India Terms |
Term | Explain WHAT the term is | Explain WHY that term is significant |
Colonization | Expansion of empire through formation of colonies in a new land, usually through force Imperial powers changes how colonized societies run The process through which people and territories are conquered → colony created
| Exploitation of Resources: Colonization often involved the exploitation of the colonized country's resources for the benefit of the colonizing power. Cultural Exchange: Colonization led to the exchange of cultures, goods, and ideas between the colonizing power and the colonized people.
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“Informal” Imperialism | | Global Dominance: Imperialism allowed powerful nations to extend their influence and control over vast territories. Economic and Political Power: Imperial powers gained economic and political advantages through their colonies.
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Direct Rule | | Tight Control: Direct rule allowed the colonizing power to have direct control over the government and administration of the colony. Cultural Assimilation: Direct rule often involved efforts to assimilate the colonized people into the culture of the colonizing power.
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Indirect Rule | The ruler lives in another nation and has someone designated to rule the nation Find locals and appoint them at much lower salaries, than Europeans Acted as clerks and soldiers, who administered the supervision of the nation for the imperial power Colony Puppet Master
| Local Control: Indirect rule allowed the colonizing power to maintain control over the colony while using local rulers to govern. Reduced Costs: Indirect rule was often less expensive than direct rule.
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Empire | | Global Dominance: Empires allowed powerful nations to extend their influence and control over vast territories. Economic and Political Power: Empires gained economic and political advantages through their colonies.
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Joint-stock company | | The BEIC a private corporation formed in December 1600 Goal: establish a British presence in the lucrative Indian spice trade, which until then had been monopolized by Spain and Portugal Shared Risk: Joint-stock companies allowed investors to share the risk and reward of colonial ventures. Economic Power: They played a significant role in the expansion of European empires.
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BEIC | British East India Company A private corporation formed in December 1600 Goal: establish a British presence in the lucrative Indian spice trade, which until then had been monopolized by Spain and Portugal
| Economic Powerhouse: The BEIC was a powerful economic force that played a major role in the British Empire's rise to global dominance. Colonial Expansion: The BRIC's activities led to the expansion of British colonial rule in India. Sepoy Rebellion: The BRIC's policies contributed to the Sepoy Rebellion, which led to the end of its rule in India.
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Sepoy | Indian soldiers, called “Sepoys” were hired by the British East India Company to administer the territory they controlled and ensure taxes were paid By the 1850s, there were nearly 300,000 sepoys serving in the BRIC's army
| Colonial Military Force: Sepoys were an important part of the British East India Company's military. Sepoy Rebellion: The Sepoy Rebellion was a major event in Indian history and led to significant changes in British colonial policy.
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Sepoy Rebellion | In 1857, rumors spread that new rifle cartridges were greased with cow and pig fat. Using them would violate both Muslim and Hindu customs On May 10th, 1857, some sepoys violently rebelled, killing English residents in Meerut in north India. They then marched to Delhi to appeal to the last Mughal emperor to lead them. This was the start of the Sepoy Rebellion. The Sepoy Rebellion spread to many separate areas in northern India. The sepoys and the British both committed terrible atrocities. Certain incidents in which British women and children were slaughtered aroused enormous outrage in England. British soldiers also fought with fury and ruthless violence. In addition to soldiers, members of the rebellion included some Indian nobility, rural landowners, and peasants. Many Indians sided with the British, and not all regions of India took part in the uprising. The uprising was fully suppressed by the middle of 1858. As a result of the rebellion, Britain took over the East India Company’s colonies
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Government of India Act 1858 | The British parliament and Queen Victoria primarily blamed the Sepoy Rebellion on the BRIC's ineptitude (inability) to rule a country. In response, they passed the Government of India Act 1858, which was proclaimed by Queen Victoria on 1 November 1858.
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Famine | | British Raj often used censorship laws as a way to control the spread of information. These laws regulated publication, circulation, and distribution of information. Vernacular Press Act 1878 proposed by Lord Lytton Many local, Indian newspapers consistently critiqued Britain’s response during the 1876 Famine and their involvement in the Second Anglo-Afghan War Targeted and prevented vernacular press to express criticism of British policies Human Suffering: Famine caused widespread suffering and death in India. British Policies: British colonial policies were often blamed for contributing to famines.
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Mangal Pandey | Mangal Pandey was one of the first voices of Indian nationalism. Pandey was a sepoy who attempted to lead a revolt against British officers and individually attacked several of them. Although he failed to convince other sepoys to join him, after he was executed for his actions, his story spread to other sepoys and served to inspire many of the rebels of the Sepoy Rebellion in 1857. Pandey is remembered as a national hero.
