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Home , East India Company, Partition (politics), Robert Clive

Year 8 Research Project - The British and the Partition of , 1947 The : The British Empire was one of largest ever seen throughout History. Some argue that it was a force for good, changing the countries under its control positively. Some however argue that it affected these countries negatively, forcing them to be ruled over by a more powerful country. 1. Come up your with own definition of an Empire. 2. Find the names of 10 countries that were under the control of the British Empire. 3. What percentage of the world’s population did the British control at the height of their Empire? 4. Find 3 positives about the British Empire. 5. Find 3 negatives about the British Empire. 6. Write a persuasive speech arguing whether we should or should not be proud of the British Empire. Think about the positive and negative consequences of the British Empire. Include examples of the impact the British Empire had in some of the countries it controlled. Use the following links to complete these tasks: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zf7fr82/revision/1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7E9Tm1X7vw&list=PLcvEcrsF_9zLFhetle- QrjhRvL7vjcJo8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1Q6A4qP7dQ The : Indian history gives us some excellent examples of how things change and stay the same over a period of time. Over hundreds of years it underwent many changes. Sometimes the pace of change was very rapid, at other times much slower. Sometimes political changes appeared to happen very quickly, but at the same time, the way most ordinary people lived in India continued relatively unaltered. 1. Watch the video and read through the cards on the following two pages and create a timeline of the History of India. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNWTXaOotEA&list=PLcvEcrsF_9zLFhetle- QrjhRvL7vjcJo8&index=2 2. Then, answer the following questions:  In what ways did India change over time?  In what ways did India stay the same over time?  Who were some key individuals in Indian History? What did they do/achieve?

India under the Mughals

In 712AD the Arab general Muhammad bin Qazim, from the area we now called Saudi Arabia, conquered the and regions of what we now call . This was the start of several Muslim empires in the region. Many people in the area converted to . The most powerful Muslim empire to develop was known as the which dominated the lands we now call India and Pakistan, from the 16th−17th centuries. The Mughals were highly successful rulers who used military strength and religious tolerance to keep control of an area that was mostly populated by Hindus. The third Mughal Emperor, Abu Akbar, is often thought of as one of History’s great rulers.

The Mughals began to lose power in the early when Hindu leaders (known as the Marathas) gradually defeated areas which had been under Mughal rule. At the same time, the British influence in India was increasing through trade. The last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah, died in 1862. Most of the Muslim areas of India were soon brought under British rule.

The Growth of British rule

British traders began sailing to India in the 15th century and became rich from dealing in her raw materials which included , and . Over time, the British wanted more power over India to prevent competitors from trading there. At the in 1757, Clive defeated the of and set up the British Company. Although it was originally established to trade, the gradually gained land with the support of the British Parliament. The British built railways and ports. They started factories and tea plantations. The English language was brought to India, as was a new legal system and schools and universities for richer Indians. Often, Indians and the British officials in the country got on well. Many thousands of Indians gained jobs in the or in the .

Sometimes, however, British rulers were cruel and disrespectful to the local people and traditions. In 1858, after a massive rebellion against British rule in Northern and Central India, the British abolished (ended) the East India Company, and brought India under by the British Parliament. By the late 1800s British rule in India was strong.

The Development of the Independence Movement

By the 1880s many Indians were frustrated by British rule. They were proud of their own culture, and did not like being treated as second class citizens. Many were highly educated and had the skills and ambition to reach the high ranking jobs. Some wanted to govern themselves, like nationalists in other parts of the world. The first set out these ideas in 1885. The British government did not believe that Indians were fit to their own country, and besides, India was too valuable to be allowed to control its own affairs.

India sent one million men to fight in World War One. These men made a valuable contribution to winning the war for Britain, but Indians were still not able to rule themselves. After World War One, protests from Indians grew. A massacre at Amritsar in the Punjab on 13 April 1919 made British rule even more unpopular. 379 Indians were killed and a thousand were wounded when, without warning, the British General Dyer ordered his troops to fire on a peaceful protest of 20,000 unarmed Indians at the Jallianwala Bagh temple complex. This event encouraged increasing numbers of people to support the Indian National Congress in its calls for more Indians to have a say in the running of their country.

