Colonial Period 1510-1961
- Portuguese arrive in India in 1510 and they arrived in subcontinent and the route was found between Portugal and India.
- First arrival was Francesco del Maeda
- Second headquarter was Goa and after 1510 Goa became the capital
- Goa had the authority over all Portuguese’s positions in the Indian ocean from southern Africa to south east Asia
- 1752 Mozambique got its own separate government.
- 1844: Portuguese stopped governing the authority of Solar and Timur.
- 1605- 1825 dutch rule in the subcontinent
- Merchants of the Dutch East India Company established themselves in Dutch, to exchange exports such as textiles and spies they exchanged with the East Indies.
- Dutch Surratt succeeded in 1667 respectably
- They took the Portuguese forts on the Malabar Coast 5 years later
- In the 2nd half of the 18th century Dutch people lost their influence
- Dutch colonies: 1605 to 1825
- Danish India were former Indian colonies from Denmark
- Held land for almost 200 years
- Presence was little threat to European powers due to weak military and mercantile threat
- Danish India managed to cling on to their colonial holdings and they were tolerated until 1845
- French India (1759-1954) was French establishment set up by French East India till de facto Indian Union, and some territories were Pondicherry and Chandinagar
- The Company Raj, more properly called Honorable East India Co., ended in 1858, and had trade contracts with Ching Dynasty and NWFP Balochistan and traded silk, cotton, indigo, and dye
- Company received Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth in 1600s,
- Government owned no shares and had only indirect control
- Company rule in India = 1757 to 1858
- EIC dissolved in 1784; Intro of British Raj after 1858
- East India Co. dissolved in 1784
- Entire subcontinent was called India under British control and these areas were directly administered by UK
- British Raj was AKA Indian Empire
- System of governance was instituted in 1858 by British Empire when rule of EIC was moved to crown of Queen Victoria
- 1876- She was proclaimed Empress of India, so British Raj lasted until 1947
- India was partitioned into 2 sovereign dominion states
- Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan and eastern half of which became People’s Republic of Bangladesh
- At inception of British Raj in 1858, Lower Burma was already part of British India
- Upper Burma was added in 1886 to British India which resulted in Union of Burma
- Burma was administered as a province until 1937, then it became a separate British colony, gaining Independence in 1948
Questions on the War of Independence
Sources: http://www.historydiscussion.net/history-of-india/the-revolt-of-1857-the-first-war-of-independence/1581
http://icsehelpline101.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/notes-revolt-of-1857.pdf
- The revolts that took place before the revolt of 1857 were many, and the revolters mainly consisted of unfairly treated landlords, soldiers, tribal people, artisans, peasants. Their reaction displays the feelings of resentment of the Indians against the British exploitation, which resulted in many uprisings, including the Sanyasi Rebellion and the Chunar Rebellion.
- The tribal revolts were the rebellions led by the Santhals of Bengal and Bihar. They took place because the British took large pieces of tribal land to cultivate cash crops, leaving the tribal people with no land and no rights and forcing them to work as labourers.
- The political causes of the revolt of 1857 were that Lord Dalhousie, a colonial administrator of British India, started the Doctrine of Lapse, in which he aggressively expanded his state and annexed native Indian states, causing widespread enmity among Indian rulers and their subjects. In addition, the Doctrine of Lapse was issued and meant that the kingdom was given to the British due to the absence of a natural Indian heir.
- The social causes of the revolt of 1857 were that the Indians were also angered by the British’s attempts to convert them into Christianity, and social reforms did not bode well with the Indian populace. The social order of the centuries felt threatened when great reformers started abolishing practices of sati and female infanticide. Widow remarriage was legalised, and high ranking jobs were always given to the British.
- The British confiscated land which ruined the farmers. Cash tax payment ruined the peasants, and British goods were sold at a cheaper rate in the Indian market because of the Industrial revolution across the globe, which ruined the Indian industry. Royal patronage to poets, musicians, artists, was withdrawn which left them penniless, and soldiers lost their jobs.
- The Indian soldiers were paid very little wages compared to the British soldiers, were considered inferior to the British soldiers, and were continuously abused and humiliated. The Indian sepoys were not selected for the higher posts in the army and the highest rank they could get was the post of a subedar. The British forced Indian soldiers to fight wars outside India which was not acceptable to the Indian soldiers. The high and the low caste Indian soldiers were treated equally, which was a great disappointment to the higher caste soldiers
- The consequences of the 1857 War of Independence included policy towards Indian princes and chiefs, the end of the Peshwa and the Mughal rule, promises to the people, changes in army organisation, policy of divide and rule, increased economic exploitation, and rise of nationalism in India.
