...The Indian Mutiny should be renamed the ‘First Indian War of Independence’, How far do you agree? Before one can answer the question, was the Indian Mutiny a war of independence it would be best to define what a war of independence actually is. The oxford dictionary defines independence as “Free from outside control; not subject to another’s authority”. From this we can extrapolate that a war for independence would be a war to remove the authority currently governing India, the British, and to garner the ability to govern themselves, essentially freedom from those ruling them. This would imply that the revolt would be a unified nationalistic cause under a single leader or a group of leaders co-operating. However India’s mutiny lacks a clear cut leader or coherence between those who were proclaimed to be leading the rebellion. Lastly the mutiny was not on a national scale, only parts of the country revolted subsequently throwing the identification of the Indian mutiny as a war of independence into disarray. One interpretation of the 1857 Indian Mutiny claims that the incident was a direct reaction to company insensitivities and the forceful imposition of British culture in preceding years, and was, clearly, by virtue of this, ‘a war of independence’. The first 50 years of the 19th century saw company rulers take an active foothold in attempting to liberalize Indian society with traditional, British Judeo-Christian values, to manufacture, in the words of Thomas Macauley, ‘a class...
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...The Evolution of the British presence in India For more than 200 years before the Indian Mutiny of 1857, there had been a British presence in India. British colonization began at Surat, after the establishment of a factory (the English term for the trading post system originally established by Europeans in foreign territories) in 1613. Over the years the British expanded, creating forts for protection and larger trading stations. Eventually, to make certain that there would be stability and a successful trade business, Britain deployed many of its armed forces and also raised native forces, thus becoming an active power in 18th Century India. The area of British control increased. British expansion affected the entire sub-continent at last partially. The turning point of the Indian Mutiny of 1857 of was ingenious, however there were several factors that proved key in engineering a British victory and maintaining power after the battle. The changes the British enforced, the battles themselves, and the benefits of the victory granted the British permanent access to India. The relationship of the British with their Indian subject gradually became worse as time passed. The invention of the steamships may be partially responsible for the tension between the two peoples, a momentous change in the operation of trade. “The British East India Company had been using steamboats to help maneuver large sailing ships into the narrow harbors of India. Steam technology was then used to...
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...Assess the significance of Indian nationalism in the period 1845-1947 in changing Britain’s relationship with its empire in India. There are many factors that led to the change of Britain’s relationship with its empire in the period 1845-1947. Such as the influence of key individuals including Gandhi, Jinnah and Nehru. The effects of both the First and Second World War on Britain which included its political situation and economy which was in turmoil due to the war. International pressure from countries such as the US whom Britain became reliant on during and after WW2. The consequences of key events such as the Indian mutiny and the Amritsar massacre which both brought about new policies and changed the way the country was governed. Nationalism was the most important factor in the period 1845-1947 in changing Britain’s relationship with its empire in India, as some of the factors listed above such as the Indian mutiny, and the support of key individuals were a result of nationalism. The Indian mutiny was very significant in changing Britain’s relationship with its empire in India in the period 1845-1947 to a great extent. Nationalism was the leading cause behind the mutiny as the British failed to realise the importance of Indian culture and religion. The mutiny was one of the first notable events that lead to a change in the relationship of Britain and India as it brought about great change in the way India was governed. The mutiny was caused due to ‘…political grievance and...
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...What is the Historical significance of the arms and press act debate? The primary source is a discussion of the arms and press acts enacted by the government of India in 1857 and so, is a parliamentary debate. The Earl of Ellenborough has moved for the motion for papers within the House of Lords. The resulting debate is significant as it provided varying views of the Great Rebellion or Indian Mutiny from a contemporary view. This can be seen on both sides of the debate as well as an acknowledgement to that of perceived Indian, or natives as they are referred to in the document, perceptions on the legislative acts. It highlights contemporary views that can be significant to the historian analysing the document for background legislature and...
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...Intention The video, The Empire of Good Intentions, presents a complete account of the idealistic British Empire’s presence in India. Simon Schama reveals the fundamental aspects of governing principles of the Empire in India. He shows the effect of the free market economies and the liberal politics on the presence and the influence of British Empire in India. Some transformational occurrences in India such as the mutiny and Irish Potato Famine are greatly highlighted. As a result, the attempts of Britain to civilize Indians and simultaneously transform them into British people through education and legal reforms are the main points demonstrated in the video. The video indicates the way, in which the noble principles of the British Empire were not appropriate for handling the situations in India. Although the empire was supposed to provide benefits associated with Western civilization, the inhabitants of Ireland and India endured poverty because of the laissez faire economic policy. The lack of religious sensitivity, famine and mutiny resulted in the conflict between Indians and Britons. Moreover, the great Irish potato famines led to mass migration from Ireland to New Zealand, Australia, Canada and America. According to Simon Schama, Britain witnessed the establishment of the liberalism ideology and fast development of political institutions in the mid-19th century. As Britain continually developed and the public attained more freedom, liberalism was distributed to different colonies...
