Invasion and Resistance

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering the age of discovery, European trade expansion, British taxation policies, and the resulting tribal, peasant, and military resistances up to the 1857 struggle for independence.

English East India Company

A trading body established in 1600 that sent its first expedition in April 1601 and eventually took control of India to procure wealth through trade, tax collection, and wars.

Vasco da Gama

The first European to reach India by sea, arriving at Kappad near Kozhikode in 1498 with three ships: Sao Gabriel, Sao Raphael, and Berrio.

Constantinople

A vital trade hub between Europe and Asia captured by the Turks in 1453, which blocked land trade and forced Europeans to find alternate sea routes.

Zamorin

The dynasty ruling Kozhikode during the arrival of the Portuguese that refused to grant exclusive trading rights or expel Arab traders.

Kunjali Marakkars

The naval chiefs of the Zamorin who protected the western coast from Portuguese attacks; Kunjali III captured Fort Chalium, while Kunjali IV was executed in Goa.

Fort Manuel

The first European fort in India, established by the Portuguese in Kochi.

Battle of Colachel

A 1741 battle where Marthandavarma of Travancore defeated the Dutch, representing the first time a European power lost to an Indian ruler.

Hortus Malabaricus

A comprehensive work on 742 medicinal plants of Kerala, compiled by Dutch governor Hendrik–van Rheed with the assistance of indigenous practitioner Itti Achuthan.

Carnatic Wars

A series of three wars fought between the British and the French for dominance in South India, resulting in a British victory and French reduction to territories like Pondicherry.

Captain William Hawkins

A representative of the English East India Company who obtained permission from Mughal Emperor Jahangir to set up a factory in Surat.

Battle of Plassey

A 1757 battle where Robert Clive led the East India Company to victory over Siraj-ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal, establishing British political dominance.

Battle of Buxar

A 1764 battle in which the British defeated combined forces, allowing the Company to acquire tax collection rights in Bihar, Bengal, and Orissa.

Subsidiary Alliance Policy

A strategy implemented by Lord Wellesley requiring princely states to maintain Company troops at their own expense and refrain from independent alliances.

Doctrine of Lapse

An 1848 policy enacted by Lord Dalhousie that abolished a king's right to adopt an heir, leading to the annexation of states like Awadh (Oudh) upon a ruler's death.

Permanent Land Revenue Settlement

A 1793 tax system implemented by Lord Cornwallis in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa where zamindars collected fixed taxes regardless of yield.

Ryotwari System

An 1820 tax system in South India and Deccan where the British collected taxes directly from peasants, who were treated as landlords.

Mahalwari System

An 1822 tax system in North and Central India where the village was treated as a unit for tax collection, implemented by Holt Mackenzie.

Sannyasi-Fakir Rebellion

A revolt by peasants and laborers supported by sannyasies and fakirs against the British following the misery of the Bengal famine; led by Bhavani Pathak and Majnu Shah.

Anandamath

An 1882 Bengali novel by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee about the Sannyasi rebellion, containing the national song Vande Mataram.

Neelam Peasant Revolt

An 1859 agrarian revolt in Bengal led by Digambar and Vishnu Biswas against British planters who forced the cultivation of indigo.

Nil Darpan

An 1860 play written by Dinabandhumitra depicting the miseries and exploitation of indigo farmers in Bengal.

Santhal Rebellion

An 1855 tribal struggle led by Sidhu and Kanhu against the injustices of British-supported landlords and usurers in the Rajmahal hills.

Ulgulan

Also known as the Munda Rebellion (1899), this 'great upheaval' was led by Birsa Munda in Jharkhand to establish a Munda kingdom (Mundarajya).

Veerapandya Kattabomman

A poligar of Panchalam Kurichi at Tirunelveli who fought against British tax assessment and was eventually executed.

Vellore Mutiny

The 1806 revolt in Tamil Nadu considered the first military mutiny against the British, sparked by changes in the Indian soldiers' dress code.

Attingal Revolt

The 1721 uprising in Kerala deemed the first organized popular rebellion against the British, occurring in response to interference in the pepper trade.

Kittoor Rani Chennamma

The widow of Sivalinga Rudradesai who declared war against the British in 1824 after they annexed the princely state of Kittur.

Mangal Pandey

A soldier at Barrackpore executed on 8 April 1857 for assaulting a British officer, triggering the start of the 1857 Rebellion.

Kunwar Singh

The octogenarian farmer lord of Jagdishpur who led the 1857 revolt in Ara, Bihar, famously sacrificing a wounded arm to the river.

Viceroy

The administrative title that replaced 'Governor-General' after the 1857 Revolt led the British Queen to take direct control of India.