Unit 2 WHI02 Breadth Study: India, 1857-1948

What will you study?
The British Raj (1857–1948)

  • India in 1857:
      - The extent and nature of British control.
      - East India Company's role.
      - Indian Civil Service (ICS) and Indian functionaries.
      - Indirect rule and princely states.
      - Indian society and religious structures.

  • Changes due to the Indian Mutiny:
      - Significance of the Royal Proclamation and the Government of India Act (1858).
      - Indian Councils Act (1861).
      - Royal Titles Act (1876).

  • Later significant changes:
      - Reforms under Ripon and Ilbert (1880–84).
      - Importance of Lord Curzon as Viceroy (1898–1905).
      - Morley-Minto reforms (1905–10).
      - Montagu Declaration (1917) and Government of India Act (1919).
      - Irwin Declaration (1929) and Government of India Act (1935).
      - Path to independence and partition.

The Economics of Empire (1857–1948)

  • Changing British trade patterns with India:
      - Exports to and imports from India, India's role as a trading hub in the British Empire.
      - Tariff changes, decline, and growth of Indian industry.

  • Investment and development:
      - Extent of British investment in India.
      - Growth of railway infrastructure and its impact (1857–1914).
      - Irrigation, drainage, port facilities, and inner waterways.

  • Living standards changes:
      - Population growth statistics.
      - Famines (1876–78, 1899, 1943).
      - Slow, yet rising living standards in the village economy and taxation impact.

Resistance to British Rule (1857–1948)

  • Challenge to British rule in 1857:
      - Geographical and social extent of resistance, importance of loyalists in the Army and Indian elite.

  • Growth of Nationalism to 1920:
      - Reasons for and impact of the formation of the National Congress (1885).
      - Consequences of the division of Bengal (1905).
      - Impact of the First World War on nationalist sentiments.
      - Dynamics between the Congress and the Muslim League.
      - Gandhi's significance in the nationalist movement.

  • Campaigns against British Rule (1920–47):
      - Gandhi’s beliefs and aims, role of Nehru, and Jinnah's impact.
      - British response to nationalist movements.
      - Reactions to the Second World War and the Simla Conference (1945).
      - Indian elections and establishment of interim government under Nehru (1946).

Background: Military Power and its Limits (1857–1948)

  • Impact of the Mutiny:
      - Suppression actions and re-organisation of the Indian Army; military use in imperial defense.
      - Rowlatt Acts (1919) implications and subsequent military responses.
      - Use of army to suppress civil dissatisfaction in the 1920s and 1930s.

  • Wavell’s appointment as Viceroy (1943):
      - Attempts at political settlement (1945–46).
      - Mountbatten's role in divesting control and partitioning India (1947–48).

From Empire to Independence: The British Raj in India (1858-1947)
1858: Beginning of the Raj

  • Establishment of Crown rule in India, ending East India Company control.

  • Costs of the Indian Mutiny estimated at £36 million, referred to variously as 'The Great Rebellion', 'Indian Mutiny', or 'First War of Independence'.

  • The British Raj's territorial control referenced; two-fifths of the Indian subcontinent under princely states governed by over 560 princely rulers.

Indian Society

  • Religious and cultural diversity:
      - Dominant religion: Hinduism (80%).
      - Other religions: Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism.
      - Independence language distinctions: Hindi for India, Urdu for Pakistan.
      - Hindu rigid caste structure and implications regarding mobility and societal norms.

  • Economic factions in society:
      - Role of regional rulers (Rajahs, Nizams, and Nawabs) and their socio-political influence during World War engagements.

Government in India

  • British administration and governance:
      - Exploring the interaction at governance levels, including the Economic Interests of Britain.

  • Foundational Quotes:
      - Edwin Montagu declaring the necessity for Indian participation in governance post the 1857 revolt's lessons.

Economic Implications (1857-1947)
Economic Developments

  • Indian market for Britain: Reporting significant growth in the volume of trade between India and Britain due to resource demands.

  • Drain Theory: Critique from Indian nationalists regarding economic exploitation and fiscal policies favoring Britain.

The Indian National Congress

  • Formed in 1885 as a national party; originally moderate but radicalized by 1930s.

  • Internal conflicts: Moderate vs. Extremist factions within the Congress party.

The Quest for Independence

  • Predicting political strategies through the context of WWII and post-war sentiments.

  • Governance dynamics illustrated through the interaction of Congress, the League, and British authorities leading to escalating communal tensions.

Conclusion of the British Raj and Legacy of Partition

  • Partition Overview:
      - Between 10 to 12 million displaced due to partition decisions, impacting socio-political landscapes in enduring terms.
      - Educational, social, and industrial developments stemming from the British regime and how they shaped independent India and Pakistan's trajectory.

  • Mass violence and migration statistics highlight the turmoil resultant from hasty divisions, emphasizing long-termed implications between the nations.

  • Communal seeds sown: The fallout from these developments evidenced through persistent friction between India and Pakistan post-independence.