India: Brightest Jewel in the British Imperial Crown

Geography of the India Subcontinent

• The earliest Indian civilization developed in the Indus River Valley located in South Asia, or Indian subcontinent

• A subcontinent is a large landmass that juts out from a continent

• The Indian subcontinent is a huge peninsula extending into the Indian Ocean

• The countries that are located on the Indian subcontinent are, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan

the Ganges

ANDAMAN

Mouths of

SEA

BENGALOFBAY

SEAARABIAN

AFGHANISTAN

IRAN

OMAN

MYANMAR

SRI LANKA

INDIABANG.

NEPALBHU

CHINA

PAKISTAN

Kandahar

Jaipur

Rajkot

Hyderabad

Cochin

Trivandrum

Calicut

Vijayawada

Dharwad

Kolhapur

Raipur

Jabalpur

Shillong

Imphal

Cuttack Taung-gyi

Chieng-Mai

Bassein

Herat

NagpurSurat

Patna

Lhasa

Amritsar

Srinagar

LudhianaSaharanpur Meerut

Jodhpur

Varanasi

Pune

CoimbatoreMadurai

Lucknow

Ahmadabad

Lahore

Indore

MadrasBangalore

Kanpur

Hyderabad

Karachi

Calcutta

Bombay

(India)ISLANDSLACCADIVE

(India)

AndamanIslands

DHAKA

ISLAMABAD

KATHMANDU

KABUL

YANGON

BANGKOK

NEW DELHI

330 mi540 km

Himalayas

Indo- Gangetic or GangesPlain

Peninsula

Geography (continued)• Tall snow-covered mountain ranges

mark northern border of the subcontinent which include the Hindu Kush and Himalayas mountains which limited contact to an extent

• Steep passes through the Hindu Kush served as gateways to migration and invasions for thousands of year

Hindu-Kush Mountains of India

Mt. Everest

The Three Regions of India

• Gangetic Plains- fertile agricultural area in the north watered by the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers carry melted snow from mountains

• Deccan plateau- in the south-raised area of level land that juts into the Indian Ocean. Parts are arid and sparsely populated.

• Coastal plains- on either side of Deccan-are separated by low-lying mountain range, Eastern and Western Ghats. Rivers and heavy seasonal rains provide water for farming. Seas used for fishing and trade highways.

• Monsoons- seasonal winds that’s regularly blow from a certain direction for part of the year. Monsoons have shaped Indian life.

Gangetic Plain of India

Deccan Plateau

Early India

Early India• 2600 BCE.- Earliest South Asian civilization

developed in the Indus River Valley. (Pakistan)• The Indus civilization flourished for 700 years• Cities emerged in the 1920s beneath

archaeological digs. Written remains found rarely on small seals

• Cities rivaled those of Persia• Well Planned cities organized government• Mohenjo- Daro- & Harappa were twin capitals

Indus Civilization • Cities were carefully planned-laid out in organized

pattern, long wide streets and large rectangular blocks. Had complex plumbing systems, baths, drains and water chutes leading into sewers beneath streets.

• Most people were farmers who grew wheat, barley, melons and dates. First to cultivate cotton and weave into cloth.

• They were polytheistic (worshipped many gods and goddesses)

• Veneration-special regard for cattle.

• Perhaps some natural disaster led to decline of Indus civilization (stop block 5 4/21

Aryan Civilization Develops During the Vedic Age

• Waves of nomadic peoples migrate into northwestern India between 2000BCE and 1500BCE.

• Nomads intermarried with local people to form Aryans. Combined their cultural traditions of other nomads with those of earlier Indian peoples through acculturation, blending of two or more cultures.

• Most of what we know about the Aryans comes from the Vedas, a collection of hymns, chants, and other religious teachings.

