India Flashcards
What is a Nawab?
Local Mughal rulers of India
What is a Nabob?
A British person who made a lot of money in India
What is a Sepoy?
Local Indian troops employed by British
East India Company Structure (hierarchy)
British Government Board of Control/Court of Directors Bengal Presidency - Governor General Fort William Madras Presidency/Bombay Presidency Army/Civil Service
Acts of Parliament and Impact on the East India Company from 1773-1833
1773 - Regulating Act - intended to overhaul the management of the EIC’s rule in India
1784 - Government takes control of certain key functions
1813 - Charter Act - ends monopolies except on tea/trade with China
1833 - Government of India Act - ends commercial activities/reorganises administrative system of British territory in India
Explain the impact of free trade on the changing functions of the EIC in the early 1800’s
The change within EIC from commerce to administration meant the British representatives in India now saw themselves as ruling the territories rather than protecting commercial interests. Put interests in tax collection instead of trade. Put private armies on the field. Local rulers allied with British for protection and smooth collection of taxes from their subjects.
What is Utilitarianism?
Philosophy that the governing principle of rulers should be the effort to secure the greatest happiness for the greatest number
Give details about the Company army
British troops - 45,000
Indian troops - 277,000
Got good education and were well equipped, was seen as a high status occupation
There were 3 armies one for each Presidency but Bengal Army was the largest
The War of the Sind in 1843 had 40 British casualties and 2000 Sind casualties
Explain the importance of Bengal
Bengal Army had particular privileges which they guarded and were extremely sensitive
It’s president was the Governor General of all territory controlled by the EIC.
Population is 40 million and the centre of the Mughal Empire
Rich in salt, opium, tobacco. Importer of British goods doubled from 1811 to 1840
Centre of the EIC administration
Impact of British Rule on the Caste System
- Strengthened it, gave Brahmans special privileges previously withdrawn by Muslims
- Stopped low caste receiving worse sentences
- Improved wealth and education of the low caste
- Became a more westernised class system
- Modernisation largely due to Ghandi, a product of the British education system
- Strong middle class with Indian nationalism evolved allowing men of low cast to rise high
What was Thagi?
Killing of travellers and taking their goods for religious reasons
Campaign against it went reasonably successful as British managed to get numbers of incidents to drop
What was Sati?
Wives throwing themselves in their husbands funeral pyres
Campaign against it was not successful and the Act of Abolition was not accepted
Seen as the wives own decision even though there was a lot of social pressure on them
Female infanticide and British campaign against it
Mainly practiced in high caste communities, said to be so wealthy land owners didn’t have to split their wealth between too many heirs. Other reasons include female children being devalued and a form of population control.
British enforced the law ban in 1795 and 1802.
Who were the Christian missionaries?
Wanted to translate he Bible to the people and teach them how to read/write
Mastered the language, started schools, spoke against Sati, infanticide and prostitution.
Tried to abolish the caste system.
Helped create 1 Indian Identity, before there were 70 kingdoms, 450 languages, 20 ways of writing
Allowed people to go up and down the social ladder, low caste people could now enter Hindu temples.
What was the impact of Christian Missionaries on Indians?
2 main opposite attitudes - conversion to Christianity or strengthening Hinduism through reform (mainly upper caste)
Allowed entry of private commercial/religious interests
Missionary activity became a way of urban life
Some Hindu Revivalist groups set up
