6: Relationship with Indigenous Peoples
The Indian Began among sepoys in the Bengal Army in 1857. Cartridges were greased with animal fat
Mutiny which was religiously unacceptable for both Hindus and Muslims. It was also caused by
anger felt by the landlords and nobles who had been deprived of their land. Others were
peasants who resented taxation or joined to get back at feuding neighbour. There were
concerns that the regiments were being sent to Burma which offended caste laws about
crossing water. The British announced that any disobedience would be severely punished
which exacerbated the situation. The sepoys turned on their officers and a mob set upon
local Europeans. They seized most northern cities e.g. Lucknow and Cawnpore and their
was an attempt to resurrect the old Mughal emperor. Large areas of India were
untouched but the suffering was immense. Delhi and Lucknow were devastated, villages
burnt, mutineers tortured and British officers and their families murdered. There were
massacres at Cawnpore which horrified the public. It took 18 months of hard fighting to
restore the Raj which was reinstated in June 1858 after a final battle at Gwalier
Impact of The reporting emphasised the savagery of the Indians - ignoring that of the British,
the Mutiny - contributing to the souring of the relationship between ruler and ruled. The British public
Britain demanded blood. Public indifference to India vanished in the summer of 1857. Many
Britons believed their rule of India was genuinely liberating for Indians
Impact of In 1858, India passed into direct rule of and there was now a single, centralised
the Mutiny - government. The British tried to act in a more religiously sensitive way and missionary
Government activity was discouraged. There was a greater degree of separation between ruler and
and Society ruled. It was administrated under British notions of 'fairness', Queen Victoria promised they
would treat all of their subjects equally, uphold the rights of princes and respect the
religious beliefs of India. However, the legal system favoured the white man and were
often far too complex/expensive to help the poor. There were more educational
opportunities for wealthier Indians however, even those with education were rarely
promoted past the lowest ranks of bureaucracy. Some princes supported the Raj, but the
majority regarded it with indifference. Between 1859-61, Viceroy Canning toured India,
designed to win back those who had been dispossessed or felt alienated by British rule.
Some land titles were returned. The Star of India medals were introduced in 1861. Positions
within the Imperial Assembly or Statutory Civil Service were shared amongst the Indian
nobility
Impact of More educational establishments were opened. Universities were established in Bombay,
the Mutiny - Madras and Calcutta in 1857 while elite schools e.g. Mayo college and Bombay's
Extension of Cathedral School were set to produce 'westernised oriental gentlemen'. In the 30 years
Education following 1857, 60 000 Indians entered university - 2000 in law. Of the 1 712 Calcutta
students to graduate by 1882, 1/3 entered government service and slightly more into the
legal profession. These largely only benefitted the richest Indians, illiteracy rates remained
widespread.
Impact of Social reformer. Visited India four times between 1866-75. She was concerned with the
the Mutiny - state of girls' education and women' prisons in India. She set up the National India
Mary Association in 1870 in order to promote reforms. She helped establish a corps of British
Carpenter teachers for India, set up girls' schools in Bombay and Ahmedabad and opened a college
to train female Indian teachers
Impact of There was a growth of investment - particularly in railways. They were built for strategic
the Mutiny - purposes, to help regain/keep control, but they helped to stimulate trade and economic
Economic growth. They developed at c2m a day after the mutiny. Some European style factories
Changes were built, however, there was virtually no heavy industry because the bulk of
manufactured goods came from Britain. Subsistence farming prevailed. The number of tea
plantations increased from 1 n 1851 to 295 by 1871. There was also an increase in the
production and export of raw cotton in the 1880s and 1890s.
Impact of The proportion of British to native troops was 1:2. Troops were trained and stationed in other
the Mutiny - districts or overseas to prevent national unity. More Gurkhas and Sikhs were recruited (they
Military had been loyal in the mutiny). Fewer Bengali troops were recruited, 62 of 74 regiments
Changes were disbanded and all Brahmin regiments were disbanded as they had been disloyal. The
number of white British officers increased and all field artillery was placed in their hands.