Sources: http://www.historydiscussion.net/history-of-india/the-revolt-of-1857-the-first-war-of-independence/1581
http://icsehelpline101.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/notes-revolt-of-1857.pdf
Important Events in India from 1857-1947
1600- British East India Company is established.
1857- The Indian Mutiny or The First War of Independence, also known as Sepoy Mutiny.
1858- The India Act: power transferred to British Government.
1885- Indian National Congress founded by A. O. Hume to unite all Indians and strengthen bonds with Britain.
1905- First Partition of Bengal for administrative purposes. Gives the Muslims a majority in that state.
1906- All India Muslim League founded to promote Muslim political interests.
1909- Revocation of Partition of Bengal. Creates anti-British and anti-Hindu sentiments among Muslims as they lose their majority in East Bengal.
1916- Lucknow Pact. The Congress and the League unite in demand for greater self-government. It is denied by the British.
1919- Rowlatt Acts, or black acts passed over opposition by Indian members of the Supreme Legislative Council. These were peacetime extensions of wartime emergency measures. Their passage causes further disaffection with the British and leads to protests. Amritsar Massacre. General Dyer opens fire on 20,000 unarmed Indian civilians at a political demonstration against the Rowlatt Acts. Congress and the League lose faith in the British.
1919- Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (implemented in 1921). A step to self-government in India within the Empire, with greater provincialization, based on a diarchic principle in provincial government as well as administrative responsibility. Communal representation institutionalized for the first time as reserved legislative seats are allocated for significant minorities.
1920- Mohandas Gandhi launches a non-violent, non-cooperation movement, or Satyagraha, against the British for a free India.
1922- Twenty-one policemen are killed by Congress supporters at Chauri -Chaura. Gandhi suspends non-cooperation movement and is imprisoned.
1928- Simon Commission, set up to investigate the Indian political environment for future policy-making, fails as all parties boycott it.
1929- Congress calls for full independence.
1930- Dr. Allama Iqbal, a poet-politician, calls for a separate homeland for the Muslims at the Allahabad session of the Muslim League. Gandhi starts Civil Disobedience Movement against the Salt Laws by which the British had a monopoly over production and sale of salt.
1930-31- The Round Table conferences, set up to consider Dominion status for India. They fail because of non-attendance by the Congress and because Gandhi, who does attend, claims he is the only representative of all of India.
1931- Irwin-Gandhi Pact, which concedes to Gandhi's demands at the Round Table conferences and further isolates Muslim League from the Congress and the British.
1932- Third Round Table Conference boycotted by Muslim League. Gandhi re-starts civil disobedience. Congress is outlawed by the British and its leaders.
1935- Government of India Act: proposes a federal India of political provinces with elected local governments but British control over foreign policy and defence.
1937- Elections. Congress is successful in gaining majority.
1939- Congress ministries resign.
1940- Mohammed Ali Jinnah calls for establishment of Pakistan in an independent and partitioned India.
1942- Cripps Mission o India, to conduct negotiations between all political parties and to set up a cabinet government. Congress adopts Quit India Resolution, to rid India of British rule. Congress leaders arrested for obstructing war effort.
1942-43- Muslim League gains more power: ministries formed in Sind, Bengal and North-West Frontier Province and greater influence in the Punjab.
1944- Gandhi released from prison. Unsuccessful Gandhi-Jinnah talks, but Muslims see this as an acknowledgment that Jinnah represents all Indian Muslims.
1945- The new Labour Government in Britain decides India is strategically indefensible and begins to prepare for Indian independence. Direct Action Day riots convince British that Partition is inevitable.
1946- Muslim League participates in Interim Government that is set up according to the Cabinet Mission Plan.
1947- Announcement of Lord Mountbatten's plan for partition of India, 3 June. Partition of India and Pakistan, 15 August. Radcliffe Award of boundaries of the nations, 16 August.
1600- British East India Company is established.
1857- The Indian Mutiny or The First War of Independence, also known as Sepoy Mutiny.
1858- The India Act: power transferred to British Government.
1885- Indian National Congress founded by A. O. Hume to unite all Indians and strengthen bonds with Britain.
1905- First Partition of Bengal for administrative purposes. Gives the Muslims a majority in that state.
1906- All India Muslim League founded to promote Muslim political interests.
1909- Revocation of Partition of Bengal. Creates anti-British and anti-Hindu sentiments among Muslims as they lose their majority in East Bengal.
1916- Lucknow Pact. The Congress and the League unite in demand for greater self-government. It is denied by the British.
