Case Study: India

Early Trade Relationships

1498, Vasco de Gama successfully sails around Africa to reach India

European trading posts along India’s coastline soon follow.

The French and British squabbled over Indian politics and trade.

Britain became the dominant power during the Seven Year’s War.

British East India Company gained administrative rights from the Mughal Emperor, 1764.

The East India Company gradually conquered the rest of India.

Rule under the East India Company

East India Company used a local network of ruling authorities (Zamindars) to collect taxes.

Zamindars could keep 11% of the tax for themselves, but if they failed to pay the tax, their lands would be seized.

The Trouble with Taxes

Zamindars wanted to get rich from taxes.

The easiest way to do this was to force tenants to grow cash crops instead of food.

Cash Crops

Why might this be a problem?

Military Rule

East India Company used a militia of Sepoys, local soldiers, to control the country.

These soldiers were of mixed

ethnicity and religious views.

Trouble

Cartridges for the rifles soldiers used were covered with fat, and soldiers had to bite into them to release the gunpowder.

Rumors had been circulating in India for decades that the British were going to force all Indians to convert to Christianity.

The greased cartridges seemed to confirm this fear.

The resulting rebellion against company rule was extremely violent.

The worst event of the war happened in the massacre at Cawnpore.

British vengeance was equally swift and merciless.

Perspectives

What is the difference between:

Mutiny

Rebellion

Fight for Independence

The Raj

The British Government seized control of India from the EIC after the rebellion.

British rule continued for nearly a century.

Effects of British Rule

Population

Political Autonomy

Culture, Language, Religion

Territory

Independence

How would you seek to free your country from foreign policy?

Protest

Mohandas Gandhi Nonviolent resistance

Swadeshi

British Response

Silenced the press

Arrested protestors

Banned public meetings

Independence

WWII drained Britain’s resources; she could no longer afford to be imperialist.

India sent 2.5 million troops to aid Britain in WWII.

Aftermath

India was divided according to dominant religions.

Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh all eventually became separate nations.

Review time!

How did the triangle trade work?

What were the three ingredients for a strong country under mercantilism?

Who controlled the economy under mercantilism?

How did mercantilism create global expansion?

Name a plant, animal, or product introduced to a new continent during the Great Exchange, and explain how it affected society in the new location.

Name one way people justified slavery.

Name one way abolitionists tried to gain support for the anti-slavery movement.

Who controls the economy under capitalism?

Name one technological improvement from the Industrial Revolution

Name one negative consequence of the Industrial Revolution

How do the Industrial Revolution and Capitalism relate to global expansion?

What is ethnocentrism?

How does Eurocentrism still affect our world?

How did Social Darwinism contribute to Imperialism?

Name one factor that promoted European conquest of Africa.

Name one effect of Imperialism in Africa.

How did Leopold II gain control of the Congo?

Name one impact of imperialism on the Congo.

How did the East India Company rule India?

Name one impact of British rule on Indian society.