FC. 123 THE BRITISH IN INDIA (c.1600-1947)

2. FC. 123 THE BRITISH IN INDIA (c.1600-1947) Portuguese decline in Asia opened trade for the BEIC in India, while the Mughals’ decline forced it to defend itself with natives trained like European troops (sepoys), who defeated both French and Bengali armies in India. Although the climate killed many BEIC employees, others made personal fortunes at the expense of BEIC, leading to greater British control of the BEIC. While some British respected Indian culture, others’ arrogant efforts to modernize India and convert it to Christianity upset many Indians, causing the Great Indian Mutiny (1857), after which the British government took control from BEIC. Britain established an efficient, but segregated, bureaucracy, continued building railroads, and developed cotton, tea, coal and iron production largely to meet its own needs. Britain, needing help in both world wars, kept promising more freedoms, which only increased Hindu efforts for independence and efforts by Muslims for their own state separate from a Hindu dominated India. As Gandhi’s non-violent tactics pushed for independence, Hindu/Muslim violence grew until Britain granted freedom to India and a separate Muslim state, Pakistan in 1947. India wide open for exploitation & conquest by BEIC & its employees  British having no respect for Ind. civ. Continue bldg. RR’s & telegr. Efficient but segregated bur. British advocating respect for Ind. civ. Growing tension between: Defeat Fr. expansion in S. India during 7 Yrs War BEIC in debt  Br. govt. assumes more control Tropical diseases & heat kill many BEIC trains native troops like Eur. armies  Great India Mutiny (1857)  Br. Gov. takes control of India (1858) Br. send missionaries, some to help Indians & some to show Eur. superiority Many Indians upset either way Br. rapidly modernize Ind., some to help Indians & some to show Eur. superiority Dev. Tea, cotton, coal & iron ind’s Defeat Bengalis at Plassey vs. 30:1 odds (1757) Many adopt local customs Br. E. Indies Comp.(BEIC) sets up & must defend trading posts in India Muslim/Hindu clashes worsen Many make huge fortunes Indep.. movement by Hindus Indian Muslims want sep. state Br. needs Indian help More promises of concessions Br. grants indep. (1947), but to separate Hindu India & Muslim Pakistan Many Indians upset either way Gandhi’s non-violent movement Decline of Portuguese Emp. in SE Asia by 1600 (FC.82) Decline of Mughal Empire  Growing turmoil (FC.52) WWI (FC.127) WWI (FC.127) WWII (FC.135) WWII (FC.135)

3. A Quick Review of some Indian Culture

4. Thugs and Thuggees Several words in our language reflect Indian influence from the time of the Raj (British rule). Among them are Cigar, polo, shower, bungalow, punch, dungarees, and thug.

5. Thugs and Thuggees The English word thug comes from Hindi word meaning thief or con-man, but also refers to a group known as the Thuggees who infiltrated caravans, winning their confidence, sometimes over hundreds of miles of travel, before strangling them with yellow scarves (possibly from their turbans) and robbing them. Groups of Thuggees could be fairly large and last for generations, with rites of initiation for new members. Many or most groups seem to have been devoted to the Hindu goddess, Kali, their victims supposedly being seen as sacrifices to the deity.

6. Thugs and Thuggees The English word thug comes from a Hindi word meaning thief or con-man, but also refers to a group known as the Thuggees who infiltrated caravans, winning their confidence, sometimes over hundreds of miles of travel, before strangling them with yellow scarves (possibly from their turbans) and robbing them. Groups of Thuggees could be fairly large and last for generations, with rites of initiation for new members. Many or most groups seem to have been devoted to the Hindu goddess, Kali, their victims supposedly being seen as sacrifices to the deity. Sometimes large groups would infiltrate caravans bit by bit to avoid alarming travelers. By the same token, the Thuggees needed to kill all the travelers quickly to keep word of their existence from getting out. The Thuggee movement lasted from the 1600s to the 1830s when the British systematically eliminated it. Estimates of the numbers of their victims vary from 40,000 to 2,000,000.

7. Before the British came, India had been under the Mughal Dynasty, which had overseen a blending of Muslim and Hindu culture Mughal Dyn. (1526-c.1700) rules most of India w/wise policies Use Hindu rajputs as allies & officials Religious tolerance & intermarriage Further blending of cultures: Art, architecture, & music Persian + Ind. Lang’s Urdu Akbar, his son Jahangir, & his grandson, Jahan, whose tolerant policies toward Hindus helped maintain peace & stability in the Mughal Empire.

