The British in India - 1829-58 Flashcards
To what extent did the British control India in 1829?
The British East India Company emerged as the dominant power in India by the early 19th century, filling the power vacuum left by the collapse of the Mughal Empire.
The Company ruled through treaties and alliances with local rulers, benefiting from divisions among Indian power-holders.
The subcontinent was vast and diverse, with multiple religions (Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism) and languages, making direct control challenging.
The Company governed through three presidencies: Bengal (Calcutta), Madras, and Bombay, with Bengal being the most influential.
The British government had increased oversight of the Company, regulating its finances and administration through a series of Acts in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
The Charter Acts of 1813 and 1833 reduced the Company’s commercial monopoly, shifting its role from trade to administration and tax collection.
What were the causes of and Significance of the Clash of Cultures?
British officials increasingly saw themselves as rulers rather than traders, imposing European legal and administrative systems.
Christian missionaries were allowed to operate in India after 1813, leading to tensions with Indian religious communities.
British legal reforms disrupted traditional Indian social structures, challenging Hindu and Muslim customs.
The abolition of practices like sati (widow burning) in 1829 under Governor-General Lord William Bentinck was seen by many Indians as an attack on their traditions.
Economic policies favored British interests, leading to Indian resentment over land revenue demands and declining local industries.
What were the Immediate Causes of the Indian Rebellion of 1857?
The introduction of the Enfield rifle with cartridges rumored to be greased with cow and pig fat offended both Hindu and Muslim soldiers (sepoys).
Resentment among Indian soldiers over poor pay, harsh discipline, and lack of opportunities for promotion.
Annexation policies, particularly the Doctrine of Lapse, led to the British seizing Indian states without a direct heir, angering local rulers.
Economic hardship due to heavy taxation and land policies that displaced Indian farmers and landlords.
The growing perception that the British were deliberately undermining Indian culture and traditions.
Why did the British retain control of India?
The rebellion was not a united national movement; it was fragmented, with many Indian princes and groups remaining loyal to the British.
The British had superior military technology, disciplined troops, and control over key strategic locations.
Effective use of reinforcements from Britain and loyal Indian troops helped suppress the uprising.
Harsh reprisals and military campaigns crushed the rebellion by 1858.
The British government formally took control of India from the East India Company, leading to the establishment of direct Crown rule (British Raj) in 1858.
What was a Charter?
A legal document granting special rights, such as the East India Company’s monopoly on Indian trade in 1600.
What was the Mughal Empire?
A Muslim dynasty of Mongol origin that ruled much of India from the 16th to the 19th centuries, declining in the 18th century.
What was a Regularised subsidiary?
The East India Company operated as a regulated body under British parliamentary oversight after 1786
What was the Charter Act?
Laws passed in 1813 and 1833 to reduce the Company’s monopoly and increase British government control.
What were the Company presidencies?
Administrative divisions of the East India Company, based in Bombay, Madras, and Bengal.
What was a Nabob?
Originally a Mughal official, later used to describe Company employees who made large fortunes in India.
What was the Privy Council?
A royal advisory body that served as the highest court of appeal for British India.
Who was the first governor appointed with increased powers under British parliamentary oversight, and what roles did he hold?
Lord Cornwallis was the first governor appointed with increased powers following British parliamentary intervention.
He was given supreme authority over British India, holding both the position of Governor of Bengal and Commander-in-Chief of British military forces in India.
His appointment marked a shift in British policy, strengthening centralized governance in India and reducing the autonomy of the East India Company’s presidencies.
How did the 1784 India Act change the power structure of British India, particularly regarding foreign policy and Company governance?
The 1784 India Act was introduced to tighten British government control over the East India Company while allowing it to continue governing India.
The Act centralized power in the hands of the Governor of Bengal, ensuring that the presidencies of Bombay and Madras could not make independent decisions on war or peace without approval from Bengal.
This effectively gave the Governor of Bengal control over British foreign policy in India, reinforcing the hierarchy within the Company’s administration.
The Act was part of a broader movement between 1774 and 1784 to increase government oversight, ensuring the Company’s actions aligned with British imperial interests rather than its commercial priorities.
