British Rule

British Rule of India Flag of the British East India Company  1601  British traders arrive in South Asia  By 1830, most of India is under British control (direct and indirect)  Queen Victoria crowned Empress of India in 1877  British rule was called the Raj

Queen Victoria in India

Reasons for colonialism Why did England want to control India?  Export raw materials to England  India was a Market to sell finished goods Example: export cotton  import material (garment)  Spread religion & “civilize” India (“white man’s burden”)

Impact on India  High taxes  Salt monopoly Salt March  protest tax on salt which was widely used  Famines – worse b/c of poor administration (British)  Indians = 2 nd class citizens  Infrastructure improvements (roads, bridges, RRs, etc.)  Changes to Hinduism  Some religions practices were banned

Indian Nationalism- pride  The Great Mutiny  British guns were greased with pork and beef fat- offensive to Muslims and Hindus  1885  The Indian National Congress  goal = independence  British tried to divide Hindu and Muslim communities “the division of religious feelings is greatly to our advantage…” - Lord Dufferin, British Viceroy of India ( )  1906  All-India Muslim League  goal = independence.

Mohandas K. Gandhi

 Lived like a poor citizen  Lawyer- trained in London  Originally supported the British  Lived in South Africa  Opposed British in South Africa  Brought movement back to India  Wore peasant clothes- Indian made clothing  Spindle is a symbol  Assassinated by a Hindu who thought he was sympathetic to Muslims Gandhi is South Africa in 1895

Gandhi’s philosophy  Satyagraha: Non-violent non- cooperation “Non-cooperation with evil is as much of a duty as cooperation with good.”  Provided a process for achieving goals peacefully  Strikes, boycotts, fasting, marches  Greatly influenced MLK and Nelson Mandela

Nationalism led to Independence in 1947  Partition ( ) = separation of India into India, West Pakistan, and East Pakistan (Bangladesh)  Religious violence erupted b/t Hindus and Muslims – about 1,000,000 died  Millions migrated to the country of their religion  Today, India and Pakistan are intense rivals (with nuclear weapons!)

Major problems & Issues in India today  Overpopulation  1 billion & climbing.  Economic development -> slow rates of industrialization.  Hindu-Muslim tensions.  India- Hindu and Pakistan- Muslim  Gender issues  dowry killings.  Caste bias  discrimination against untouchables continues.  The Kashmir dispute and nuclear weapons.  Inefficient farming.