Aryans (continued)

• Aryan priests memorized and recited the Vedas for 1000 years before writing down

Aryans were warriors who fought in chariots with bows and arrows

They loved music, chariot racing and dice games

They became nomadic herders who valued cattle

Aryans (continued)

Gradually Aryans settle in villages to farm and breed cattleSpread eastward colonizing the Ganges basin

using iron tools by 800s BCERajahs or chiefs lead Aryan tribes

Aryans Structure Society(caste system)• Aryans divided society into ranked groups based on

occupation• Brahmins or priests- were highest group.• Kshatriyas or warriors-under the Brahmins• Vaisyas-included herders, farmers, artisans and

merchants• Sudras-were people who had little or no Aryan

heritage, included farmworkers, servants and laborers• Dalits-or untouchables were the lowest group

considered outside of caste system. Did work others wouldn’t.

Aryan Religious Beliefs• Were polytheistic-worshipped many gods and

goddesses who embodied natural forces -Indra-chief Aryan god (god of war) -Varuna-(god of order and creation) -Agni-(god of fire) Also honored monkey and snake gods Brahman-a single spiritual power which lived in all

things Mystics-people who seek communion with divine

forces. (Block 1 stopped, 4/21

Jainism

Sikhism

Hinduism Hinduism emerged thousands of years

ago in ancient India Hinduism has no founder or single sacred

text Grew out of the overlapping beliefs of

diverse groups who settled India beginning with the Aryans

Hinduism became a complex polytheistic religion of the world

Hinduism (continued)

• Believes that everything is part of the unchanging, all-powerful spirit, brahman

• Worship a variety of gods & goddesses

-Brahma- the Creator

-Vishnu-the Preserver

-Shiva-the Destroyer Shakti-goddess who is both kind, cruel,

creator and destroyer.

Hinduism (Sacred texts)

• The Upanishads-section of the Vedas addresses mystical questions of Hinduism

• The Bhagavad-Gita- revered for its representations of Hindu beliefs.

• Every person has essential self called atman• The ultimate goal in life is achieving moksha or a

union with the brahman.• Must free ones self from selfish desires• Reincarnation- or rebirth of the soul in another bodily

form to reach moksha. (Block 4 stop 4/21)

Hinduism• Must obey the law of karma which refers to all

actions of a person’s live affecting the fate of the next• All life is ranked, humans, animals, plants, objects

like rocks and water.• Live virtuously-good karma reborn higher• Evil-bad karma reborn lower level of existence• Cycle of life symbolized by the wheel• Dharma-refers to the religious and moral duties of all• Ahimsa-is nonviolence because of brahman or the

spirit in everything.

Jainism• Jainism developed from Hinduism

• Founded by the teacher Mahavira, 500 BCE

• Emphasizes meditation, self denial and extreme form of ahimsa

• Jains don’t believe in killing any living thing, even insects-carry brooms

The Caste System Shapes India• Castes-social groups into which people are born and

which can rarely be changed• Caste was closely linked to Hinduism• Higher the caste the closer to moksha therefore more

spiritually pure• Strict rules of purity followed between castes• Untouchables- those that were so extremely impure

because they dug graves, cleaned streets or turned animal hides into leather.

• Caste ensured stable social order

ARYAN CASTE SYSTEM (varna or skin color)

• Brahmins-(priest)

• Kshatriyas-(rulers & Warriors)

• Vaisyas-(peasants & traders)

• Sudras-(laborers)

• Dalits-became known as untouchables-(Those living outside of the caste system, butchers, gravediggers, garbage men)

Powerful Empires of India/The Mauryan Empire• Chandragupta Maurya founded the first Indian

empire in 321 BCE.• Gained power in the Ganges valley then

conquered all of northern India • His son and grandson added much of the Deccan

plateau• Maurayan ruled lasted until 185 BCE• Maintained order through a well organized

bureaucracy.• Secret police did not allow dissent-ideas that

oppose those of the government.

The Maurayn Empire

Asoka Rules by Moral Example• Asoka was the Maurayas most honored emperor,

(grandson of Chandra) • Abandoned war, rejected violence, converted to

Buddhism and ruled by moral example• Paved way for the spreading of Buddhism throughout

Asia• Asoka’s rule brought peace and prosperity and unity to

his empire• Built hospitals, Buddhist shrines, roads and rest

houses for travelers.• By 185 BCE, division and disunity lead to downfall of

the Mauryan empire after Asoka’s death

Kingdoms Arise Across the Deccan• Deccan divided into many kingdoms after the

Maurya Empire declines• Dravidians-people of the Deccan who had

different languages and traditions from the those of the north

• Hindu, Buddhism and Sanskrit writing drifted south and blended with others

• The Tamil kingdoms of southern India, rulers improved harbors to support trade.