1919- Rowlatt Acts, or black acts passed over opposition by Indian members of the Supreme Legislative Council. These were peacetime extensions of wartime emergency measures. Their passage causes further disaffection with the British and leads to protests. Amritsar Massacre. General Dyer opens fire on 20,000 unarmed Indian civilians at a political demonstration against the Rowlatt Acts. Congress and the League lose faith in the British.
1919- Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (implemented in 1921). A step to self-government in India within the Empire, with greater provincialization, based on a diarchic principle in provincial government as well as administrative responsibility. Communal representation institutionalized for the first time as reserved legislative seats are allocated for significant minorities.
1920- Mohandas Gandhi launches a non-violent, non-cooperation movement, or Satyagraha, against the British for a free India.
1922- Twenty-one policemen are killed by Congress supporters at Chauri -Chaura. Gandhi suspends non-cooperation movement and is imprisoned.
1928- Simon Commission, set up to investigate the Indian political environment for future policy-making, fails as all parties boycott it.
1929- Congress calls for full independence.
1930- Dr. Allama Iqbal, a poet-politician, calls for a separate homeland for the Muslims at the Allahabad session of the Muslim League. Gandhi starts Civil Disobedience Movement against the Salt Laws by which the British had a monopoly over production and sale of salt.
1930-31- The Round Table conferences, set up to consider Dominion status for India. They fail because of non-attendance by the Congress and because Gandhi, who does attend, claims he is the only representative of all of India.
1931- Irwin-Gandhi Pact, which concedes to Gandhi's demands at the Round Table conferences and further isolates Muslim League from the Congress and the British.
1932- Third Round Table Conference boycotted by Muslim League. Gandhi re-starts civil disobedience. Congress is outlawed by the British and its leaders.
1935- Government of India Act: proposes a federal India of political provinces with elected local governments but British control over foreign policy and defence.
1937- Elections. Congress is successful in gaining majority.
1939- Congress ministries resign.
1940- Mohammed Ali Jinnah calls for establishment of Pakistan in an independent and partitioned India.
1942- Cripps Mission o India, to conduct negotiations between all political parties and to set up a cabinet government. Congress adopts Quit India Resolution, to rid India of British rule. Congress leaders arrested for obstructing war effort.
1942-43- Muslim League gains more power: ministries formed in Sind, Bengal and North-West Frontier Province and greater influence in the Punjab.
1944- Gandhi released from prison. Unsuccessful Gandhi-Jinnah talks, but Muslims see this as an acknowledgment that Jinnah represents all Indian Muslims.
1945- The new Labour Government in Britain decides India is strategically indefensible and begins to prepare for Indian independence. Direct Action Day riots convince British that Partition is inevitable.
1946- Muslim League participates in Interim Government that is set up according to the Cabinet Mission Plan.
1947- Announcement of Lord Mountbatten's plan for partition of India, 3 June. Partition of India and Pakistan, 15 August. Radcliffe Award of boundaries of the nations, 16 August.
War of Independence Questionnaire
- The official British eplanation for the uprising of 1857 was that the Bengal Native Army had mutinied, and any civil disturbance that happened afterwards were due to the collapse of law and order.
- The term mutiny implies insubordination and rebellion within the military.
- The P-53 Enfield Cartridge Issue was that Muslims and Hindus were required to load their rifles by biting on paper cartridges covered in pig and cow fat, which went against their religions.
- The impact of the cartridge issue on the uprising of 1857 is the offence against the Muslim and Hindu soldiers who refused to load their rifles and were therefore imprisoned. This angered the population caused anarchy and rebellion to ensue.
- Territorial conquest was the prime objective of Britain because the British wanted to expand their state and annexed many parts of India.
- The instigator of "Territorial Conquest of Britain" was Lord Dalhousie.
- Dalhousie's administration began an annexation policy called the Doctrine of Lapse, which proclaimed that any state with an unable ruler or without a natural heir would be secured under British legislation to safeguard against any outside rule.
- Nana Sahib was employed for the job of leading the uprising.
- The Kanpur Massacre occurred in June 1857, in which the British were besieged at Kanpur and surrendered to rebel Indian forces under Nana Sahib.
- The first successful anti-colonial repossession of Indian soil was on June 7th, 1857.
- During the revolt of 1857, the Muslims sought to reinstate the rule of Muslim princes, and the Hindus worked to bring the Marathas back to power.
- Misrule of the East India Company:
- Resulted in 1857 revolt
- Their economic exploitation caused Bengal Famine of 1770
- Thirst for more land and resources ("The sun never sets in the British Empire")
- Weak administration