The British Empire in India “The Jewel in the Crown”

1. The British Empire in India“The Jewel in the Crown” In this lesson, students will be able to define the following terms: Imperialism Sepoy Rebellion British East India Company Effects of British Imperialism on India

2. “The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire”

3. East India Company • British economic interests began in early 1600’s • British East India Company (privately owned) • Set up trading posts around India • Bombay • Madras • Calcutta

4. Mughal Dynasty & EIC • Mughal Dynasty (India’s ruling Empire) • Established early control over European traders • By 1707 Mughal empire was collapsing • Small states began breaking away from the empire • In 1757 Robert Clive led East India Company troops establish power in India. Battle of Plassey • East India Company Dominates • Governed Bangladesh, India, & land along the Ganges River • East India Company had an army of Indian soldiers known as the sepoys

5. Britain’s “Jewel in the Crown” What do you think this statement means? • Major supplier of raw materials for Britain Industrial expansion • India’ s population of 300 million people made profitable market for British goods.

6. Rule w/ an Iron Fist“Jewel in the Crown” • British forbade India from trading on its own with other countries • Why is this bad for India and Good for Britain? • India was forced to produce raw materials for only Britain and to buy finished products from only Britain • What does this mean? • Indian competition with British finished products was forbidden • What does this mean?

7. “Jewel in the Crown” • Britain set up a railroad network to take raw materials from inside India to its ports

8. Raw Materials Taken from India • Tea • Indigo (dye for clothing)

9. Raw Materials Taken from India • Coffee • Cotton

10. Raw Materials Taken from India • Jute (fiber for making rope) • Opium (plant that heroin is made from)

11. Sepoy Mutiny • 1857, a rumor spread throughout the sepoys that the cartridges of their rifles were sealed with both cow and pig fat. • Cows are sacred to Indians • Muslims were forbidden to eat pork • The Sepoys who refused to take the new cartridges were put into jail

12. Sepoy Mutiny • Sepoys rebelled across India • East India Company was losing control over India • The mutiny was not put down until the British government sent in troops.

13. Effects of the Sepoy Mutiny • Sepoy Rebellion was unsuccessful not b/c of a lack of anti-imperialism sentiment but because of the division amongst Muslim and Hindu Indians. • The most lasting changes which occurred, was that authority was transferred from the East India Company to the British crown.

14. Turning Point • 1858 British government took direct control over India (because of the Mutiny) • Raj (time period when India was under Great Britain’s control: 1857-1947)

15. Raj • India was divided into 11 Provinces and 250 districts • Result: Mutiny increased distrust between British and Indians: it fueled more British racism towards Indians “sometimes a handful of officials would be the only British amongst millions of Indians in a district “