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...The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the cantonment of the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to present-day Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, northern Madhya Pradesh, and the Delhi region.[3] The rebellion posed a considerable threat to East India Company power in that region,[4] and was contained only with the fall of Gwalior on 20 June 1858.[3] The rebellion is also known as India's First War of Independence, the Great Rebellion, the Indian Rebellion, the Indian Mutiny, the Revolt of 1857, the Rebellion of 1857, the Uprising of 1857, the Sepoy Rebellion and the Sepoy Mutiny. Other regions of Company-controlled India, such as Bengal, the Bombay Presidency, and the Madras Presidency, remained largely calm.[3] In Punjab, the Sikh princes backed the Company by providing soldiers and support.[3] The large princely states of Hyderabad, Mysore, Travancore, and Kashmir, as well as the smaller ones of Rajputana, did not join the rebellion.[5] In some regions, such as Oudh, the rebellion took on the attributes of a patriotic revolt against European presence.[6] Maratha leaders, such as Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi, became folk heroes in the nationalist movement in India half a century later;[3] however, they themselves "generated no coherent ideology" for a new order.[7] The rebellion led...
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...Discuss the rise of imperialism in India, with special reference to the establishment of British colonial rule in the subcontinent. Why did the British succeed while other empires failed? • Imperialism is when a country dominates another country politically, economically, culturally, etc. o And for the British this was the bigger picture that they had in mind for India. • The British succeeded in India because: o Disunity among Indian princely states. India was more a collection of militaristic princely states. The British successfully used this to play off one state against another. Clive succeeded at Plassey, because Mir Jaffar was willing to betray his master Siraj-Ud-Daulah in lie of being the Nawab. Mir Jaffar himself, was betrayed by Mir Qasim later on. o Superiority over other colonial powers. The other colonial powers in India competing for the share of resources were France, Portugal, Denmark, and Holland. Of the 4, Denmark and Holland could never really be serious competitors to the British. The battle of Amboyna happened in 1623 and this left the Dutch in South East Asia while the British had South Asia. o Portugal focused primarily on the Western coast, Goa, parts of Kerala, Karnataka, and this left the British with vast swathes of unoccupied territory. o France as the major contender to Britian in the race for colonialism. The British Army was more well equipped, more professional, more disciplined compared to the French army, suffering from indiscipline...
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...Victoria to the Prime Minister towards the end of the 19th century. To an extent, this source does not suggest that the Raj was accepted within the natives in India. One reason for this is that Queen Victoria is saying what the viceroy needs to do in order for the acceptance of the natives. This suggests that this is not the case already at the time when the letter was written – that the natives do not “like and love” the Raj. The British were seen as ‘alien-rulers’ by the Indians, which could therefore mean that this opinion and view may be hard to change. The Raj had a dominant, oppressive rule on the Indians. They had subservient roles, such as Ayahs, compared to the British who put themselves on top of the Caste system (of which they did not understand well) and were hierarchy towards them. One could argue, however, that Queen, is trying to make things better for the relationship between the natives of India and the British rulers in the source, and so it could show a good attitude – one that the Indians could respect and understand. Another reason for this is that from this source, there is no evidence to suggest that British rule was accepted towards the beginning of the twentieth century, because the letter was written in the nineteenth century. All the source shows is a letter in advance of what could have happened. Conversely, one could argue that the situation with the people of India could well have changed as a result of this letter (at the beginning of the twentieth...
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...At first, the ruling Mughal Dynasty in India was able to keep the traders under close scrutiny. Beginning around 1707, however, the dynasty collapsed into dozens of small states. In 1757, the East India Company defeated Indian troops at the Battle of Plassey. The East India Company became the foremost power in India, and India became the "crown jewel of the British Empire." In 1857, Indian soldiers (called sepoys) came to believe that the cartridges of their rifles were greased with pork and beef fat. This was important because to use the cartridges, the user had to bite off the ends. This was a religious concern for Hindu and Muslim sepoys, who were forbidden to eat these meats. This led to the Sepoy Mutiny when 85 soldiers refused to use the cartridges. The soldiers...
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...The Consequences of an oppressive British Imperialist system and its effect on the psyche of the Indian Population Presented by: Renato Abate / #0530456 Presented to: Diane Labross 300-301-LA: Integration Seminar in the Social Sciences Tuesday, November 6th, 2007 The existence of vast imperial strength and its steady maintenance has always been attributed with a tyrannical system of government accompanied by an oppressive method of control over the native population from the days of expansion of the Roman Empire in Europe or the Qing Dynasty in China. The use of excessive force and the application of various methods of segregation which limit revolt have always been viewed as a necessary means to maintain order among enormous populations that inhabit regions all over the globe. The British Empire was able to utilize such methods during its extensive domination of the Indian subcontinent and reap the financial and material benefits from the mid seventeenth century with the founding of the East India Trading Company until the establishment of Indian independence in 1947. However, the use of these methods over many generations brought about the unified will to revolt among the Indian population, provoked by the negative psychological strain which stems from an extensive period of suppression. The discussion relates to the unvarying inability of an occupying nation to install a foreign government that attempts to preserve social stability over native inhabitants through...
