-
May 20, 1498
Vasco De Gama sails for India
Vasco da Gama is famous for his completion of the first all water trade route between Europe and India. He acquired goods that weren't available in Eorope. The Portuguese sailors filled their ships with such spices as pepper and cinnamon and returned to Portugal in 1499. Their acquired Indian goods for very little money and sold them in Europe for a huge profit. -
Establishment of the British East Company
Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East India.Company taxation and other policies had left millions of Bengalis impoverished. While British soldiers and traders made their fortunes, the Indians starved and 10 million people died
.The company built posts at Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta. The company also began controlling all aspects of the economy.The East India Company established its own army in India, which was composed of British troops as well as native soldiers called sepoys. -
Decline of the Mughal Empire
By the end of Aurangzeb's reign, he had drained the empire of its resources. Over 2 million people died in a famine while Aurangzeb was away waging war. Most of his subjects felt little or no loyalty to him. The Mughals were controlled by another countries and by rising warlords,the Empire suffered the depredations of invaders like Nadir Shah of Persia and Ahmed Shah Abdali of Afghanistan, who repeatedly sacked Delhi, the Mughal capital. Oppressive taxation caused more and more rebellions. -
British overcame French and took control of India
Britain had gained two-thirds of India's land and imperialism had begun to affect every part of Indian life (whether by technology like the telegraph, evangelical missionary efforts. East Indian Company Army defeated the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies at the Battle of Plassey. The battle took place between British and Indian troops and from the Nawabs. -
Industrial Revolution in Britain
In 1700, small farms covered England's landscape. Wealthy landowners, however, began buying up much of the land that village farmers had once worked. The large landowners dramatically improved farming methods. These innovations amounted to an agricultural revolution.Before the Industrial Revolution, people wove textiles by hand. Then, machines began to do this and other jobs. Resources and profits from its many colonies, stable political and banking systems, helped the economy grow. -
Sepoy Rebellion
The Sepoy rebellion was set off between the British and the Indians. Indian soldiers that worked for the British during the British rule were known as the sepoys. British came up with new riffle carriages.The only thing was, it had to be greased with pork and beef fat. It is against the hindu and Muslim religions because cows are sacred to Hindus and muslims are forbidden from pork. The results were , widespread sepoy rebellion began from Delhi to northern and centeral India,100,000 were killed. -
British colonized India
the British government took control over the East India Company and decided to rule India directly. This was called the "British Raj" meaning British rule. They appointed a Viceroy to govern the country. But as time went by there grew up an independence, British crown assumed full rule of India. Land taxes imposed by the British caused many difficulties for Indian farmers, they told them what to do and that annoyed the Indians.Queen Victoria of Britain became the first empress of
India. -
Creation of the Indian National Congress
Two groups formed to rid India of foreign rule: the primarily Hindu Indian National Congress, or Congress Party, in 1885, and the Muslim League in 1906. Though deep divisions existed between Hindus and Muslims, they found common ground. They shared the heritage of British rule and an understanding of democratic ideals. These two groups both worked toward the goal of independence from the British.Ram Mohun Roy,a well-educated Indian, wanted to move India away from traditional practices and ideas. -
Creation of the Muslim league
Muslim League was an organization founded in 1906 in India to protect Muslim interests. Members of the league felt that the mainly Hindu Congress Party looked out primarily for Hindu interests.It was founded under the leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Tensions and distrust kept Hindus and Muslims apart.The Muslim League stated that it would never accept Indian independence if it meant rule by the Hindu-dominated Congress Party.The Muslim league wanted to divide S.Asia into two nations. -
Rowlatt Acts
Radical nationalists carried out acts of violence to show their hatred of British rule. To curb dissent, in 1919 the British passed the Rowlatt Acts . These laws allowed the government to jail protesters without trial for as long as two years.Gandhi was extremely critical of the Act and argued that not everyone should be punished in response to isolated political crimes. The Act led to indignation from Indian leaders and the public, which caused the government to implement repressive measures. -
Amritsar Massacre
In Amritsar, India's holy city of the Sikh religion,At a huge festival in an enclosed square, they intended to fast and pray and to listen to political speeches. British troops were killing nearly 400 Indians gathered at Amritsar to protest the Rowlett Acts, the British government's forced conscription Indian soldiers and the heavy war tax imposed against the Indian people, 1,200 Indians were wounded.The Amritsar Massacre sparked an explosion of anger across India.Indians demanded
independence. -
Mohandas Gandhi's leadership of the INC
Gandhi urged the Indian National Congress to follow a policy of noncooperation with the British government.The Congress Party endorsed civil disobedience, the deliberate and public refusal to obey an unjust law, and nonviolence as the means to achieve independence. Gandhi then launched his campaign.There were periods when he was arrested and was completely isolated from the movement,he sometimes severed from the nationalist movement.There were members in the Congress who did not accept his ideas -
Gandhi travels stressing nonviolent resistance
Gandhi offered a warning to those who were contemplating joining the struggle for independence.The Congress Party endorsed civil disobedience , the deliberate and public refusal to obey an unjust law, and nonviolence as the means to achieve independence. Gandhi then launched his campaign law, and nonviolence as the means to achieve independence. Gandhi then launched his campaign of civil disobedienceto weaken the British government's authority and economic power over India. -
The Salt March
Gandhi organized a demonstration to defy the hated Salt Acts.British laws say that Indians couldn't buy salt except from the government.They also had to pay sales tax on salt. To show their opposition, Gandhi and his followers walked about 240 miles to the seacoast. There they began to make their own salt by collecting sea water and letting it evaporate.More demonstrations against the salt tax took place throughout India. The result was, about 60,000 people, including Gandhi, were arrested. -
Government of India ACT
Gandhi and his followers gradually gained greater political power for the Indian people. The Government of India Act provided local self-government and limited democratic elections, but not total independence.the Government of India Act also fueled mounting tensions between Muslims and Hindus. These two groups had conflicting visions of India's future as an independent nation. Indian Muslims, outnumbered by Hindus, feared that Hindus would control India if it won independence. -
WWII-Riots between Hindus and Muslims
When World War II ended, Britain found itself faced with enormous war debts. As a result, British leaders began to rethink the expense of maintaining and governing distant colonies. With India continuing to push for independence, the stage was set for the British to hand over power. When World War II ended, Britain found itself faced with enormous war debts.As a result,British leaders began to rethink the expense of maintaining and governing distant colonies. 5,000 people died and 15,000 hurt. -
Indian/Pakistan independence
The British House of Commons passed an act on July 16, 1947, that granted two nations, India and Pakistan, independence in one month's time. In that short period, more than 500 independent native princes had to decide which nation they would join.millions of Indian citizens—Hindus, Muslims, and the Sikhs had to decide where to go.Muslims killed Sikhs who were moving into India. Hindus and Sikhs killed Muslims who were headed into Pakistan. -
Partition
Partition was the term given to the division of India into separate Hindu and Muslim nations. The northwest and eastern regions of India, where most Muslims lived, would become the new nation of Pakistan.British officials soon became convinced that partition, an idea first proposed by India's Muslims, would be the only way to ensure a safe and secure region. -
Gandhi's Death
Gandhi personally went to the Indian capital of Delhi to plead for fair treatment of Muslim refugees. While there, he himself became a victim of the nation's violence. He was walking slowly to a prayer meeting and a Hindu extremist who thought Gandhi too protective and friendly to Muslims so he shot and killed him.