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Crown Colony | India became a crown colony A few Indians were able to hold minor government positions Britain relied less on Indian soldiers and relied more on religious minorities than majority Hindus
| Direct British Rule: As a crown colony, India was directly ruled by the British government. Limited Self-Governance: India had limited opportunities for self-governance.
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Indian National Congress | In 1885, leaders of a number of regional groups came together in Bombay (Mumbai) to form the Indian National Congress, the group who would lead the Indian Independence Movement and dominate Indian politics until the early 2000’s. Most of the leaders of the independence movement were members of the Congress at some point. At this point, the Congress was split between a moderate and a radical group.
Radicals Believed that India should be pushing for full independence from Britain Led by the Lal Bal Pal Triumvirate of 1) Lala Lajpat Rai 2) Bal Gangadhar Tilak 3) Bipin Chandra Pal Were much more popular with poor and working class Indians Although they mostly believed in passive resistance, some radicals advocated violent resistance
Moderates Believed in more Indian right to self-govern, but wanted to remain part of the British Empire Led by the pro-British Dadabhai Naoroji and reform-minded British officials like A.O. Hume Were generally supported by the wealthier Indians Strictly believed in passive resistance Were the dominant party until 1905
| Independence Movement: The Congress was the primary organization that led the Indian independence movement. Diverse Leadership: The Congress brought together leaders from different regions and backgrounds.
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Partition of Bengal | By 1905, the voice of Indian nationalism was growing stronger, and the British were beginning to be concerned about losing control. The loudest calls for greater independence were coming from the state of Bengal. The Eastern part of Bengal was notoriously poorly governed, so the British government decided to split it into two states. The partition of Bengal divided many Hindus and Muslims and introduced the fear to Muslims that their interests would be lost in a Hindu-majority state.
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Swadeshi Movement | Leaders like the great writer Rabindranath Tagore and the Lal Bal Pal Triumvirate led a Hindu-Muslim united resistance, called the Swadeshi Movement, which boycotted buying all British goods against the partition. Later, Mohandas Gandhi would adopt the Swadeshi Movement, and it would become even more prominent.
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All-India Muslim League | India’s Muslim leaders founded the All-India Muslim League in Dacca (now Dhaka, Bangladesh) in 1906. The idea for the Muslim League came from earlier writings by a Muslim politician and scholar named Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, who thought there needed to be a group to protect the interests of India’s largest minority group The long-serving leader of the Muslim League, Muhammad Ali Jinnah would continue to be a central player in the independence movement and the leadership of Pakistan until 1948 The Muslim League was initially a competitor of the Indian National Congress
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Lucknow Pact | | Hindu-Muslim Unity: The Lucknow Pact was an attempt to unite Hindus and Muslims in the struggle for Indian independence. Temporary Alliance: The alliance between the Congress and the Muslim League was temporary.
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Jallianwala Bagh (Amritsar) Massacre | During a festival near the Golden Temple (in a courtyard called the Jallianwala Bagh), a large peaceful crowd had gathered to protest the British government’s restrictive laws and imprisonment of several independence leaders. In response to the gathering, the commanding British officer, Colonel Dyer had his troops block off the one entrance and ordered the troops to fire on the crowd, even as they tried to flee. Estimates vary, but most sources agree that at least 500 and quite possibly as many as 1,500 people were killed, with 1,200 injured. The encounter took 11 minutes. This event finally shattered the idea that the British had the Indians’ best interests in mind and pushed the radicals fully to the forefront of the Independence movement.
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Salt March | The British made it illegal for Indians to produce and sell salt, forcing them to buy salt at a high price from British producers. Gandhi led a nonviolent group of protesters on a multi-day, 240 mile walk to the coast, where they planned to make salt from seawater. The crowd expanded with every stop along the way. Upon arriving at the sea, Gandhi and others were arrested for collecting salt, but crowds in other cities mimicked Gandhi’s plan, and over 60,000 people were arrested. International outcry forced the British to release the prisoners, and Britain had to negotiate with Gandhi and the other independence leaders. This elevated Gandhi to being world-famous and brought India’s troubles to the attention of the world.
| Nonviolent Resistance: The Salt March was a powerful example of Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolent resistance. Global Attention: The march brought international attention to the Indian struggle for independence.
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Satyagraha | | |
Quit India Movement | As World War II was going on, Gandhi and the Congress finally gave up on the idea of negotiating for India’s freedom. Gandhi made a speech calling for “An Orderly British Withdrawal” from India. Most of the leadership of the Congress was immediately arrested, but public outcry, noncooperation, and, in some cases, violence, threw the country into chaos until the British released them. The Quit India Movement finally convinced the British government that India was “ungovernable,” and they would have to withdraw after the war. The Congress opposed the British war effort through the Quit India Movement, while the League supported the war effort.