Gandhi’s Campaign for Independence

In 1919 Mohandas Gandhi became leader of the Indian independence movement. Gandhi was a trained barrister who decided to live simple life, in line with his Hindu religious beliefs. Inspired by other international protest movements, Gandhi developed the idea of using mass, non- violent protest to bring an end to British rule in India. This was called civil disobedience.

Gandhi was very popular amongst poor Indians. He was known as Mahatma, or ‘Great Soul’. In the 1920s he built up the Indian National Congress, leading strikes and protest marches, including a boycott of British goods. In 1922 Gandhi’s activities brought him a six year prison sentence, but he served only two years. In 1930 he led the famous March, a 400km march to the coast of to protest against British taxes on salt. He and thousands of protesters broke the law by making their own salt from seawater. At times the civil disobedience ended in violence, forcing Gandhi to call it off.

Gandhi’s campaign was successful. The Congress Party grew stronger. It was now led by . In the 1920s and 1930s the British government began to recognise that India would one day rule itself, and that Indians needed to be prepared for this. In 1931 the British invited Gandhi and other Indian leaders to discussions. In 1935 they allowed Indians to elect their own local , but this was not enough for the Indian nationalists who wanted more power, more quickly.

World War Two and the

When war broke out in 1939, India found itself at war with because it was part of the British Empire. Gandhi and the Congress Party refused to support the war unless India got its independence − he was put into prison for taking this view.

The British war effort was supported, however, by the Muslim League, led by . The League was set up to protect the rights of Muslim Indians, who were about a quarter of the population. Jinnah had been an important member of the Congress, but left following differences with Gandhi. Like the Congress, the League wanted independence from Britain, but was concerned to protect the rights of Muslims in an independent state. By 1940, the Muslim League was calling for a separate state for Muslims – it would be called Pakistan.

At the end of the war there was a lot of violence in areas where Muslims and Hindus lived close by. Thousands were killed on both sides, and refugees spread tales of horror, which intensified the fear and hatred. By 1947 the British no longer saw ruling India as a profitable business and talks began about an exit strategy. On 14 August 1947 the British government handed over control to two new, independent countries, India and Pakistan. Millions of people, both Hindus and Muslims, ended up on the ‘wrong’ side of the new borders. Over 10 million people tried to cross the borders and up to a million were killed in the process. There have been serious border conflicts between India and Pakistan, in 1948, 1965, and 1971 when broke away to become .

Indian Independence and the Partition of India and Pakistan, 1947: once described India as the ‘Jewel in ’ of the British Empire. It was one of the British Empire’s most valuable countries. Throughout the 1920s, 30s and 40s, campaigners – such as – argued that India should become an independent country, no longer under the control of the British. After years of campaigning and fighting against British rule, in 1947, India finally gained its independence. However, what should have been a time of celebration quickly descended into a chaotic situation as Pakistan and India were then declared separate countries. Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs were forced to travel for miles to reach the safety of their new . This event was called ‘the partition’. 1. Create a fact-file on two of the following individuals who all played a key role in the independence of India and the Partition – Mahatma Gandhi, Muhammed Jinnah, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lord Louis Mountbatten. You must include:  Who they were?  Which side of the argument they were supporting?  What role did they play during the Partition? Use these links to help you: https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/nehru_jawaharlal.shtml https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zjkj382/articles/z4fwy9q - Gandhi http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/jinnah_mohammad_ali.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/mountbatten_lord_louis.shtml 2. Complete the ‘Meanwhile, Elsewhere’ sheet on ‘The Partition of India’ - https://drive.google.com/file/d/18jxFiiWi-ZpHkPr-AasEczT2GhnWcV4s/view

3. Create your own information poster/booklet on the Partition of India and its consequences. You must include:  When did Partition happen?  Why did India and Pakistan want to become separate countries?  How did India and Pakistan become separate countries?  Consequences – How many people had to move because of Partition? How many people died? Why are there still arguments between India and Pakistan today? Use these links to help you: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/46428985 https://metro.co.uk/2017/08/15/when-and-why-was-india-partitioned-6837615/ www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/modern/partition1947_01.shtml https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/living-through-partition/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partition_of_India