INDIA UNDER BRITISH RULE

MUGHAL EMPIRE

Founded by Babur (1526)Lasted for more than 300 yearsAkbar the Great: Religious toleration (Muslims and Hindus)

Shah Jahan: Monument to his 3rd wife Both are buried there

EUROPEAN TRADERS Portuguese built a trading empire in Asia (Vasco da

Gama) Catholic missionaries sailed with Portuguese

merchants and converted many Indians to Christianity. In 1600, Dutch broke in and England set up the East

India Company The English built trading posts and traded gold and

silver for Indian goods such as cotton, textiles, silk, and tea

A STRUGGLE FOR POWER At first, the Mughal Empire looked down on

the Europeans and had power to set the terms of trade.

Later (Early 1700s), Mughal Empire began to decline (wasteful spending, ended toleration policy, civil wars)

Rival princes set up small independent kingdoms

Britain and France began to compete with each other for political and economic power.

They allied with local Indian rulers against the Mughal Empire

British forces had overcome the French.

EAST INDIA COMPANY RULE

Robert Clive- British officer and administrator of the East India Company

Led British forces against the French and drove the French out.

Won control of Bengal section of India (Bangladesh)

He appointed local rulers who favored the East India Company

EAST INDIA COMPANY RULE

Traditional rivalries kept Indian rulers from uniting against the British.

The British encouraged disunity Earned the right to collect taxes, set up a law

code, set up a court system

BRITISH RULE Indians had many grievances against British

rule. British outlawed Hindu ritual suicide by widows British imposed high taxes Christian missionaries tried to convert Hindus

SEPOY REBELLION Sepoys: Indian troops who served in the British army Sepoys heard rumors that cartridges for their rifles

were greased with beef or pork fat Fight for Britain in foreign lands (afraid would lose

caste) Sepoy Rebellion: 1857 near Delhi Sepoys killed some British soldiers. British brutally put down the uprising Led to lasting distrust between British and Indians

BRITISH COLONY SET UP IN 1858

British government took over India as a colony British ruled most of India directly but a third

was still ruled by local princes who signed treaties giving Britain control of foreign and military affairs

Britain reformed the law code and set up its own court system

Britain set up its own civil service, body of officials, to rule the colony