Modern india
The process of British conquest of various parts of India extended over a
period of nearly a century. The English suffered many diplomatic failures and
some military but ultimately emerged victorious. A number of causes explain the
victory of the British against their Indian adversaries.
The British were superior in arms, military tactics and strategy. The
firearms used by Indian powers in the 18th century were slow firing and
cumbersome and were outclassed both in quick firing and in range by European
muskets and cannons used by the English. Again European infantry could fire
three times more quickly than the heavy Indian forces. Many Indian rulers
including Nizams, the Mysoreans and the Marathas imported European arms,
employed European officers to train their troops in the use of European arms.
Unfortunately Indian military officers and the rank and file could never rise
above the level of amateurs and as such could not be match for English officers
and trained armies.
The English had the advantage of military discipline. The company ensured
loyalty of sepoys by strict discipline and regular payment of salaries. On the
other hand most of the Indian rulers suffered the chronic problem of lack of
means to pay salaries; some of the Maratha chiefs had to divert their campaigns
for collecting revenues on personal retinues or mercenary soldiers who were
deficient in military discipline and could mutiny or desert to the enemy when
victory seemed doubtful.
The English had the advantage of civil discipline of the Company's servants.
Men of discipline without any hereditary connections or ties directed the
Company's army. Further European military officers were given command of armies
only after rigorous discipline; they were reliable as well as skillful and were
given overall direction of affairs. In contrast Indian military command was
usually given on caste basis to relatives whose military competence was doubtful
and who could prove refractory or disloyal to sub serve their personal
ambitions.
The brilliant leadership gave the English another advantage. Clive, Warren
Hastings, Elphinstone, Munro, Wellesley, Lord Hastings and Dalhousie etc.
displayed rare qualities of leadership. They had the advantages of a long list
of secondary leaders like Lord Lake, Arthur Wellesley who fought not for the
leader but for cause and the glory of their country. The Indian side too had
brilliant leaders like Haider Ali, Tipu Sultan, Scindhia, Nana Phadnavis and
Ranjit Singh etc. but they more often lacked a team of second line trained
personnel. Indian leaders were fighting against one another as against the
British.
The British were superior in economic resources. The East India Company never
ignored the trade and commerce. Towards the end of the 18th century the
company's foreign trade crossed 10 crores dollars. The East India Company earned
enough profits in India to pay dividends to their shareholders and finance their
military campaigns in India. England was also earning profits from her trade
with the rest of the world. These natural resources in money and troops were
available to the British in India in times of need thanks to the advantage of
superior sea power that Britain possessed.
Questions and Answers
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Short Question and Answers
Governor Generals and Viceroys in Colonial India
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Introduction
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Robert Clive
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Warren Hastings
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Lord Cornwallis
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Sir John Shore
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Lord Wellesley
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George Barl
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Lord Minto I
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Lord Hastings
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Lord Amherst
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Lord William Bentinck
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Lord Charles Metcalfe
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Lord Auckland
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Lord Ellenborough
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Lord Hardinge
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Lord Dalhousie
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Lord Canning
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Lord Elgin
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Sir John Lawrence
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Lord Mayo
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Lord Northbrook
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Lord Lytton
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Lord Ripon
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Lord Dufferin
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Lord Landsdowne
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Lord Elgin II
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Lord Curzon
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Lord Minto II
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Lord Hardinge II
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Lord Chelmsford
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Lord Reading
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Lord Irwin
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Lord Willingdon
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Lord Linlithgow
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Lord Wavell
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Lord Mountbatten
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C Rajagopalachari
Carnatic Wars
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First Carnatic War
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Second Carnatic War
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Treaty of Pondicherry
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Third Carnatic War
Press under British Rule
From Social religious reform movements 19th century
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Brahmo Samaj
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Young Bengal Movement
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Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
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Veda Samaj and Prathana Samaj
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Rama Krishna and Vivekananda
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Arya Samaj
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Theosophical Society
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Sayyid Ahmad Khan and the Aligarh Movement
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Cultural awakening
From Swaraj to Complete Independence
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Gandhiji’s contribution to nationalist movement
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Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms
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Rowlatt Act
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Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
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Khilafat Movement
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Non –Cooperation Movement
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Civil Disobedience Movement
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Simon Commission
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Meerut Conspiracy Case
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Lahore Conspiracy Case
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Gandhi-Irwin Pact
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Karachi Session
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Government of India Act 1935
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Lucknow Session
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Elections for Constituent Assembly
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Cripps Mission
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Quit India Movement
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Subhas Chandra Bose and INA
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Demand for Pakistan
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National movement and II World War
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India wins Independence and Partition
Annexation of Punjab
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First Anglo- Sikh War (1845-1846)
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Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-1849)
Anglo Burmese Wars
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First Burmese War (1823-1826)
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Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852-1853)
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Third Anglo Burmese War (1885-1886)
Constitutional Developments
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Pitt’s India Act (1784)
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Importance of Pitt’s India Act
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The Act of 1786
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Charter Act of 1793
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Charter Act of 1813
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Charter Act of 1853
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Basic Tenets of India’s Foreign Policy (1947-1961)
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Some Important Acts and year of Formation
Mysore
Wars
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The First Anglo-Mysore War (1767-69)
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Treaty of Madras
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The Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780-1784)
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Treaty of Mangalore
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The Third Anglo-Mysore War (1789-1792)
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Treaty of Seringapatam
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The Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799)
Anglo Maratha wars
War
with Marathas
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First Anglo Maratha War (1775-82)
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Second Anglo- Maratha War (1803-1806)
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Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1818)
Anglo-Maratha Treaties
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Treaty of Surat (1775)
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Treaty of Purandhar (1776)
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Treaty of Wadgaon (1779)
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Treaty of Salbai (1782)
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Treaty of Bassein (1802)
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Treaty of Deogaon (1803)
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Treaty of Surji Arjangaon (1803)
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Treaty of Rajpurghat(1805)
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Treaty of Poona (1817)
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Treaty of Gwalior (1817)
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Treaty of Mandasor (1818)
Early Resistance Movements against the British Rule
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Sannyasi and Fakir Uprisings in Bengal
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Faraizi Movement (1804-1860)
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Wahabi Movement (1820-1870)
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Kuka Movement in the Punjab (1860-1872)
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Santhal Rebellion (1855-1856)
Economic Impact of British Rule
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Land Settlements
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Growth of intermediary interest in Land
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Commercialization of Agriculture
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Growth of agricultural laborers
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Rise of new money lending class
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Destruction of handicrafts and cottage industries
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Drain of wealth
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Growth of Political Awareness
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Vernacular Press Act
- Ilbert Bill
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Partition of Bengal (1905-1914)
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Indian National Congress
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Swadeshi Movement
- Swaraj
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Calcutta Session (1906)
- Surat
Session (1907)
- Lucknow
Session (1916)
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Morley-Minto Reforms (1909)
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Revolutionary Terrorism
- Muslim
League
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Nationalists and the First World War
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16.Home Rule League
Regional States
- Bengal
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Hyderabad
- Awadh
- Mysore
Integration of Native States
Education in British India
Indian Society in Colonial Period
Famines and British Rule