Indians were placed under British command and denied officer rankings. The rebels who
had surrendered before January 1859 would be pardoned unless they were involved in the
massacres
Benefits and The British built railways - but these were geared to the needs of control and trade, most
Drawbacks villages lacked even mud roads. They offered markets for Indian agricultural produce - but
The Indian Began among sepoys in the Bengal Army in 1857. Cartridges were greased with animal fat
Mutiny which was religiously unacceptable for both Hindus and Muslims. It was also caused by
anger felt by the landlords and nobles who had been deprived of their land. Others were
peasants who resented taxation or joined to get back at feuding neighbour. There were
concerns that the regiments were being sent to Burma which offended caste laws about
crossing water. The British announced that any disobedience would be severely punished
which exacerbated the situation. The sepoys turned on their officers and a mob set upon
local Europeans. They seized most northern cities e.g. Lucknow and Cawnpore and their
was an attempt to resurrect the old Mughal emperor. Large areas of India were
untouched but the suffering was immense. Delhi and Lucknow were devastated, villages
burnt, mutineers tortured and British officers and their families murdered. There were
massacres at Cawnpore which horrified the public. It took 18 months of hard fighting to
restore the Raj which was reinstated in June 1858 after a final battle at Gwalier
Impact of The reporting emphasised the savagery of the Indians - ignoring that of the British,
the Mutiny - contributing to the souring of the relationship between ruler and ruled. The British public
Britain demanded blood. Public indifference to India vanished in the summer of 1857. Many
Britons believed their rule of India was genuinely liberating for Indians
Impact of In 1858, India passed into direct rule of and there was now a single, centralised
the Mutiny - government. The British tried to act in a more religiously sensitive way and missionary
Government activity was discouraged. There was a greater degree of separation between ruler and
and Society ruled. It was administrated under British notions of 'fairness', Queen Victoria promised they
would treat all of their subjects equally, uphold the rights of princes and respect the
religious beliefs of India. However, the legal system favoured the white man and were
often far too complex/expensive to help the poor. There were more educational
opportunities for wealthier Indians however, even those with education were rarely
promoted past the lowest ranks of bureaucracy. Some princes supported the Raj, but the
majority regarded it with indifference. Between 1859-61, Viceroy Canning toured India,
designed to win back those who had been dispossessed or felt alienated by British rule.
Some land titles were returned. The Star of India medals were introduced in 1861. Positions
within the Imperial Assembly or Statutory Civil Service were shared amongst the Indian
nobility
Impact of More educational establishments were opened. Universities were established in Bombay,
the Mutiny - Madras and Calcutta in 1857 while elite schools e.g. Mayo college and Bombay's
Extension of Cathedral School were set to produce 'westernised oriental gentlemen'. In the 30 years
Education following 1857, 60 000 Indians entered university - 2000 in law. Of the 1 712 Calcutta
students to graduate by 1882, 1/3 entered government service and slightly more into the
legal profession. These largely only benefitted the richest Indians, illiteracy rates remained
widespread.
Impact of Social reformer. Visited India four times between 1866-75. She was concerned with the
the Mutiny - state of girls' education and women' prisons in India. She set up the National India
Mary Association in 1870 in order to promote reforms. She helped establish a corps of British
Carpenter teachers for India, set up girls' schools in Bombay and Ahmedabad and opened a college
to train female Indian teachers
Impact of There was a growth of investment - particularly in railways. They were built for strategic
the Mutiny - purposes, to help regain/keep control, but they helped to stimulate trade and economic
Economic growth. They developed at c2m a day after the mutiny. Some European style factories
Changes were built, however, there was virtually no heavy industry because the bulk of
manufactured goods came from Britain. Subsistence farming prevailed. The number of tea
plantations increased from 1 n 1851 to 295 by 1871. There was also an increase in the
production and export of raw cotton in the 1880s and 1890s.
Impact of The proportion of British to native troops was 1:2. Troops were trained and stationed in other
the Mutiny - districts or overseas to prevent national unity. More Gurkhas and Sikhs were recruited (they
Military had been loyal in the mutiny). Fewer Bengali troops were recruited, 62 of 74 regiments
Changes were disbanded and all Brahmin regiments were disbanded as they had been disloyal. The
number of white British officers increased and all field artillery was placed in their hands.
Indians were placed under British command and denied officer rankings. The rebels who
had surrendered before January 1859 would be pardoned unless they were involved in the
massacres
Benefits and The British built railways - but these were geared to the needs of control and trade, most
Drawbacks villages lacked even mud roads. They offered markets for Indian agricultural produce - but
