AIM: WAS EUROPEAN IMPERIALISM IN INDIA A “BLESSING OR A CURSE”?

What does this cartoon convey about life in India under British rule? What type of methodologies could Indians have utilized to fight British Imperialism?

I.THE SEPOY REBELLION a. 1857: a large number of Sepoys, rebelled against British officers.

b. Sepoys rebelled because their bullet cartridges were greased with pork and beef fat which violated their religious beliefs.

c. Underlying Cause: Indian discontent of being mistreated as second-class citizens in their own homeland and the British taking India’s cultural identity and all of it’s wealth.

WHY WOULD THE BRITISH UTILIZE THE CONCEPT OF RELIGION AS A POLITICAL MECHANISM IN THEIR IMPERIALIST ENDEAVORS?

How did Lord Kitchener view the “It is this consciousness of the inherent superiority of the European which has won for us India. However well educated and clever a native may be, and however brave he may prove himself, I believe that no rank we can bestow on him will cause him to be considered an equal of the British officer” - Lord Kitchener How did Lord Kitchener view the Indian people?

II. EFFECTS-TURNING POINTS 1. 1858 - British Government obtained direct control of India, (era identified as “The Raj” 1757-1947). 2. Indian Nationalism emerged with Nationalist groups such as the Indian National Congress (1885) and The Muslim League (1906) that promoted independence in the early 20th CT.