Railway lines 1853 
Post system 1854
Guarantee system - companies guaranteed 3%  minimum interest 
Telegraph lines 4000 miles long 
Universities

Question 30

What happened with Dehli in the rebellion / mutiny

Answer 30

Mutineers / rebels fail to reach and secure Dehli’s weapons and explosives before they are destroyed by the British

Question 31

What happened in Cawnpore ?

What was the result of this ?

Answer 31

Nana Sahib - denied inheritance from doctrine of the lapse massacred 210 women and children which including throwing babies down wells and indiscriminate lynchings.

This resulted in harsh British reprisals

Question 32

Examples of harsh British reprisals

Answer 32

People blown up by cannons
Muslims defiled in pig skin and Hindus defiled in cow skin when shot.
In Jhansi, hundreds of innocents burned alive in haystacks

Forced to clean up blood when being whipped

Question 33

What happened in the mutiny in Lucknow and Cawnpore ?

What was the difference in Lucknow.

Answer 33

Seiges

Lucknow
It was relieved by Campbell before lots of people could be killed

Question 34

How did the rebellion fail to spread ?

Answer 34

It was geographically contained to the north. 2/3 India not involved.

The armies of Bombay and madras remained loyal. The sikhs from the Punjab , a relatively recent annexed territory were instrumental in suppressing the mutiny
Zamindar class supported the british
Most princes supported the British

Question 35

Why was foreign aid not given to the rebels ?

What was the result of this ?

Answer 35

Border territories - Afghanistan and Nepal offered no support
Russia was not an interventionist threat after signing truce after Crimean war ending just a year before in 1856

No international aid put the rebels at a massive disadvantage short of weapons and reinforcements which the British could

Question 36

How were the rebels weak in terms of having no common plan ?

Answer 36

Some wanted to restore the Mughal empire and some only wanted to restore elements.
Bahudah shah - the reluctant figurehead of the rebellion was allegedly in secret communication with the British
There was a lack of unified ideology compared to the likes of the American revolution.

Question 37

How were the rebels weak in terms of their leadership ?

Answer 37

Their leadership was un centralised with no clear leader.
Failure to utilise / convince Bahudur Shah.
Nana Sahib was incompetent
The Rani of Jhansi was 23 and lacked military experience

Question 38

How were the rebels weak in terms of military strength

Answer 38

Had muskets which could be loaded 3 times slower than the British and sepoys Enfield rifles
Failure to get weapon supply from dehli
Ineffective army leadership

Question 39

How were the British strong in terms of leadership

Answer 39

Experienced officers
Like Campbell who relieved Lucknow and Clemency Canning
These leaders were calm and tactically experienced

Question 40

How were the British more militarily advanced than the rebels

Answer 40

Enfield rifles could be reloaded 3 times faster
Could call reinforcements
Could warn and prepare for rebellions using the telegraph

Question 41

How were the British advanced in terms of their support

Answer 41

Punjab sikhs
Support of most princes
Support from Zamindar class

Question 42

What were the consequences of the Indian rebellion in terms of government reforms ?

Answer 42

Govt of India act ended EIC rule 1858 who were blamed for the rebellion
It was ruled by a viceroy rather than a Governer general.
Queen Victoria becomes empress
Indians made “imperial subjects” to promote the idea of equality rather than British superiority

Question 43

What were the consequences of changes in IDEOLOGICAL modernisation policies after the rebellion?

Answer 43

Idea shift from cultural superiority to cautious toleration
“Religious toleration” is official policy rather than oppressive missionaries
Attempt to keep proselytising out of official government policy
No laws affecting religious policy until 1891

“Imperial subjects” to promote the idea of equality

Question 44

What was the consequence of the rebellion - changes in industrial modernisation policies

Answer 44

Build upon dalhousie’s reforms of the postal and public work systems
To focus on infrastructure
61 railways
288-1588 miles of railway built

Question 45

What were the military consequences of the mutiny ?

Answer 45

Indians could theoretically join the civil service (one did) promotes the idea of equality

Sepoys to Brit ratio 3:1 rather than 9:1
Cut back Indian sepoys by 40%

Sepoys who fought for the British become “military castes”

Regiments mixed in religion to prevent one religion rebelling

Own rifle grease allowed

62/74 Bengali regiments disbanded

Question 46

What was the consequence of land reform after the mutiny ?

Answer 46

Benham rent act 1859 gave property Rodgers to tennant and small land owners for the first time which removed grief without upsetting zamindars

However landlords could still raise rents

Doctrine of lapse abandons. Princes rights protected
Policy on Talekdars removed