Rise of the British Empire

British Motives  Trade – making money for British companies  Politics – stopping other European powers developing their empires and becoming too powerful  Religion – trying to spread the Christian faith  Ambition – hoping to get rich easily or get a good job in the government of the empire  Adventure – wanting to learn about new lands and peoples  Land – hoping to settle down and start a new life in a new land

Stage 1: Examine the sources in the case studies For each case study you look at, make a note of which sources seem to provide evidence of which views. Use this research table to record your notes.- Write YES or NO. If you say yes, you need to explain it!

Source 1a- fill out your table on motives HELPFUL HINT: This map was produced in 1857 for a British company. It was based on surveys made by the British East India Company in the 1700s and 1800s. The pink section of the map shows it is a British possession. Underlined place names are military stations, for example Chinsura, north of Calcutta. From Calcutta, a red line heads northwest. This shows a railway line.

Source 1b: fill out your table on motives YES/NO why? HELPFUL HINT: This map lists all of the British possessions in India. This suggests that the map was designed to show the rest of the world that India 'belonged' to Britain. Any government which rules a territory needs accurate maps of that land to rule it properly.

Questions to answer about Source 1a and 1b  1. What information does this map provide about the rise of British power in India?  2. Have the British possessions been taken from Indian rulers or Europeans?  3. The map features developments like railways, along with trade routes and travelling times. What does this suggest about Britain's main interests in India?

Source 2: fill out your table on motives- YES/NO why? HELPFUL HINT: This source shows the ships, tonnage of ships and men involved with each ship. In the 1690s this was an enormous amount of men, money and resources. By the mid 1700s the British East India Company was so powerful it had its own armies in India.

Question to answer  How many ships was the British East India Company sending out in 1692?  How many men were on the ships?  What does this source tell you about the East India Company and the trade with the East?  What does it tell historians about why the British became involved in India?

How many ships was the British East India Company sending out in 1692? Eight plus four more were expected to be received from India daily. How many men were on the ships? 823 on the ships listed. What does this source tell you about the East India Company and the trade with the East? The Company was funded by wealthy men who paid for ships and goods to be traded in the East so that the ships could return with valuable goods like tea, spices and silk. These could be sold for large profits back in Britain. What does it tell historians about why the British became involved in India? Trade was the the primary motive for British expansion into India.

Source 3: fill out your table on motives- YES/NO why? HELPFUL HINT: It shows General Robert Clive receiving the diwani of Bengal - the right to collect the land revenue on behalf of the Company from the Mughal Emperor. The Mughals had ruled India for centuries, but by the later 1700s Mughal rule was in decline. After the Battle of Plassey in 1757, the British East India Company took control of Bengal. After this the nawabs (Muslim rulers or princes) of Bengal were little more than puppets.

Source 3  QUESTIONS:  What impression does the painting give of the relationship between the British leader and the ruler of Bengal?  Is this impression correct or misleading?

Questions What impression does the painting give of the relationship between the British leader and the ruler of Bengal? That the British tricked the ruler of Bengal into granting them the right to collect land revenue. Is this impression correct or misleading?

Source 4: fill out your table on motives- YES/NO why? HELPFUL HINT: It uses a range of figures to illustrate different aspects of the work of the East India Company. Britannia is sitting on a rock to show how well established the empire was and is guarded by a lion to show its power. The children behind Britannia and under her protection represent the British East India Company. The stream of water at the bottom of the painting is the Indian river Ganges. China is represented by jars of porcelain and a box of tea, and Bengal by an elephant and a camel. In the background a ship is taking the treasures of the east back to Britain.

Source 4  QUESTIONS:  Can spot the various features of the painting that are outlined in the useful notes?  Can you explain which aspects of the painting show Britain as strong?  Which parts of the painting show Britain as kind?  Does this source provide any clues as to why the British became empire builders in India?