• Traded with Romans and China• The Tamil produced rich and diverse literature

The Guptas Bring About a Golden Age

• 500 years after the Maurya, the Gupta dynasty united much of India

• Gupta emperors organized a strong central government and promoted peace and prosperity between 320AD to about 540

• Under the Guptas India enjoyed a golden age or a period of great cultural achievements

The Gupta Golden Age

• Trade and farming flourished in the harvesting of wheat, rice and sugar cane

• Artisans produced cotton cloth, pottery and metal-ware for local markets and trade with East Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia

• This prosperity contributed to a flowering in the arts and learning

Advances in Learning During Gupta Rule• Gupta artists are known for their magnificent

sculpture that they carved on stone temples for the rajahs who sponsored this immense flowering of the arts

• This golden age encompassed painting, music, dance and literature the system of writing numbers that we use today.

• They are called “Arabic” numerals today because Arabs carried them from India to the Middle East and Europe.

• Originated the concept of zero and development the decimal system of numbers based on 10 digits

Gupta Advances (continues)• Indian physicians used herbs and other remedies to treat illness.• Surgeons were skilled in setting bones and in simple surgery to

repair injuries• Doctors began vaccinating people against smallpox about 1,000

years before Europe.• The greatest Gupta playwright was Kalidasa and his most famous

play was Shakuntala. • The Gupta empire declines under the pressure of weak rulers,

civil war and foreign invaders.• India split into many kingdoms and would not see another great

empire for almost 1000 years.• Schools taught math, medicine, physics, languages, literature and

other subjects

Muslim India-600’s & 700’s• The Muslims move into India• By 1000’s Indus River Valley becomes Muslim

controlled• 1200-Turkish Muslims conquer North India• Babur & Akbar establishes new dynasty called

the Mughal Dynasty- a blend of Hindu and Muslim cultures.

• Conflict between Hindus & Muslims lead to decline of Mughal rule and rise of Indian warlords called rajahs. (Block 1 4/23/09

From the Mughal Dynasty to British Rule of India

British Take Over India• By mid 1800s British East India

Company controlled 3/5 of India• British were able to conquer India by

exploiting its diversity of people and cultures

• As Mughal power crumbled India became fragmented

• Indians could not unite against the British

Babur, Mughal Ruler

The British Take Over India

• For more than 200 years, Mughal rulers governed a powerful empire in India but empire was collapsing by the 1700s due to poor leadership

• Britain moves in on India, first economically then politically/British arrive in 1600’s and would dominate India for the next 200 yrs.

• British East India Company wins trading rights at the end of Mughal rule

• As Mughal empire declines the East India Company grows stronger

British Take Over India• British took advantage of Indian division

by encouraging competition and disunity among rival princes.

• The British used diplomacy and superior weapons to overpower India

• The East India Company’s major goal was to make money

• Did nothing to improve Indian roads, preserve peace and reduce crime.

British Take Over India

• By early 1800s British officials introduced Western education and legal system.

• Missionaries tried to covert Indians to Christianity

• British worked to end slavery and the caste system in India

• Tried to improve the position of women• Banned satisati, a Hindu custom whereby a widow

would join her husband in death by throwing herself on his funeral fire.

Growing Discontent:The Sepoy Rebellion• In 1857, the British issued new rifles to the sepoys. (who

were Indian soldiers serving in the British army)• Troops were told to bite off the tips of cartridges before

loading them into their rifles.• Sepoys believed the cartridges were greased with animal

fat-from cows, which Hindus considered sacred and from pigs which were forbidden to Muslims.

• When the sepoys refused to load the guns, they were imprisoned.

• Angry sepoys rebelled against British officers sparking a massacre of British troops as well as women and children.

• The British rallied and crushed the revolt. Took terrible revenge for their losses, slaughtering thousands of Indians.

