Colonial India

Imperialism and Colonial IndiaDefinitionOne countrys domination of the political, economic, and social life of another country.

Why?Political rivalriesEuropean countries needed colonies to compete with other Europeans.Desire for New MarketsNew territory to get raw materials and sell finished goods.Seeking New OpportunitiesNative Europeans could advance socially by taking an assignment in a colonyCivilizing MissionSome Europeans thought it was their duty to impose their culture on other, less civilized peoples.Forms of ImperialismColony: territory that an imperial power ruled directlyProtectorate: territory that had its own government, but its policies were guided by a foreign power.Sphere of Influence: a region in which the imperial power had exclusive investment or trading rights.British Involvement in IndiaBritish have been in India since the 1500s1600: British traders formed the East India CompanyBegan to create trading posts along Indias coast in strategic positions

The Sepoy RebellionBy 1857, the East India Co. controlled most of India1857: The sepoys (Indian soldiers) rebelled against their British commandersThe Indians resented Christianity and European customs

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Results of the Sepoy RebellionRebellion spread across northern and central IndiaIn some places, British men, women, and children were massacredLasted just under 1 yearBritish killed 1000s of unarmed civilians in revenge of the massacresForced British to tighten control on IndiaViceroy System Imposed: A viceroy ruled India as the monarchs representativePositive Effects of British RulePaved roads and extensive railway systemInstalled telegraph linesDug irrigation canalsEstablished schools and universities

Negative Effects of British RuleBritish discriminated against IndiansForced Indians to change from their ancient waysExample: Farmers forced to grow cotton instead of wheat. Massive food shortages killed millions of Indians during the 1800s.Reactions to British Rule1885: Indian National Congress (INC) formedAccepted ideas of democracy and equalityInitially used peaceful protests to gain more power for the Indians.Leader in Indian struggle for independence.The INC was divided by religionThe Hindus (majority) and Muslims (minority) did not trust each other.The Amritsar Massacre1919: Britain imposed laws designed to curb the independence movementNationalists could be arrested and jailed without trialOutlawed large gatherings10,000 unarmed Indians gathered for a political meetingBritish troops blocked the only entrance and began firing upon the crowd.400 people were killed, 1200 wounded.The Amritsar Massacre spurred even more Indian people to join the fight for independence.GandhiGandhi worked with the INC and led nonviolent protests against British rule.Rejected Western culture because of the following:Use of brute forceWorship of moneyPrejudicial attitudes toward non-Western peoplesSatyagraha: a term which means truth force and describes the nonviolent protests

The Salt MarchThe British controlled (and taxed) all salt in India1930: Gandhi led thousands on a march to the seaThey made salt out of sea waterEventually, Gandhi was arrested like many of his followers already had been.

Limited Self-Rule1935: Government of India ActCreated a constitution for India that gave provincial legislatures control over areas such as agriculture, education, public health, and public works.The INC (at the urging of Gandhi) accepted the act even though it didnt offer complete independence.

Hindu-Muslim RelationsHindus outnumbered Muslims 3 to 1 in India1937: The Muslim League, led by Mohammad Ali Jinnah, split with the Congress PartyThe Muslim League demanded a separate Muslim nation.Hindus, led by Jawaharlal Nehru, wanted a united India at firstNehru eventually recognized the benefits of partition and supported that plan.The independence movement was permanently fractured.Division of the SubcontinentBefore vacating India, the British drew borders to divide the subcontinent into separate Hindu and Muslim countries.

Division of the SubcontinentThe division of the subcontinent led to one of the biggest movements of people ever.About 12 million Hindus and Muslims crossed the borders in both directions.This movement often led to violent outbursts.Independence from Britain came in August, 1947