British Imperialism in India What was the British Raj and why did it form?

Economic Imperialism in India 1600: British East India Company begins setting up trading posts in India India’s ruling Mughal Dynasty keeps European traders under control 1757: Mughal Dynasty starts to collapse BEIC The British East India Company’s troops attack the remaining Mughal troops & take control of India (Battle of Plassey) The company expands its army by enlisting sepoys, which were Indian soldiers India becomes the main supplier of raw materials to Britain & is considered the “Jewel in the Crown” 1850s: Indians protest as they find out soldier’s rifles were greased with pork & beef fat. Cow is sacred to Hindus, Muslims don’t use pork 1857: Sepoys rebel against the B.E.I.C. – Sepoy Mutiny (Rebellion) Indian Muslims and Hindus could not unite together & British East India Company wins (with aid of British Government)

The Sikhs in India also aid the British As a result of the Sepoy Mutiny, the British Gov. takes direct control of India (colony) This period is known as the British Raj 1900: Ram Mohun Roy states Indians need change or will be forever ruled by British More political division occurs amongst Hindu & Muslim Indians as well as British partition of Bengal Positive points of British Colonization Negative points of British Colonization British modernized India with telephone, roads, sanitation British relied on cash crops so there was not as much food Schools & colleges were founded and literacy increased The increased amount of missionaries and racist British officials threatened India’s culture British built the world’s third largest railroad system British hold all of the economic & political power