Untitled Flashcards Set

What were the British interests in India?

• Trade: ports & products (spices, textiles)

What form of control did the British have over India

• Informal control through the British East India Company until 1858

• Formal control in 1858 after the Sepoy Rebellion

• Sepoy Rebellion

  • Caused by the exploitation of India’s resources by Britain

  • Rumors of pig and pork grease on rifle cartridges

  • Anger at being denied self-government

How did the British strengthen control of India?

• Building railroads, schools irrigation systems

When did Britain give up control of India? 

• Independence in 1947 and partition  (creation of two states: India & Pakistan)

What long-term effects did British imperialism have on India?

• Drain of resources

• Infrastructure

• Constitutional government

Gandhi - philosophy and tactics 

How did Gandhi use the following to work toward independence from the British? (some examples below may overlap)

• Nonviolence Think about the Salt March that Gandhi organized --- boycotting the British and hurting them economically forced them to attack the Indian people which caused worldwide attention to the British treatment of the Indians --- the goal that Gandhi wanted

• Civil disobedience - non violent acts 

• Satyagraha -Gandhi used sanskrit word to describe his civil disobedience and include the idea of “soul force” or devotion to truth and love in bringing change 

• Noncooperation

• Boycotts

Content: Partition - 1947

• Why did partition happen? After WWII, the British leave India and the country is partitioned (divided) into Pakistan and India (an Islamic country and a Hindu country) Partition happens because there are tremendous disagreements over the future of India and Pakistan and the role of majority Hindus and minority Muslims 

• What exactly does “partition” mean as it relates to this event in history? Creating a new border separating the northwest and northeast portions of the subcontinent into a new country for Muslims to be named Pakistan

Content: India - post-partition

Nehru

• Who was India’s first prime minister? Nehru was Gandhi’s right hand man and became the Prime Minister of India after independence/partition. He believed in modernizing India, unlike Gandhi.  Nehru supported a Cold War vision of non-alignment (not siding with the USSR or the USA during the Cold War)

• How was Nehru’s vision different from Gandhi’s vision of India after independence? Nehru believed in modernization while Gandhi wanted to return to traditional Indian society

• How have ideas about caste changed since independence? It is illegal but persists because of tradition

• What was India’s position during the Cold War? India stayed neutral

• What region of India has seen multiple wars and border battles? The region of India known as Kashmir goes back to the time of partition where the area has a majority of Muslims but a minority Hindu ruler

• Who is India’s biggest rival? Pakistan

• What was the end result of the war in East Pakistan in 1971? Bangladesh was created out of the former East Pakistan. It is a majority Muslim country.

Demographics of Pakistan

• What is the major religion of Pakistan? Islam (followers of Islam are Muslims)

Transnational Issues

• What is Pakistan’s biggest ongoing conflict? Border issues with India (both countries possess nuclear weapons), issues involving Kashmir region with India, border issues with Afghanistan

Geography of Pakistan

• Ethnic Geography --- where would you find the Pashtun ethnic group? On the border regions between Afghanistan and Pakistan