8. Mughal art was a blending of Persian & Indian styles. Persian art, and Muslim art in general, excelled in incorporating floral and geometric designs into its paintings and architecture. This was especially apparent in Persian miniature painting which flourished during the Safavid Dynasty. Left: Persian Miniature of the court of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazna

9. Persian miniature of the court of Gayumarth with a detail on the right.

10. Persian miniature of a hunting scene. Notice how Persian artists liked to give animals’ faces humanlike expressions.

11. Persian miniatures: Barbad The Concealed Musician (l.) & Majnun Eavesdrops On Layla's Camp (r)

12. Persian miniatures: Left: Yusuf entertained at court Right: A city dweller desecrates a garden

13. Under the Mughals, Persian miniature painting blended with the more fluid style of Indian art to create a dynamic variation on miniature painting. Below: A painting of a fable of an ape outsmarting thieves (l) & an 18th century miniature of a lady with an exotic bird

14. Mughal paintings of Peafowl & a Shamsa (sunburst)

15. The Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan’s tomb for his beloved wife. Shah Jahan’s original plan was to create a duplicate tomb for himself opposite this one, except in black marble.

16. The Taj Mahal’s dome

17. The main entrance & a marble screen in the Taj Mahal

18. Detail of one of the Taj Mahal’s windows (l.) & carved marble flowers (r.)

19. The Taj Mahal’s sanctuary where Shah Jahan’s wife’s cenotaph (memorial) occupied the central spot. To its side is Shah Jahan’s cenotaph, since he never built his own planned tomb.

20. FC. 123 THE BRITISH IN INDIA (c.1600-1947) British conquest of India said to be done in a fit of absence of?

21. British conquest of India said to be done in a fit of absence of mind FC. 123 THE BRITISH IN INDIA (c.1600-1947)

22. FC. 123 THE BRITISH IN INDIA (c.1600-1947) Situation in India & the Portuguese Empire when the British showed up?

23. FC. 123 THE BRITISH IN INDIA (c.1600-1947) A Costly shipwrecks Costly & hard to maintain Asian forts & fleet from Europe Portugal controls much of Asian spice & silk trade, but at huge cost: Expensive wars & hostility of Muslim Mughal Emp. in India Huge drain on Portugal’s ltd. popul. & resources Portugal expels Jews No MC to handle $  Spices go to Antwerp Drastic cost-cutting measures: Cut corners by not maintaining their ships Hire half-trained Native crews to replace lost Eur. sailors Overpack ships with spices to make more $ Decline of Portuguese Emp. in SE Asia by 1600 (FC.82) Remember this? You’d better!! FC.82 THE PORTUGUESE EMPIRE IN EAST ASIA (1498-c.1600) Decline of Portuguese Emp. B y 1600 Dutch take over Far East trade (FC.93)

24. FC. 123 THE BRITISH IN INDIA (c.1600-1947) Br. E. Indies Comp.(BEIC) is founded (1599) for what purpose? Decline of Portuguese Emp. in SE Asia by 1600 (FC.82) Decline of Mughal Empire  Growing turmoil (FC.52)

25. FC. 123 THE BRITISH IN INDIA (c.1600-1947) Br. E. Indies Comp.(BEIC) sets up & must defend trading posts in India Decline of Portuguese Emp. in SE Asia by 1600 (FC.82) Decline of Mughal Empire  Growing turmoil (FC.52) Br. E. Indies Comp.(BEIC) seeks peaceful trade

26. FC. 123 THE BRITISH IN INDIA (c.1600-1947) Br. E. Indies Comp.(BEIC) sets up & must defend trading posts in India Br. E. Indies Comp.(BEIC) seeks peaceful trade What did it end up having to do? Decline of Portuguese Emp. in SE Asia by 1600 (FC.82) Decline of Mughal Empire  Growing turmoil (FC.52)

27. FC. 123 THE BRITISH IN INDIA (c.1600-1947) Br. E. Indies Comp.(BEIC) sets up & must defend trading posts in India Decline of Portuguese Emp. in SE Asia by 1600 (FC.82) Decline of Mughal Empire  Growing turmoil (FC.52)

28. FC. 123 THE BRITISH IN INDIA (c.1600-1947) A Br. E. Indies Comp.(BEIC) sets up & must defend trading posts in India Decline of Portuguese Emp. in SE Asia by 1600 (FC.82) Decline of Mughal Empire  Growing turmoil (FC.52)

