Colonial History of India

1. Colonial History of India Julie Swantek FYE Presentation 3/6/13

2. The Mughal Empire • A young prince named Babur took control over India in 1526 and established the Mughal Empire • Babur called his dynasty "Timurid," but it is better known as the Mughal Dynasty - a Persian translation of the word "Mongol."

3. Babar’s Reign • Died in 1530 • Muslim, but with flexible religious views • Established military base in Kabul and went South to conquer the Indian subcontinent

4. Subcontinent: A large, distinguishable part of a continent

5. Religious Issues with the Invasion of the Mughals • India- Hinduism • Polytheistic • Do not hurt/kill cows (Believe cows are sacred) • Vegetarians • Reincarnation • Very stable religion • Muslim- Islam • Monotheistic • Eat meat • Heaven after death

6. The Mughal Empire: Akbar the Great • (1526-1605) • Akbar and the scholars came up with the Divine Faith in hopes to unify the empire • a mix of religions such as Islam, Hinduism, and other traditions • Conquests for a decade, then centralizes the empire • Well liked because of his religious tolerance and the expansion of the empire

7. The Mughal Empire: Jahangir • (1605-1627) • “world seizer” or “conqueror” • Returns religion to Islam • Tries to conquer south India • Spends all of Hindu taxes on luxury items & wastes a lot of money

8. The Mughal Empire: Shah Jahan • (1627-1658) • Better ruler than Jahangir. • Restored the efficiency of government. • Recovered territories. • Maintained peace • Foreign traders were allowed into India & trade grew • The empire expanded greatly • Built the Taj Mahalin honor of his wife who died during childbirth. Took over a decade to build and it nearly bankrupted the empire.

9. The Decline of the Empire • Shah Jahan's third son, Aurangzeb, died in 1707. • Mughal state began a long, slow process of crumbling from within • Increasing peasant revolts • All around the borders, powerful new kingdoms sprang up and began to chip away at Mughal land holdings.

10. The Mughal Legacy in India • Mughal Dynasty left a large and visible mark on India • The mixing of Persian and Indian styles created some of the world's best-known monuments. • Buildings such as the Taj Mahal, the Red fort in Delhi, and Humayun’s Tomb • This combination of influences can also be seen in the arts, cuisine, gardens and even in the language.

11. Taj Mahal Red Fort Humayun’s Tomb

12. Conquest of India • In the 16th century, European powers began to conquer small outposts along the Indian coast. • The British colonialists managed to control most parts of India while ruling the key cities Calcutta, Madras and Bombay as the main British bases. • Portugal, the Netherlands and France ruled different regions in India • Vasco De Gama In 1498 successfully discovered a new sea route from Europe to India, which paved the way for direct Indo-European commerce.

13. British East India Company • Founded in the 1600s, while Akbar was still on the throne • Initially it was only interested in trade • In 1617 the British East India Company was given permission by Mughal Emperor Jahangir to trade in India. • As the Mughal Empire began to lose power, the British East India Company grew increasingly powerful. • With the invention of this company the British could stake a claim to the weakened Indian subcontinent

14. British Colonization • In 1757, the British East India Company had defeated the Nawab of Bengal and the French Company in the Battle of Plassey • British took control of most of the subcontinent • Set up the British Raj in India • Mughal rulers held on the throne, but were powerless to the British

15. Consequences of the Raj • Famines contributed to failed government policies • Some of the worst ever recorded • The Great Famine of 1876-1878 • 6.1 million to 10.3 million people died • Indian Famine of 1899-1900 • 1.25 to 10 million people died • Plague Pandemic • 19th Century • Killed 10 million people in India alone

16. Sepov Rebellion (Indian Mutiny) • 1857, occurred in the North of India • Half of India Army rises up against British East India Company • First time Indians rebelled in massive numbers against the presence and the rule of the British in South Asia • British home government intervened to protect itself financially and put down the rebellion • This ended the Mughal Dynasty

17. National Indian Congress • In 1885, the “National Indian Congress” was founded. • Demanded that the Indians should have their proper legitimate share in the government. • Congress developed into the main body of opposition against British colonial rule.

18. The Independence Movement • India was forced to fight for the British in WWI and the division of the Ottoman empire after led the movement • Non-violent resistance against British was initiated in 1920 by Gandhi • 1920-22: non-cooperation movement against the British • 1930-31: campaign of civil disobedience • 1942 he issued the call to the British to “Quit India” • Said they wanted independence immediately • Theodore Roosevelt pressured the Prime Minister to grant independence • Independence was promised to be after WWII ended • Others adopted a militant approach and sought to overthrow British rule • These movements succeeded in bringing independence to India and Pakistan in 1947

19. Bibliography • http://asianhistory.about.com/od/india/p/mughalempireprof.htm • http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/History/British/BrIndia.html • http://indiaheritage.org/history/history_the_colonial_period.htm • http://www.wmich.edu/dialogues/themes/indiagandhi.html • http://www.culturalindia.net/indian-history/akbar.html • http://www.nilsole.net/referate/post-colonialism-definition-development-and-examples-from-india/