The British Take Over India

Chapter 12 Section 2

Indian Diversity

• The British conquered vast territory by exploiting diversity of India

• Indians who had different traditions and languages were not able to unite against new comers (the British)

• The British took advantage of the Indians by encouraging competition and disunity

East Indian Company

British Policy• Make more money • Make leading officials very

rich In the process they tried to:• Improved roads• Preserve peace and reduce • Banditry (robbers)• End slavery & the caste

system (the organization of classes within a society)

British Officials Introduced• Western education• Legal procedures• Christianity ( by trying to

convert Indians) • Social change• The improvement of the

position of women in the family

One law that was changed:

Sati=a Hindu custom practiced mainly by the upper class. A widow would join her husband

in death by throwing herself on his funeral fire.

FYI Hinduism

• All life is sacred– Animals respected– Cow is sacred– Most Hindus are vegetarians

• Basic beliefs– World is evil– Reincarnation after death (animal or human)– Soul purified by completion of caste duties– Reverence for animals– Escape world’s evils through prayer

Causes of DiscontentUnpopular Moves by East Indian Co.

• They required the sepoys (Indian soldiers) to serve anywhere, in India or overseas

FYI- It was an offense against the Hindu religion to travel overseas for the high-caste Hindus

• It passed laws for Hindus widows to remarry(This was viewed by the Hindus as a Christian conspiracy to undermine the Hindu beliefs)

• British issued rifles to sepoys in which the sepoys had to bite off the tips of cartridges that was made of animal fat of cows or pigs.

• Hindus believed cows were sacred and pigs were forbidden to Muslims

Rebellion & Aftermath

Sepoys Rebel• Sepoys had an uprising

against their British officers which spread across India

• Sepoys murdered British men, women, & children

British Crushed Revolts• Torched villages• Murdered thousands of

unarmed IndiansThis left bitterness, fear, &

mistrust on both sides• Parliament ended East

Indian Co. & sent more troops to India

Positives and Negatives • POSITIVE EFFECTS OF IMPERIALISM ON COLONIAL

POWERS• + Provides manufacturers with cheap raw

materials and markets• + Profitable business opportunities: increased

trade• + Opened up colonial careers for government

officials and military men• + More military bases, human resources, and

world prestige

• NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF IMPERIALISM ON COLONIAL

POWERS• - Taxpayers had to finance colonial

improvements and defense• - Colonial rivalries often resulted in war• - Increased the belief that colonial people are

inferior to you• - Colonial people disliked their ruling people

• POSITIVE EFFECTS OF IMPERIALISM ON COLONIES• + Established industries, furthered agriculture, and

developed natural resources• + Improved communication and transportation• + Trained people with new skills and provided

employment• + Constructed educational and health facilities• + Attempted to stop native warfare as well as barbaric

practices• + Introduced Western Culture: Christianity, democracy,

and modern science• + Trained colonies in the ideas of government • NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF IMPERIALISM ON COLONIES• - Drained wealth from the area• - Only emphasized mineral and agricultural

production, and discouraged colonial manufacturing• - Required long hours of work with very little pay• - Discriminated against native people and degraded

the culture• - Introduced new diseases• - Imperial countries were often known as the native

oppressors

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