What was the significance of the 1833 Government of India Act, and how did it change the role of the Governor General?
The 1833 Government of India Act marked a turning point in British governance, officially transforming the Governor General of Fort William into the Governor General of India.
The first person to hold this expanded role was Sir William Bentinck, who now had full legislative and administrative control over all British territories in India.
The Act ended the East India Company’s commercial activities, making it solely an administrative and governing body.
The Governor General’s power extended over all three presidencies, reducing their autonomy and making Bengal the dominant administrative center.
While still technically overseen by the Board of Control in London, slow communication meant that in practice, the Governor General exercised near-total autonomy, comparable to a Crown-appointed governor in other British colonies.
What was the significance of evangelical Christianity in British India, and how did it influence colonial policies?
Evangelical Christianity was a growing movement within Protestant churches that emphasized personal salvation and the missionary conversion of others.
By the 19th century, evangelical influence in British India grew, leading to greater efforts to reform Indian society based on Christian values.
Evangelicals challenged social inequalities, supporting campaigns such as the abolition of slavery, but they also viewed non-Christian religions as inferior, fueling a cultural and religious divide between the British and Indians.
Missionary efforts to convert Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Buddhists often destabilized traditional social structures, leading to resentment among local communities.
What Caused the Growing Cultural Divide Between the British and Indians in the 19th Century?
By 1829, the East India Company had shifted from being a commercial enterprise to an administrative and tax-collecting authority, controlling much of India after the decline of the Mughal Empire.
Early Company officials, known as ‘White Mughals,’ admired Indian culture and assimilated into local customs, often adopting Indian dress, language, and partners.
However, by the 19th century, a new generation of British officials, influenced by evangelical and utilitarian ideas, saw Indian traditions as backward and in need of reform.
The growing presence of British women in India reinforced racial and cultural separation. Unlike earlier Company men who formed relationships with Indian women, British women refused to socialize with Anglo-Indians or Indian spouses, making interracial relationships socially unacceptable.
French botanist Victor Jacquemont observed in 1830 that “portionless girls” from Britain arrived in large numbers to marry British officers, further solidifying racial divisions.
By 1850, wills of Company men showed that relationships with Indian women had dramatically declined, reflecting the shift towards racial exclusivity.
How Did British Policies Fuel Resentment and Lead to the 1857 Rebellion?
Between 1833 and 1857, the East India Company, under Governors William Bentinck and Lord Dalhousie, pursued a policy of modernization inspired by Utilitarianism.
Key reforms included:
The abolition of sati (widow-burning) in 1829, a policy driven by evangelical campaigns and Bentinck’s personal beliefs.
The decision to fund education only in English-speaking institutions, making English the official language of government and the courts.
Dalhousie’s aggressive annexation policies, which undermined Indian princely states, creating further discontent.
These reforms undermined traditional religious and social structures, causing deep resentment.
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 erupted as a reaction to these cultural and political changes, triggered by grievances over military practices, religious interference, and British expansionism.
How Did the British Suppress Thagi (Thuggee) and What Was Its Significance?
Thagi (also spelled thuggee) was a form of highway robbery and ritual murder committed by bands of criminals who worshipped the Hindu goddess Kali.
British campaigns against thagi began under William Bentinck in the 1830s, led by Colonel William Sleeman, who established the Thuggee and Dacoity Department in 1835.
Sleeman’s methods included:
Capturing and using confessions from thags to track down others.
Publicizing the campaign to portray the British as protectors of innocent Indians.
Conducting mass trials, leading to the execution or transportation of over 1,000 thags.
The campaign became a symbol of British ‘moral superiority’, reinforcing their belief that Indian society needed British intervention.
Queen Victoria personally requested reports on thagi, and sensationalized British accounts exaggerated the scale of thuggee, with later claims that thags had been responsible for up to one million deaths.
While thagi suppression was not widely opposed by Indians, the campaign was used to justify further British social and legal reforms, reinforcing colonial rule.
What Was the British Justification for Abolishing Sati (Widow-Burning)?
