**For each document, highlight the source and/or who wrote/spoke the information. Also next to the source, please put if it is pro Britain or pro India.
India Documents
Document 1
Source: Mohandas Gandhi wrote the following in 1909 about British rule in India
To them I would respectfully say: "I admit you are my rulers. It is not necessary to debate the question whether you hold India by the sword or by my consent. I have no objection to your remaining in my country, but although you are the rulers; you will have to remain as servants of the people. It is not we who have to do as you wish, but it is you who have to do as we wish. You may keep the riches that you have drained away from this land, but you may not drain riches henceforth. Your function will be, if you so wish, to police India; you must abandon the idea of deriving any commercial benefit from us. We hold the civilization that you support to be the reverse of civilization. We consider our civilization to be far superior to yours. If you realize this truth, it will be to your advantage and, if you do not, according to your own proverb, (4) you should only live in our country in the same manner as we do. You must not do anything that is contrary to our religions. It is your duty as rulers that for the sake of the Hindus you should eschew beef, and for the sake of Mahomedans (5) you should avoid bacon and ham. We have hitherto said nothing because we have been cowed down, but you need not consider that you have not hurt our feelings by your conduct. We are not expressing our sentiments either through base selfishness or fear, but because it is our duty now to speak out boldly. We consider your schools and courts to be useless. We want our own ancient schools and courts to be restored. The common language of India is not English but Hindi. You should, therefore, learn it. We can hold communication with you only in our national language.
1. Who is Mohandas Gandhi (use your book)?
2. Who ruled India during this time period being described in this excerpt?
3. Who does Gandhi support? How do you know this?
4. What are two areas that Gandhi wants changed and why?
Document 2
This excerpt comments on benefits to India during British Imperialism:
Englishmen… have given the people of India the greatest human blessing – peace. They introduced Western education. This has brought an ancient and civilized nation in touch with modern thought, modern sciences, and modern life. They have built an administration that is strong and efficient. They have framed wise laws and have established courts of justice.
Source: Romesh Dutt, The Economic History of India Under Early British Rule, K. Paul Trench, Trubner & Co. Ltd, 1902 (adapted)
1. What is the “Administration” mentioned in the article to be?
2. What benefits has India gained during British imperialism, according to Dutt?
3. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?
Document 3
Percentage of Territories Belonging to the European/US Colonial Powers (1900)
Region / Percentage ControlledAfrica / 90.4%
Polynesia / 98.9%
Asia / 56.5%
Australia / 100.0%
Americas / 27.2%
1. Who is doing the controlling to these regions (use the title)?
2. What does it mean that they are “controlling” these regions?
3. What area had the most percentage of control? What are had the least percentage of control?
4. What area does India belong into of the regions listed? What percentage?
5. Why do you think Asia has one of the lowest percentages of control?
Document 4
In this excerpt, Mohandas Gandhi offers a complaint about imperialism.
You English committed one supreme crime against my people. For a hundred years you have done everything for us. You have given us no responsibility in our own government.
1. Define the word imperialism (use dictionary).
2. Define government (use dictionary).
3. What is Gandhi’s criticism of imperialism?
4. What do you think the English should do to prepare India to gain responsibility for their own government?
Document 5
This excerpt is adapted from British historian, J.A.R. Marriott’s book, The English in India.
British brains, British enterprise, and British capital have changed the face of India. Means of communication have been developed. There are great numbers of bridges, more than 40,000 miles of railway, and 70,000 miles of paved roads. These testify to the skill and industry of British engineers. Irrigation works on a very large scale have brought 30 million acres under cultivation. This has greatly added to the agricultural wealth of the country. Industrialization has also begun. India now has improved sanitation and a higher standard of living. It has a fine transport system and carefully thought-out schemes for relief work. Because of these things famines have now almost disappeared.
1. List 5 benefits of imperialism cited by this author.
2. The author says famines have ended. What does the word famine mean (dictionary)?
3. Explain how did the benefits ended the famine?
Document 6
Source: Dadabhai, Naoroji, Essays, Speeches, Addresses and Writings, Caxton Printing Works
In this speech, Dadabhai Naoroji, an Indian, describes the effect of imperialism on India.
To sum up the whole, the British rule has been – morally, a great blessing;
politically, peace and order on one hand … on the other, materially, impoverishment …The natives call the British system … “the knife of sugar.” That is to say there is no oppression, it is all smooth and sweet, but it is a knife, nevertheless.
In these later comments, Naoroji stresses the negative aspects.
Europeans (the British) occupy almost all the higher places in every department of government … Natives, no mater how fit, are deliberately kept out of the social institutions started by Europeans… All they (the Europeans) do is live off of India while they are here. When they go, they carry all they have gained.
1. According to Naoroji, how is British imperialism both positive and negative for India?
2. Explain the quote in the first excerpt “the knife of sugar”.
Document 7
Source: Parker T. Moon, Imperialism and World Politics, Macmillan Co., 1926.
. . . First and foremost among the active imperialist groups come certain business interests. Not the whole so-called “capitalist class,” asmany an earnest Socialist would have us believe, but only a minority of business interests are directly interested in imperialism. They are easily identified. To begin with, there are the exporters and manufacturers of certain goods used in colonies. The following figures ofEnglish exports to India tell the story.
English Exports to India (Average 1920–1922)
Cotton goods and yarn ...... £53,577,000
Iron and steel, tools, machinery, and locomotives ...... 37,423,000
Wagons, trucks, and automobiles ...... 4,274,000
Paper ...... 1,858,000
Brass goods...... 1,813,000
Woolens ...... 1,600,000
Tobacco ...... 1,023,000
No other item over £1,000,000. . . .
1. Define export and import (books).
2. Why do you think Britain exports into India?
3. What was the top export? What was the bottom export?
4. Which of them would you have purchased from Britain? Why?
Document 8
Source: Mohandas Gandhi, Indian Home Rule, Navajivan Publishing, 1938, reprinted in 1946 (adapted)
In his book Indian Home Rule, Gandhi was asked the question, “Why do you want to drive away the English?”
He replied with the following statement:
. . . “Because India has become impoverished by their Government. They take away our money from year to year. The most important posts are reserved for themselves. We are kept in a state of slavery. They behave insolently [insultingly] towards us and disregard our feelings. . . .”
1. Based on this document, state two reasons Gandhi wanted to drive away the English.
Document 9
Document 10
On Nonviolent Resistance
When Mohandas Gandhi was born in 1869, India was a colony of the British Empire. The Gandhi family lived in a region of India that had not been greatly influenced by Western Culture. People of that region followed the same customs and traditions as their ancestors had for generations. The life of young Mohandas centered on his mother, who taught him about the Hindu doctrine of ahisma, the refusal to do harm and the duty to do good. This belief was foundation for the bold and courageous acts that led to Gandhi’s fame as a proponent of nonviolence resistance.
1. Where was he born?
2. Who did he get his beliefs from?
3. What is “ahisma”?
4. The act of ahisma led to the foundation of what?
Document 11
1. Who is the guy in the picture?
2. Explain this quote.
3. How does this quote make sense with his beliefs?