The Colonial Era in India

Vocabulary flashcards covering key events, figures, uprisings, and economic policies during the colonial era in India.

Doctrine of Lapse

A British annexation policy introduced by Lord Dalhousie allowing the Company to annex princely states that lacked a natural male heir, refusing to recognise adoption as a legitimate form of succession.

Subsidiary Alliance

A policy that forced Indian rulers to accept a British Resident, maintain British troops at their own expense, and conduct all foreign relations exclusively through the East India Company.

Battle of Colachel (1741)

A battle in 1741 in which King Marthanda Varma of Travancore defeated the Dutch.

Marthanda Varma

The King of Travancore who defeated the Dutch at the Battle of Colachel in 1741.

Charles Wilkins

The translator who produced the first English translation of the Bhagavad Gita.

Rani Abbakka II

An Indian queen who resisted Portuguese attacks using fireballs made of coconut shells.

Lord Dalhousie

The British Governor-General who introduced the Doctrine of Lapse.

Battle of Plassey (1757)

A decisive turning point in 1757 marking the beginning of British political dominance in India, in which Robert Clive allied with Mir Jafar to overthrow Siraj-ud-daulah.

Mir Jafar

The commander who allied with Robert Clive and betrayed Nawab Siraj-ud-daulah during the Battle of Plassey in 1757.

Siraj-ud-daulah

The Nawab of Bengal who was betrayed by Mir Jafar and defeated by the British at the Battle of Plassey in 1757.

Indigo Revolt (1859–1862)

An uprising by Indian peasants against European planters who forced them to cultivate indigo rather than food crops, supported by educated Bengalis and the press.

Colonialism

The practice by which one country establishes control over another country and imposes its systems of governance, economy, and culture.

Bengal Famine of 1770

A catastrophic famine caused by two successive years of crop failures combined with the East India Company's harsh revenue demands and increased land taxes, killing approximately 10 million people (nearly one-third of Bengal's population).

Great Rebellion of 1857

The largest Indian uprising of the 19th century, sparked by sepoy grievances including greased rifle cartridges; it resulted in the end of East India Company rule and the start of direct British Crown governance.

British Raj

The period of direct British Crown control over India, which began in 1858 following the Great Rebellion of 1857 and the end of Company rule.

Goa Inquisition

A Portuguese tribunal established in 1560 that persecuted Hindus, Muslims, Jews, and suspected Christian converts through forced conversions and temple destruction until its abolition in 1812.

Joseph François Dupleix

Governor-General of the French in India from 1742 to 1754 who trained Indian soldiers in European tactics, intervened in succession disputes, and captured Madras in 1746 during the Carnatic Wars.

Drain of Wealth

The economic process whereby India's resources and revenues were siphoned off to Britain to finance colonial administration, military campaigns, infrastructure, and the British economy.

Kol Uprising (1831–1832)

A tribal resistance movement by the Kol people in Chota Nagpur against British land policies that favored outsiders.

Santhal Rebellion (1855–1856)

An uprising led by Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu against British-backed landlords and moneylenders who seized Santhal tribal lands.

Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu

The leaders of the Santhal Rebellion of 1855–1856 against moneylenders and landlords.

Sannyasi-Fakir Rebellion

A rebellion in Bengal following the famine of 1770 in which Hindu sannyasis and Muslim fakirs resisted East India Company land and taxation restrictions.

Bahadur Shah Zafar

The Mughal emperor who served as the symbolic figurehead and leader in Delhi during the Great Rebellion of 1857.

Delhi Durbar (1876–1878)

An extravagant feast organised by Lord Lytton and attended by about 68,000 officials, satraps, and maharajas while millions suffered and starved during a catastrophic famine.

Lord Lytton

The British Viceroy who organized the lavish Delhi Durbar during the famine of 1876–78 while food continued to be exported to Britain.

Georg Hegel

A German philosopher who described the spread of Sanskrit studies in Europe as comparable to the 'discovery of a new continent.'