Relations with Indigenous Peoples 1857-90 Flashcards
What were the 3 main reasons for the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny in 1857?
1) The cartridges for the new Enfield rifle had been greased in animal fat, which offended both Hindus and Muslims.
2) Anger felt by landlords/nobles deprived of their land by Governor-General Dalhousie.
3) Long-standing cultural and social animosity relating to British rule.
Who was involved in the Indian Mutiny (5)?
1) Sepoys.
2) The urban class.
3) The rural class.
4) Discontented landlords who had lost out under British rule.
5) Peasants who resented taxation.
What were the events of the Indian Mutiny (4)?
1) In February 1857, sepoys in Bengal refused to obey orders, with other battalions following suit.
2) At Meerut, outside Delhi, sepoys turned on British officers, and a mob began attacking local Europeans.
3) Sepoys seized most northern cities (e.g. Lucknow and Cawnpore), and attempted to reinstate the old Mughal Emperor.
4) British control was reinstated in June 1858, following the Battle of Gwalior.
What were the consequences of the Indian Mutiny (7)?
1) The execution of the Mughal Emperor’s sons.
2) Many cities, such as Lucknow and Delhi, were devastated.
3) Many villages were burnt.
4) Rebels were tortured.
5) Many British officers, alongside their wives and children, were killed.
6) A brutal retaliation by the British.
7) The Government of India Act 1858.
How did British attitudes to Indian culture change after the Mutiny?
Realising that imposing the Western culture and Christianity on India was counter-productive, missionaries were discouraged. Britain became more religiously sensitive, and became separated from Indian culture, when before the ‘exotic’ Indian culture drew curiosity and admiration from the British.
How was British administration in India unequal (2)?
1) The legal systems greatly favoured the British, and were far too complex to favour the poor, especially in regards to land tenure.
2) The new education opportunities were only accessible to the wealthier Indians, and did little for the peasants. Even those with an education found it hard to gain promotions from the lower ranks of the colonial bureaucracy.
How significant were the benefits of the British Raj to India 1858-90 (6)?
1) Whilst the British built railways, they were geared towards consolidating British control and trade, with most villages lacking mud roads.
2) The British offered markets for Indian agricultural produce, but this encouraged specialisation in higher value crops (rice, wheat) at the cost of low value grains (rye, barley), resulting in a dependency on food imports.
3) The British developed irrigation schemes and land improvements, however this only occurred when it supported British commercial interest, affecting only 6% of land.
4) The British provided India with cheap British manufacturers, however this skewed the Indian economy, making the development of India’s own industries impossible.
5) The British provided schools and universities, but only the privileged benefitted, with illiteracy remaining widespread.
6) The British provided Indians with jobs (railways, army, police, civil service), but only a few could access this employment, and it was often demanding physically and racially segregated.
What was the Star of India medal?
An order of chivalry, founded by Queen Victoria in 1861.
What did Viceroy Canning’s tour of India (1859-61) aim to (1), and what did it, achieve (4)?
He aimed to win back support of those alienated or disposed by British rule.
1) Some land and titles were returned to Indians.
2) Star of India medals were introduced.
3) Positions in the Imperial Assembly or Statutory Civil Service were awarded to the Indian nobility.
4) More educational establishments, teaching English, were opened.
Who was Mary Carpenter?
An educational and social reformer, visiting India 4 times 1866-75, establishing a corps for British teachers in India, Indian girls’ schools, a college to train female Indian teachers, and the National Indian Association to promote reforms.
In what 3 Indian cities were universities established in (1857)?
Bombay, Madras, Calcutta.
How significant was the British extension of education to India (4)?
1) Elite schools were set up to produce ‘Westernised Oriental Gentlemen’.
2) 1857-87, 60,000 Indians entered university, mostly in Arts, but 2,000 in Law.
3) Of the 1712 Calcutta students to graduate by 1882, over a third entered government service, and slightly more entered the legal profession.
4) Graduates of the 3 universities (Bombay, Madras, Calcutta) by 1882 accounted for 1100 appointments to government service.
What was the significance of railways for the British in India 1857-90 (2)?
After the Mutiny, railways in India developed at around 2 miles a day. Trains were used to stimulate trade, allow development in previously inaccessible areas, and allowed for the transportation of British soldiers and personnel more quickly, securing British control.
What economic changes did India experience under the Raj 1857-90 (4)?
1) A growth in infrastructure, especially railways.
2) Some European-style factories were built, but there was little heavy industry, as most manufactured goods came from Britain.
3) The number of tea plantations grew from 1 in 1851, to 295 by 1871, although subsistence farming still prevailed.
4) An increase in the domestic production of raw cotton for export to Britain in the 1880s and 1890s.
What were British attitudes towards British rule in India?
Many believed that British rule was a liberating experience for Indians, wanting to educate them in Western ways.
Who are the Bantu?
A general label for the ethnic groups in Africa who speak the Bantu language.