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Direct Action Day | The relationship between the Congress and the Muslim League broke down over a number of issues. Most importantly: The Congress saw religious issues as secondary to social and economic ones The Congress opposed the British war effort through the Quit India Movement, while the League supported the war effort. As tensions rose, Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the League’s leadership became more convinced that they needed a separate state for Muslims, to be called Pakistan. To force the issue, Jinnah called for protests on Direct Action Day in 1946, which quickly escalated into (or perhaps was always supposed to lead to) gang violence in Mumbai and other cities. The British finally agreed that the country would have to be split.
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Partition of India | | Creation of new nations: It led to the formation of two independent countries, India and Pakistan. Mass migration: Millions of people were forced to migrate based on their religion, leading to one of the largest migrations in human history. Violence and bloodshed: The partition was accompanied by widespread violence and bloodshed between Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs. Enduring impact: The effects of the partition are still felt today, shaping the relationship between India and Pakistan and impacting the lives of millions of people.
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China Terms |
Term | Explain WHAT the term is | Explain WHY that term is significant |
White Man’s Burden | Sense of responsibility to the “weaker races” Duty to civilize them Bringing them education, health care, Christianity, good government, etc., was regarded as “progress” and “civilization”
| Justification for Colonialism: This concept was used to justify European colonization of other parts of the world. Cultural Superiority: It implied that Europeans were superior to other cultures and had a duty to "civilize" them.
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Social Darwinism | | |
Guangzhou (Canton) | Canton, located in southern China, was a major port city that served as the primary gateway for European trade with China for centuries. It played a crucial role in the exchange of goods and ideas between East and West.
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Lord George Macartney | | Diplomatic Mission: His mission to China in 1793 highlighted the cultural and economic differences between Britain and China. Failed Diplomacy: His mission ultimately failed to convince the Chinese to open up to more trade with Britain.
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Opium | The East India Company smuggled opium into China in exchange for the country’s most prized product: tea. As a result, the Company ignored China's opium ban through a black market of Indian opium growers and smugglers. As tea flowed into London, the Company’s investors grew rich and millions of Chinese men wasted away in opium dens.
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Silver | China only traded tea for silver, which was in limited supply in England. China's economy heavily relied on silver as currency, and they primarily wanted to be paid in silver for their exports, including tea, rather than accepting goods from European countries in exchange
| Economic Importance: Silver was the primary currency used in China. Trade Imbalance: The demand for Chinese goods, particularly tea and silk, led to a trade imbalance with Europe.
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Opium Wars | | |
Lin Tse-hsu | | |
Treaty of Nanking (Nanjing) | | |
Treaty of Tientsin (Tianjin) and Convention of Peking (Beijing) | | |
The Righteous and Harmonious Fists | One group, the Boxers, or “The Righteous and Harmonious Fists,” formed as a religious society that sought to drive all “foreign devils” out of China. They united in order to fight back and resulted in the Boxer Rebellion in 1898
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Boxer Rebellion | Because of the harsh treatment of the Chinese after the Opium War, many citizens were angry with the influence of the West. One group, the Boxers, formed as a religious society that sought to drive all “foreign devils” out of China. They united in order to fight back and resulted in the Boxer Rebellion in 1898. The Boxers attacked Westerners, as well as killed Chinese who supported Western ways. Westerners often referred to the rebels as Boxers because they performed physical exercises they believed would make them able to withstand bullets. However, the Boxers were not able to gather enough support to defeat the foreigners, and after the rebellion Europeans maintained tighter control in China. While the Boxer Rebellion did not lead to independence, it was able to increase the nationalist feelings in China.
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Taiping Rebellion | Taiping Rebellion led by Hong Xiuquan in Guangxi. The rebellion attracted initially the Hakka minority group before gaining followers in lower economic classes in southern China (previous laborers, farmers, etc.) Ideologies based on anti-Confucianism, communism, and quasi Christian teachings. Common property, land reforms, equal position of women, abstinence from alcohol, a new calendar, etc. From 1851 onward, Taiping Rebellion would massacre people of Manchu descent Qing Emperors would have to consistently spend state money in an attempt to squash multiple rebellions.
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Sino-Japanese War | | Japanese Victory: Japan's victory marked the decline of China as a major power in East Asia. Loss of Territory: China lost territory to Japan, including Taiwan and the Liaodong Peninsula.
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