India: Mughal Empire - End to Independence · India: Mughal Empire - End to Independence ... -1857: Sepoys (Indians working in ... of women) – Britain was able to rule a

India: Mughal Empire - End to Independence

Dual Control System –

-Parts of India were ruled by local dynasties.

-Part was ruled by the British Govt. (through the E.I.Co.)

-1773 & 1784: British laws gave control of India to the British govt.

Rebellion and Reform: The Sepoy Rebellion-1857: Sepoys (Indians working in the British armed forces in India) rise up against the British (they believe they are being discriminated against: British arrogance and cartridges)

-Sepoys claim last Mughal heir as their leader: lots of massacres on both sides. The British ultimately crush the rebellion and end the Dual Control Sytem and the MughalDynasty (exiled last leader).

Aftermath of Sepoy Rebellion

• British Parliament ended E.I.Co. governmental role

• India now governed by the Viceroy (answered to the Sec. of State in Britain)

• India was governed by and for the British– Positives: better health,

infrastructure (water, ports, rails,…), and political stability (90% of males illiterate, 99% of women)

– Britain was able to rule a much larger population by dividing and conquering: causing long term resentment among the groups

The Indian National Congress

• Formed in 1885

• Comprised of western educated Indians –they learned British history and liberalism. Saw the hypocrisy of British rule.

• Upper class (caste) Indians would not do manual labor, so they were unemployable – they turned against British rule.

• The opposition to British rule led to a shift in British policy: 1907-09: Provincial Legislatures could elect Indian majorities. However the Indians were not appeased.

• Post 1914, British want to head toward gradual self government

• 1918 – New Constitution written – Dual System with Britain maintaining most power

• 1919 – outbreak of violence – Britain passes laws to suppress subversive acts (Britain wants to hold onto their empire)

Mohandas Gandhi

• 1869-1948 – foremost nationalist leader –studied law in London – practiced law in South Africa, where he begins his career as a nationalist leader

• Protested using non-violent, non-cooperation. Wanted a separation from the west, a return to Indian traditions

• Sent back to India during WWI • Continued to push for Indian nationalism

and independence• Post WWI he calls for Britain to leave –

thrown in jail in ’22 for 6 years – continued calling for Britain to leave and was in and out of jail until his death in ‘48.

• Killed by a radical Hindu, who was upset with Gandhi ‘giving away’ Pakistan

Process toward Independence

• 1937: full autonomy given to the provinces, national government also given to Indians **except for defense and foreign affairs**

• The Indian National Congress had become the center of militant nationalists – Gandhi made nationalism a mass movement

• Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964) shared power with Gandhi in the I.N.C. – he was a rationalist (he embraced both the east [India] and the west [Britain])

Split Between Hindu and Muslim India

• The “Muslim League” challenged the idea that the I.N.C. represented all of India. The Muslim League broke away from the I.N.C.

• Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876-1948) began the “two-nation” movement (Pakistan and India) and was the leader of the Muslim League - the British ultimately accept this idea

Independence Achieved

• 1942: Great Britain promises India independence

• Post WWII – violence between Hindu and Muslim intensifies

• Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy, got both sides to agree to a partition• However – Pakistan was “artificial” in that it had two parts 1000+ miles apart

with India in the middle

British India’s religious composition

Continued

• 1947 – independence achieved – but this led to more violence –millions of people have to move to the “correct” country

• India becomes the world’s largest democracy

Gandhi’s death 1948

• Gandhi assassinated in Jan 1948 shortly after India’s independence