Imperialism in India

Who ruled over

India?• A British company called

“The East India

Company”

• They ruled with little

interference from Britain

• British had their own

army made up of Indian

soldiers, called sepoys

Why did they want

India?• Market to sell finished products to

• India had a large population (300 million)

• India had raw materials (tea, coffee,

cotton)

Since India had all these things, it was known

as “the jewel in the crown.”

How DO the

Indians react?

1. What is happening

here?

2. What ideas are being

perpetuated?

Why did Indians

rebel?• Cause #1: Religion

– Indians were mostly Hindu, and some were Muslim

– Believed British were trying to convert them to

Christianity

• Cause #2: Racism

– British had racist ideas about Indians

• Cause #3: Absence of Political Rights

– Indians lost freedom and rights

How did the rebellion

happen?Sepoys began a mutiny,

known as the SepoyMutiny.

Sepoys found out that gun cartridges were sealed with pork and beef fat.

Why is this a problem? Well, because Muslims can’t eat pork and Hindus believe

cows are sacred.

Sepoys were jailed for refusing to use the guns

and violating orders.

Result: Sepoys were outraged at their treatment

and rebelled against their British officers.

Rebellion failed due to

weak leadership and

conflicts between

Hindus and Muslims.

British government took

direct control of India

which started the era

called the RAJ.

India will be ruled by

Britain until 1947.

What were positive

effects?Schools

Improved sanitation and

health

Improved infrastructure

Roads, bridges, railroads

Ended local wars

India became more

modernized

What were negative

effects?• Loss of way of life

• Loss of political freedom

• British made Indians

plant cash crops instead

of food crops

• Result: starvation