NAME: ____________________________ PERIOD: ___ DATE: _________MR. XIAO / MRS. BRANFORD GLOBAL HISTORY 10

~ Indian Nationalism ~

1. What do you remember about India from previous units or from outside the classroom? Try to write at least three pieces of information about India that you know. (THINK: Imperialism!)____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Look at the language map projected on the whiteboard. What do you notice? Describe what you see, and explain its significance.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Look at the religion map projected on the whiteboard. What do you notice? Describe what you see, and explain its significance.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Combine your answers from questions 2 and 3. Describe the human geography of the Indian subcontinent.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Indian subcontinent is home to many different ethnic groups, many different cultures, and many different religions. Some of the most influential religions include Hinduism, Islamism, Buddhism, Sikhism, among many others. As a result of this diversity, the concept of a shared “Indian” nationalism was not common before becoming a British colony. Instead, the Indian subcontinent was a multitude of local principalities (states ruled by princes) for the various peoples.

India was controlled by the British East India Company in 1757. After the failed Sepoy Rebellion (also called Sepoy Mutiny) of 1857, India became a British colony (directly ruled by the British monarchy, also called the Raj) in 1858. Indians consider the Sepoy Rebellion their First War of Independence.

During World War I, India (as a British colony) fought on the side of the Allied Powers. Over one million Indian soldiers served overseas in European, Mediterranean, African, and the Middle East theatres.

The British promised reforms and self-governance [self-determination] to get Indians to enlist during WWI. However, after the war, Britain did not fulfill the promises, and continued to treat the Indians as second-class citizens. Unhappy with this turn of events, radical nationalists started to carry out acts of violence. As a response, the British passed the Rowlatt Acts to curb dissent, which allowed the government to jail protesters without trial.__________________________________________________________________________________________