Chapter 8, Section 4 INDIA UNDER BRITISH RULE

 The first European explorers to gain a foothold in India were the Portuguese.  The Dutch, French, and British soon followed.  Initially the Mughal rulers kept tight control on European activities.  However, Mughal power declined over time and the British looked to become conquerors instead of just traders. EUROPEAN EXPLORERS

 Since the Portuguese were the first to arrive in India they set up a trade monopoly on Indian markets.  When other European nations arrived in India they broke the Portuguese monopoly.  Missionaries also traveled with the Portuguese and converted many Indians to Christianity. MUGHAL EMPERORS AND EUROPEAN TRADERS

 In 1600, England set up the British East India Company.  The East India Company won rights from the Mughal rulers to set up trading posts and forts at Madras (Chennai), Bombay (Mumbai), and Calcutta (Kolkata).  The English traded gold and silver for Indian goods such as cotton, silk, and tea. EARLY TRADE

 The decline of the Mughal emperors caused a power vacuum to form in India.  British and French forces fought for control of major trading centers.  By the 1760s, British forces had ousted the French.  With its main European competition now gone, the British East India Company began establishing immense economic and political power in India.  Major-General Robert Clive helped to establish this dominance. A STRUGGLE FOR POWER

 Internally, the East India Company was able to gain more power in India through the exploitation of traditional rivalries between Indian rulers.  The East India Company forced Indian rulers to sign unfair treaties and won the right to collect taxes. EAST INDIA COMPANY RULE

 The British government took steps to check the growing power of the East India Company.  By the 1850s, Indians had many grievances against British rule.  The British outlawed some traditional Hindu practices.  High taxes angered farmers.  Both Hindus and Muslims resented the efforts of missionaries to convert them to Christianity.  For many Indians, foreigners were a threat to their whole way of life. BRITISH RULE

 Sepoys were Indian troops who served in the British army.  In the 1850s, sepoys heard rumors that the cartridges for their new rifles were greased with beef or pork fat.  Another law required sepoys to fight for Britain in foreign lands.  The Sepoy Rebellion broke out in 1857 near Delhi and quickly spread across northern India.  During several months of fighting, both sides committed savage acts.  In the end, the British brutally put down the uprising. THE SEPOY REBELLION

 The Sepoy Rebellion led to a number of political changes in India:  In 1858, the British government took over India as a colony.  Now formally known as the British Raj.  They sent the last Mughal ruler into exile and named Queen Victoria of Britain the Empress of India.  The British used a system of direct and indirect rule to govern the nation. A BRITISH COLONY

BRITISH INDIA, 1909