Sati was the Hindu practice of self-immolation by widows on their husbands’ funeral pyres, particularly common in Bengal and Punjab.
British officials had long disliked the practice, but feared banning it might provoke unrest.
In 1829, Governor William Bentinck, influenced by evangelicals such as William Wilberforce, made sati illegal, declaring that those assisting with the practice would be guilty of culpable homicide.
Bentinck’s Minute on Sati expressed both moral outrage and concern for British stability, arguing that:
The abolition of sati was necessary for moral progress.
British supremacy in India gave them the authority to ban it.
Opposition to sati was not an attempt at forced religious conversion, but rather a humanitarian act.
Unlike the campaign against thagi, the abolition of sati sparked resistance, as it was seen as an attack on Hindu customs rather than just a crime.
What was the British East India Company’s role in banning sati?
The Company banned the practice in Calcutta in 1798.
In 1813, William Wilberforce helped amend the 1813 Charter Law to allow missionaries to preach against sati and other Hindu practices.
The Company began collecting statistics on sati in its territories from 1815.
Ram Mohan Roy campaigned against sati from 1818, particularly after his sister-in-law’s forced death by sati.
Roy initially counseled against a ban in 1829, preferring persuasion over legislation.
After the ban, Roy supported it and presented evidence to the Privy Council, which upheld the ban in 1832.
The law applied only in territories under Company control but influenced princely states to follow suit in the 1830s and 1840s.
Sati persisted in the Punjab until British control was established and was fully outlawed in 1851.
The law’s interference was seen by some as an attack on caste purity, creating resentment.
What impact did missionaries have in India during British rule?
British missionaries arrived in India in the late 18th century, despite opposition from Company officials.
The first missionaries in Bengal, including Baptists like Joshua Marsham, William Carey, and William Ward, were banned from Calcutta and settled in Serampore.
Missionaries focused on education and Bible translation into Bengali.
William Wilberforce and Charles Grant campaigned for the removal of the Company’s ban on missionaries.
The Charter Act of 1813 allowed missionaries into India, leading to an increase in their numbers.
Missionaries pushed for education in English to weaken the Brahmin caste’s dominance and promoted the superiority of Western ideas.
Alexander Duff of the Church of Scotland promoted English education in Bengal, influencing Bentinck’s educational policy.
Missionaries contributed to the Bengal Renaissance, which combined Indian and Western learning, with figures like Ram Mohan Roy advocating for this fusion.
How did Bentinck’s reforms impact India?
Bentinck’s efforts significantly improved the position of women in India, including the banning of sati and female infanticide.
He enforced laws against female infanticide passed in 1795 and 1802, targeting regions like Rajputana and Maharashtra.
His reforms in education, particularly in promoting English, were influenced by missionary work and contributed to the Bengal Renaissance.
These reforms, however, represented a shift towards government intervention in Indian society and fueled discontent towards British rule in the 1830s and 1840s.
What was the Doctrine of Lapse and how did it contribute to the 1857 rebellion?
The Doctrine of Lapse, introduced by Dalhousie, allowed the British to annex Indian states when rulers died without a legitimate heir.
This policy conflicted with Hindu law, which allowed for the adoption of a son as heir.
It contributed to resentment among native rulers, particularly with the annexation of Awadh in 1856.
The annexation of Awadh involved taking land from talukdars, destabilizing the region and causing widespread unrest.
The anger over these policies, along with religious and social changes, contributed to the outbreak of the rebellion in 1857.
What were the key causes and events of the 1857 Indian Rebellion?
The immediate cause of the rebellion was the rumor about cartridges greased with animal fat, offending both Hindus (beef) and Muslims (pork).
This rumor sparked fears of a British plan to Christianize India.
The rebellion was fueled by resentment over missionary interference, English as the official language, and changes to rural land ownership in Awadh.
The rebellion began in Meerut on 9 May 1857, following the court-martial of sepoys who refused to load the new rifles.
The mutiny spread rapidly through the Bengal army, causing widespread unrest in Awadh, Delhi, and parts of the Punjab.
