British Imperialism in India

Where is India?
 End of Mughal Rule
1600s, the British East India Company set
up trading posts at Bombay, Madras, and
Calcutta.
The native Mughal Empire that inhabited
India collapsed and India was open for the
taking.
British East India Company

A private British
company that basically
ran India
Controlled the economy,
government and politics
of the entire region
 British East India Company
WHY INDIA?
the silk road:
India was a world leader of weaving cloth and
the world wanted stronger, washable and more
colorful fabric
The British East India Company basically took
over India to control the fabric (textile) industry
 Resentment of British Rule
Indians were second-class citizens in their
own country.
Even Indians with a European education
faced discrimination (like Gandhi)
paid less than Europeans.
 Beginnings of Indian Nationalism
The new Indian middle classes slowly grew tired of the
injustice of British rule
1885 a large group of these new Indian nationalists
founded the Indian National Congress
 Positive Effects - India
the worlds third largest railroad network
was a major British achievement.
a modern road network, telephone and
telegraph lines, dams, bridges, and
irrigation canals
Sanitation and public health improved.
Schools and colleges were founded, and
literacy increased.
 Negative Impact for India
British held much of the political and
economic power.
Restricted Indian-owned industries such as
cotton textiles.
Racism against Indians in their own land
Loss of cultural practices and language
 Independence of India

The main historical figures of the Indian independence

movement include Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru,
and Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Gandhi is known for pacifism, or non-violent resistance
Ali Jinnah, the leader of the Muslim League
India and Pakistan become free and independent countries
on August 15, 1947
 Independence of India

Nehru (Gandhis right hand man) became

the first Prime Minister of the newly formed
democratic country of India

Muhammad Ali Jinnah became the first

Governor General of Pakistan
 Partition of India and Pakistan

At independence, the British partitioned

India into India and Pakistan
Two parts of India were divided, Bengal
and Punjab.
The eastern part of Bengal became East
Pakistan and western part of Punjab formed
the West Pakistan.
Mohandas Gandhi believed that Hindus and
Muslims could and should live in amity and
opposed the partition
 Pakistan:
After independence from Great
Britain, Pakistan was split into
two parts separated by India
East Pakistan
West Pakistan
The two parts were only held
together by their common
religion, Islam.
 BANGLADESH
War started between West Pakistan &
East Pakistan
India sided with the East
(Bangladesh)
West Pakistan became Pakistan
East Pakistan became Bangladesh
 BANGLADESH
Why did this happen?
East Pakistan very poor (subsidence
farmers)
West Pakistan very rich (many raw
materials and petroleum)
Simply put, the rich controlled the
poor and the poor became upset
INDIA SINCE INDEPENDENCE
 Nehru
Ally of Gandhi.

1st Prime Minister

of India,
1947-1964.

Industrialized India

Nonaligned Movement
Neutral between USSR and USA
 Indira
Gandhi
No relation to Mahatma
Gandhi
Nehrus daughter.
Prime Minister of India,
1966-1984.
Faced rebellion
Assassinated in 1984
Rajiv Gandhi
Indiras son.
Prime Minister of
India, 1984-1989.
Reformed economy
and government
Also faced rebellion
Assassinated in
1991
 Major problems & Issues
in India today
Overpopulation 1 billion & climbing

Hindu-Muslim tensions

Terrorism

Nuclear Weapons

Political assassinations
 Kashmir Conflict
The Kashmir conflict is a territorial
dispute between India and Pakistan over
the Jammu and Kashmir regions of South
Asia
 Kashmir Conflict
India and Pakistan have fought several
wars over Kashmir, called the Indo-
Pakistani Wars of 1947, 1965 and 1999.
Is this a possibility?