India Period 2: Shane, Chris, Robby, Eliza and DainaDecember 21, 2016

Thesis: In the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution was a major turning point in history. India was greatly affected by this. This revolution had many economic, political and social effects that had rippled throughout India. The country was originally based on agriculture until this revolution led to factories being built in India. The economy of India was greatly impacted due to many people being employed in factories and goods being produced cheaper and faster. The Industrial Revolution also led to the creation of many new ideas, technology and a hatred towards the ruling Great Britain.

Dates:

  • 1757: Battle of Plassey

The battle of Plassey was a turning point in the struggle of power for India, as it laid out the riches of Bengal in the northeast open to the British East India Company. The Indians did not want to give Bengal up to the British because it would give them too much power, and the obvious fact that they would lose an enormous amount of wealth. This was an important battle because now with Bengal under their rule, the British ruled mostly the whole subcontinent. The battle itself did not last longer than a few hours because the British majorly outnumbered the Indian troops. The British used this new source of wealth to further improve upon their military and further their dominance over the Indian people.

  • 1830: High unemployment in textile industry

Unemployment was a big problem for Indians in 1830. Textile workers rapidly lost their jobs, and unemployment was reaching a critical level. This was a cause of the British and an example of what they could do whenever they wanted. The British yoked the Indian economy to British interests, causing deindustrialization. The British initially forced India into industrialization, but that failed miserably. In fact, India retrogressed further back to a deindustrialized country. A result of this retrogression was that India lost most of its artisan manufacturing abilities, forcing millions of people to become unemployed and crippling the Indian economy. The India rural-to-urban migration was reversed.

  • 1853: First railway line in India

In 1853, the first railway line for India was constructed. This was an important milestone for India as they were slowly recovering from the economy crash in 1830, that was caused by the British. This showed that they were still focused on Industrialization, and they were a strong and persistent nation. These railways provided a cheaper type of transportation and an easier way to trade across the globe. Although the British profited from these railways too, it was still beneficial to the Indian economy. Since trade was easier, there was much more trade coming from India, causing the economy to grow. Also, new resources and materials were introduced to India, helping its development.

  • 1857: Sepoy Uprising

The Sepoy Uprising occurred in 1857 when a man by the name of Mangal Pandey assaulted multiple British officers in Barrackpore at a military garrison. The sepoy was arrested and later executed for his actions. His reasoning behind the attack was related to the new ammunition that was being used. The British decided to grease the bullets with pig fat to increase the velocity when shot out of a gun. The pig is a sacred animal in Hindu and many soldiers were against this new tactic as it went against their religion. Since some believed that the British were trying to convert them to Christianity, they attacked their rulers.

  • 1857-1858: Great Rebellion in Northern India and Aftermath

The Sepoy Uprising started the Great Rebellion which was taken part of by over 200,000 Indian troops. The result of these attacks on the British included imprisonment and execution as many sepoys failed to accomplish their goal of eliminating Great Britain from their country. The wars between the two sides were often brutal and came with unnecessary tragedies, such as the death of Indian women and children. Even after the battles, tensions were still present with the British Raj. The effects of the war when it ended in 1858 changed the landscape of India entirely, The British government responded by disbanding the East India Company.

  • 1858: British parliament assumes control over India from East India Company

In 1857 into 1858, the Indian people revolted against the British government and started a revolution. This revolution was not successful, but it triggered a reaction from British Parliament. Up to the revolution, India was being watched over and controlled by the East India Company. Since they revolted, British Parliament reacted and forced the East India Company to give up their power over India. This was not good news for Indians because British Parliament tightened their rule over India in an attempt to shut down any attempts of a revolution. This shift of power was made because British Parliament blamed the East India Company for the revolt, kicking them out of power.

  • 1885: Indian National Congress Party founded in India

In the year 1885, wealthy, Western-educated Indians formed the Indian National Congress to advance the cause of Indian involvement in governance. This newly created party is eventually key for India to gain its independence under the leadership of Mohandas Ghandi. One major change that occurred from its creation was the examination for the elite Indian Civil Service (ICS). Their campaign sprouted from the idea that Indians should have a better opportunity to compete with each other for job positions. One thing that greatly offended members of the Indian National Congress Party was racism from white British officials, as the elite Indians spent much of their time hanging out with the superior white men.

  • 19th century: Many Indian nationalists, such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak began to question why Britain had any right to be in India at all

Since British had been controlling India for so long, people began to question why they had any right to be there at all. Indian nationalists like Bal Gangadhar Tilak had a confrontational approach, saying that it was their birth right to self-rule themselves. He then came up with a plan: pressure the British enough, and they will leave. His nationalism was a threat to the British because he could inspire people to cause another revolution, and he was using Hindu symbols which got the attention of the Muslim community. Although nothing came of this small spark from nationalists like Tilak, it still was a start. The Indians accused the British of a divide-and-rule tactic, but the British said only they could be neutral among different religious groups.

  • 1919: JallianwalaBagh Massacre

On April 13, 1919, senior British officers killed hundreds of defenseless Indian civilians in the region of Punjab, India. The mass murder of over 300 people forever changed the relationship between Great Britain and India. The horrific event occurred in an open space known as the Jallanwalla Bagh; a place where citizens gathered to celebrate a spring festival known as Bahsakhi. The shooting resulted in a proclamation by the India government in Punjab that included public beatings and other humiliations. The tragic events outraged Indian citizens and led to a retaliation.

  • 1920: Gandhi’s anti-British campaign

In the year 1920, Gandhi led his first all-India campaign against the British Empire. This protest would be the first of many, including one in the year 1930 when Gandhi and his followers began the salt march, which helped to further launch his civil disobedience campaign for independence. Mohandas Gandhi was a spiritual and political leader who fought for India’s independence from Great Britain for many years. From 1920-22, Gandhi organized and coordinated the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Khilafat Movement which greatly benefitted Indian society. Eventually, the British government caved in and allowed India to become a free nation.

SHANE
ROBBY