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...“However well educated and clever a native maybe, and however brave he may prove himself. I believe that no rank we can bestow on him would cause him to be considered an equal of the British Officer.”(Lord Kitchener) New imperialism, the act of controlling territories under a greater power of greater nations, was popular during the nineteenth century. China and India were two independent nations, so similar, but yet also so different. Their imperialists had motives over raw material, resources, and power. Their thoughts of imperialism were fixed more on controlling and taking, then making relations and building up the country. This inequality led for a struggle of freedom and independence. From the struggles, the culture and the people had been impacted greatly from the foreign influences. Industrialism was halted for India and thrived in China. From the coasts China to the riches of India, imperialism changed the countries vastly. Across India and China, imperialistic motives of the Europeans ranged from rare materials to the immense voltage of power, however how they forced upon these motives was different. These nations were both imperialized by great European powers. Furthermore, they both had Britain as a strong imperialist. In China, Britain wanted luxury goods, like silk and porcelain. Britain also looked at India for luxury goods. Gems, gold, indigo, and spices were just several of the lustful items. Different Europeans nations, ruled different parts of these nations...
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...The reason that the French and Indian war is a good example is where rebellion begins. The reason that the rebels against the British empire is a good example is because it has many different points of view on each side of the story. The British versus the rebels lasted from 1767-1772. It was one of the many revolts, that even after the people received what they wanted, there were still grievances and a rebellion. The reason that the French verse is an important example is because it is where religion started. At the end of the war the British took India. But even with India fighting hard, they still lost to the British people. Colonialism is a very well known topic, with lots of people interested in it, and lots of events involving it. The reason that rebellion is so interesting...
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...fact that he had always been interested in Indian history and his fascination of travelling also played a part in his desire to become viceroy, so much so that he described it as ‘ the greatest of his various ambitions’. Curzon had two terms as viceroy that were overall quite successful, however due to controversial and failed policies that he embarked upon in his second term , his reputation and legacy was severely damaged. He also contributed to the corrupt reputation of the British rule and as a result of Curzon’s failed policies, many campaigns were triggered and after 50 years, it would lead to the independence of India. Curzon’s desire to become viceroy and his well-travelled nature meant that he was able to gain a better insight into the culture and lives of the Indians. As a result of the Indian mutiny, queen victoria made it clear in the royal proclamation that the British viceroys were to serve the interests and care for her Indian subjects, as well as keeping out external threats and remaining in control of uprising within India. For this reasons it may be argued by some historians, that Curzon was a success because of his clarity when it came to problem solving and his willingness to break governmental boundaries in order to ensure control and protection of Indian citizens. Another characteristic of Curzon’s rule that made him popular was that he reasserted British control, that had evidently been lost during the mutiny and also the fact that he had the ambition...
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...spice trade with the East Indies. However, after 1623, when the English traders at Amboina were massacred by the Dutch, the company admitted defeat in that endeavor and concentrated its activities in India. It had established its first factory at Machilipatnam in 1611, and it gradually acquired unequaled trade privileges from the Mughal emperors. Although the company was soon reaping large profits from its Indian exports (chiefly textiles), it had to deal with serious difficulties both in England and in India. During the 17th cent. its monopoly of Indian trade was constantly challenged by independent English traders called "interlopers." In 1698 a rival company was actually chartered, but the conflict was resolved by a merger of the two companies in 1708. By that time the company had established in India the three presidencies of Madras (now Chennai), Bombay (now Mumbai), and Calcutta (now Kolkata). As Mughal power declined, these settlements became subject to increasing harassment by local princes, and the company began to protect itself by intervening more and more in Indian political affairs. It had, moreover, a serious rival in the French East India Company, which under Joseph François Dupleix launched an aggressive policy of expansion. The victories (1751–60) of Robert Clive over the French made the company dominant in India, and by a treaty of 1765 it assumed control of the administration of Bengal. Revenues from Bengal were used for trade and for personal enrichment. To check...
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...(1554) What was the short term significance of World War One for Britain’s Empire in India? The First World War (WW1) would prove to embody the climax of British colonial ideologies and strengthen India’s international profile as an evolving nation. The Indian contribution to the war was extraordinary and Gandhi’s conscription efforts for the British Army was based upon the premise of fighting for ‘the good and glory of human civilisation’ – a contrasting attitude to the one displayed in the initial stages of the Second World War (WW2) when he boycotted the recruitment drive. At the start of the war in 1914 Britain was the world’s dominant power however WW1, although concentrated in Europe, threatened global British diplomatic authority and it was John Buchan who stipulated that the war only ‘blew the dry winds toward the Indian border… where the parched grasses await the spark’. In context, his prognosis prophesises the effects the war would have on not only the British government but on Indians also, whose tide of nationalist thinking was to be fortified. Word count: 292 Word count: 292 Word count: 558 Word count: 558 A sharp increase in anti-seditious government policy illustrates the embedded British fear of an Indian uprising as a result of the war, how it changed both the social and political landscape of India and enforced the Western ideals of democracy. The focus on the war effort in France, although with logical intentions, exposed the fragility of the British Empire...
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