British Imperialism in India• Sepoy Rebellion leaves bitterness and mistrust• 1858, Parliament takes direct control of India, sends more

troops and taxes the Indians• Parliament sets up the a system of colonial rule called the

British Raj• A British viceroy governed India• British officials held top jobs in the Indian civil service and

army but Indians filled most other jobs.• The British made India the “brightest jewel” in the crown of

their empire• Britain made more money from India than any of her other

colonies and felt it was helping India to modernize• British Attempted the “Englandization” of India

An Unequal Partnership

• British saw India as a source of raw materials and a market

• British built roads and excellent railroad network• Improved transportation allowed British to sell

factory- made goods across the subcontinent• Carried Indian cotton, jute and coal to England• Telegraph also gave Britain better control of India • After the Suez Canal opened in 1869, British-India

trade soared but remained an unequal partnership favoring the British

An Unequal Partnership• British flooded India with inexpensive, machine-made

textiles which ruined India’s once-prosperous hand-weaving industry

• Britain transformed Indian agriculture by encouraging the growing of cash crops like cotton and jute for world markets

• Clearing new farmland led to massive deforestation in India

• British introduced medical improvements and new farming methods which led to population growth putting a strain on the food supply.

• In late 1800s terrible famines swept India

Benefits of British Rule• British rule to some degree brought peace and

order to the Indian countryside• The British revised the legal system to promote

justice for Indians regardless of class or caste• Railroads, telegraph, and postal system were

built by the British • Upper classes benefited by sending their sons to

British schools to be trained for jobs• Indian princes and landowners grew rich from

exporting cash crops.

Differing Views• Upper class, educated Indians urged India to Westernize• Learned English and adopted Western ways• Others felt they should stick with their own Hindu or

Muslim cultures• In early 1800s, a great Indian scholar, Ram Mohun Roy,

thought that India could learn from the West and also wanted to reform traditional Indian culture.

• Founded Hindu College of Calcutta which provided English-style education to Indians.

• Roy condemned the caste system, child marriage, sati, and purdahpurdah. Purdah is the isolation of women in separate quarters.

• He set up educational societies to revive pride in Indian culture. He is considered the founder of Indian nationalism.

Western Attitudes

• Some British admired Indian religions and philosophy and had a respect for India’s ancient classical heritage

• Most British people felt Indian culture was inferior to theirs

• It was said by a British historian, Thomas Macaulay, “a single shelf of a good European library is worth the whole native literature of India and Arabia”

Indian Nationalism Grows• Class of Western-educated Indians emerge during

years of British rule• By late 1800s this group led nationalist movements• Pushed for democracy and equality and an end to

imperial rule• In 1885, the nationalist leaders organized the Indian

National Congress (INC). Became known as the Congress Party

• Muslims created the Muslim League in 1906 out of fear that Hindus would create a Hindu dominated government

India Seeks Self Rule

• Massacre at Amritsar, April 13, 1919 -Protests against British rule sparks riots and

attacks on British residents living in Amritsar -General Reginald Dyer opened fire on

unarmed crowd who were protesting peacefully in an enclosed field

-over 400 people were killed and 1,100 injured Amritsar became turning point for Indians who

were now convinced that they needed to govern themselves

Calls for Independence• During World War I more than a million

Indians served overseas • British promised Indians greater self-

government but didn’t honor their promise after the War

• The Congress Party had pressed for self-rule within the British empire like South Africa.

• After Amritsar Indians wanted full independence

• In the 1820s a new leader name Mohandas Gandhi emerged Indians across class lines

“The Mahatma-Great Soul”Leads India to independence through civil

disobedience. (Refusal to obey unjust laws,)Nonviolent protests used by Gandhi included:

Burning of passbooksStrikes & Boycotts

Salt March

The Salt March

Independent India• Mohandas K. Gandhi- “The Mahatma”• About 1920, Mahatma Gandhi, began leading the Indian

people in their fight for their freedom.• India, led by Mohandas Gandhi, gained its independence

from Britain in 1947• While predominantly Hindu India gains independence,

Muslims pressed the British to create a new country for them in 1947 which became independent Pakistan

Bangladesh, once part of India but dominated by Muslims, became an independent nation in 1971 after war and bloodshed

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