The British Raj in India

1. The British Raj in India

2. Table of Contents • **Click on slide to go directly to topic** • Brief Timeline • The “Great Rebellion” • British Rule • Road to Independence • Partition • Works Cited

3. Brief Timeline Click here to return to table of contents • Early 1600s: The British East India Company establishes an operation in India • 1700s: The Mogul Empire collapses, and the British gain dominance as a governing entity in the ensuing battle for power • British establish an army of British citizens and sepoys (Sepoys=Indian citizens fighting for British) • 1800s: “Raj” becomes term for British colonization of India • “Raj” is derived from the Sanskrit word for king, Raja • 1857: Sepoy Mutiny • Uprising of sepoy troops as native resentment towards British builds • 1858: Peace is restored, East India Company abolished, British still rule India • British maintain control until India gains independence in 1947

4. The “Great Rebellion” Click here to return to Table of Contents • Included Sepoy Mutiny and Indian Mutiny of 1857-1858 • Very bloody and violent series of battles and uprisings against British presence in India • British forced to call in extra troops from England to quell uprisings • Began an era of extreme racial distinctions between British and Indians • Social segregation • British enjoyed life of opulence and luxury • Mixed race British/Indians were not considered racially “pure” and were looked down on

5. British Rule Click here to return to Table of Contents • Cooperation and conciliation combined with coercion and force • British government made many financial and economic gains for India • Economic interests at the forefront of policy making • Pros and Cons to rule • Pros: contributed to and developed infrastructure, agriculture, and the education system • Cons: left Indians poor and prone to famine, using Indian money to pay for British bureaucracy, retained an army larger than India’s needs, and kept economic power securly in British hands.

6. Road to Independence Click here to return to Table of Contents • The formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885 • Formalized opposition to Raj • Violence vs. Non-violence to oppose imperial oppression • Mahatma Ghandi: leader of non-violent camp of party and leader of several national movements in early 1900s • British Raj collapses relatively quickly in 1940s • Result of long and short term internal factors; World War II; global pressuring for end of imperialism

7. Partition Click here to return to Table of Contents • In ensuing power vaccum in wake of Britain’s departure, India split up into three entities by religious affiliation: Hindu, Muslim, and Sihk • Hindu and Sihk sections remain in “India,” Muslim section becomes independent country of Pakistan • “Partition” period a period of extreme violence between religions and a massive displacement of people

8. Works Cited Click here to return to Table of Contents Click to go directly to website • http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/modern/independence1947_01.shtml • http://history1800s.about.com/od/thebritishempire/tp/indiatimeline01.htm • http://asianhistory.about.com/od/colonialisminasia/p/profbritraj.htm