#3 - AIM: British Imperialism in India? (27.4)

Why is India Important? 1498 - Vasco deGama sailed around Africa to Calicut, India. Spices – needed for preservation of food – pepper and other spices By mid-1500s – Portugal had established high tariffs and a monopoly on Indian Ocean trade Great Britain & France want to cut out the middle man

Mughal Empire 1526-1707 India ruled by Muslim Emperors Majority of population were Hindus 1556 – Akbar the Great During this period region enjoyed economic success and religious harmony

Golden Age of Mughal Architecture The reign of Shah Jahan, the 5th Emperor, between 1628–58 was the golden age of Mughal architecture. He erected several large monuments, the best known of which is the Taj Mahal at Agra,

Collapse of Empire The later Emperors were intolerant toward Hindus Established Sharia Law Involved in military conquest.

British Imperialism in India 27.4 [1600’s] British East India Company: set up trading posts in major cities for spices 1756-1763 – Seven Year’s War in America & Europe Mughal Empire collapsing 1526-1707 Many small states broke away from Mughal control

East India Company? East India Company governed with little or no interference from British government directly Company had own army led by British officers Staffed with Sepoys “Indian Soldiers”

Battle of Plassey 1757] Battle of Plassey: EIC Army Led by Robert Clive of the East India Company defeated Indian forces who were allied with the French The East India Company becomes leading power in India with control over most of India - until 1858

India becomes the “Jewel in the Crown” ? India = most valuable of British colonies Industrial Revolution turned India into the “world’s workshop”

India provides 300 million people to purchase British made goods Supplier of raw Materials tea, indigo, coffee, cotton and Opium (Sold to China for tea) No manufacturing in India

The Empire which the Sun never sets

Resentment was growing in the 1850’s! Many believe British trying to convert them to Christianity Ended sati: Hindu practice of widows throwing themselves on husbands pyre Racism: barred from top posts in Indian Civil Service Paid less: Indian Railway British engineer makes 20x’s more than Indian engineer

Some Indians call for change. Ram Mohun Roy Calls for modernization and westernization End traditions that hold Indians back. Rigid Cast System Arranged marriages Rise of nationalism begins

Suttee or Sati – The Indian custom of a widow burning herself, either on the funeral pyre of her dead husband or in some other fashion, soon after his death. Although never widely practiced, suttee was the ideal of certain Brahman and royal castes. It is sometimes linked to the myth of the Hindu goddess Sati who burned herself to death in a fire that she created through her yogic powers after her father insulted her husband, the god Shiva.

Impact of Colonialism Negative British hold Political & economic power Racists attitudes threaten social customs & traditions Indian business development restricted Cash crops cause famine late 1800’s

Positive Impact Positive Modern technology – railroad, telephone, telegraph, dams, bridges, canals, & irrigation Schools & Universities End to warfare of local rulers India today is the largest democracy in the world.

Result Rise of Nationalism