BRITISH RULE IN INDIA

The British East India Company

SEPOYS: INDIAN SOLDIERS

The Great Rebellion or the Sepoy Mutiny. Indians call it the First War of Independence.

CAUSES OF THE REVOLT
British were issuing their Indian troops new bullets that were greased with cow and pig fat. The cow was sacred to hindus; the pig was taboo to Muslims.

VICEROY

The Goal of a new school was to train Indian children to serve in the government and army.

WERE INTRODUCED TO INDIA

• Railroads
• Telegraph
• Postal Service
• Passenger Train

British also encouraged many farmers to switch from growing food to growing cotton. As a result, food supplies could not keep up witth the growing population. 30 million Indians died of starvation.

The British also showed disrespect for India's cultural heritage. The Taj Mahal became a favorite site for English weddings and parties.

The first nationalists were upper class and English-educated.
A small group of Indians met in Mumbai to form the Indian National Congress (INC). It called for a share in the governing process.

Mohandas Gandhi

He became active in the Independen-ce movement based on nonviolent resistance.

Rabindranath Tagore
A great writer and poet, Tagore was also a social reformer, spiritual leader, educator, philosopher, singer, painter, and internatuonal spokesperson.

Tagore's life mission was to promote pride in a national Indian consciousness in the fact of British domination.