29. Spices as Medicine When Elizabeth I chartered The British East Indies Company (BEIC) in 1599 spices were used as much for medicine as for food. Nutmeg (left) was used to treat rheumatism, while cloves (right) supposedly would relieve toothaches and bad breath. Suppliants at the Chinese were required to chew cloves to clear their breaths before gaining an audience with the emperor. Peppers imported from India would be mixed with wine to ease stomach pain. The warming qualities of peppers could also supposedly relieve the symptoms of excessive cold humors, such as too much phlegm (as in a cold). Other exotic spices, such as ginger, cinnamon, pepper, frankincense, myrrh and saffron, would be used in various combinations against venomous bites. In addition, cardamom, cloves, ginger, mace, nutmeg, pepper, saffron, and vanilla reportedly had aphrodisiacal properties. Even today, such spices are used in massage oils and incense for therapeutic purposes under the modern title of aromatherapy.

30. Cities of the Raj Among other things, the British had a significant impact on India’s urban landscape, in particular the cities of Bombay (modern Mumbai), Calcutta, and Madras (modern Chennai), all three having humble beginnings as Company outposts. Bombay was originally a barren island leased in 1661 from Charles II for £10 a year. (Charles had gotten it as part of the dowry for his Portuguese wife, Elizabeth Braganza.) It is currently India’s largest city and the world’s fourth largest, with a metropolitan population of around 20.5 million. Calcutta, a forsaken Bengali mudflat, had a harbor with a treacherous approach by way of the Hooghli River. Originally known as Ft. William, it would grow into a city of 10 million. In 1639 the company acquired Madras, which was then a five-mile long strip of coast with no harbor.

31. FC. 123 THE BRITISH IN INDIA (c.1600-1947) A Br. E. Indies Comp.(BEIC) sets up & must defend trading posts in India How did they defend themselves? Decline of Portuguese Emp. in SE Asia by 1600 (FC.82) Decline of Mughal Empire  Growing turmoil (FC.52)

32. FC. 123 THE BRITISH IN INDIA (c.1600-1947) A Defeat Fr. expansion in S. India during 7 Yrs War BEIC trains native troops like Eur. armies  Br. E. Indies Comp.(BEIC) sets up & must defend trading posts in India Defeat Bengalis at Plassey vs. 30:1 odds (1757) Decline of Portuguese Emp. in SE Asia by 1600 (FC.82) Decline of Mughal Empire  Growing turmoil (FC.52)

33. Sepoys As the Mughal Empire fell apart and India destabilized, European traders increasingly had to defend themselves and their interests. Given the small capacity of sailing ships and the high mortality rate among those making the long voyage between Europe and India, it was impractical to try bringing European recruits to India, since so many would die on the way (and many or most of the survivors would die from India’s tropical conditions). The solution, first tried by the French, was the use of sepoys, (a corruption of sip-ah, the Persian word for army) who at this time were any Indian soldiers in the employ of a European power. (Today it is the designation for the rank of private in the Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi armies.)

34. In addition, the French equipped these native Indian recruitswith muskets and trained them in the drill-and-march that had made European armies so deadly. As it turned out, Indian sepoys proved as effective as Europeans using these weapons and tactics, were cheaper (especially since they didn’t have to be imported from Europe), and didn’t drop dead from scurvy or heat stroke before even making it to the battlefield.

35. The success of this French innovation quickly convinced the British East Indies Company to do the same, and sepoys became the backbone of British forces in India. In addition they would be used in other colonial wars (such as the Second Opium War) and even World War I, when over 500,000 Indian troops would serve the British Empire on the Western Front and elsewhere.

36. The Battle of Plassey (6/23/1757) was the first major test of British sepoys and is generally seen as the beginning of the British Empire in Asia. The British commander, Robert Clive had 950 Europeans and 2100 sepoys against 50,000 troops of SirajUdDaulah, the Nawab of Bengal. However, Mir Jafar, commanding 16,000 of the Nawab’s cavalry, had been bribed with a promise of the Nawab’s throne if he would defect. So he didn’t take part in the battle, leading to the rest of the Nawab’s army being demoralized. So it was actually 3,100 vs. 34,000, less than 9 to 1 odds. Causing further confusion in the Nawab’s army was the death of his chief general, Mir Madan.

37. When a heavy rainstorm hit, the British covered their powder, but the Nawab’s troops didn’t. Therefore, when the rain stopped, the British had all the firepower and used it to drive the Nawab’s forces from the field. SirajUdDaulah was replaced by Mir Jafir, who later brought the Dutch in to drive out the British, but was defeated and deposed. The British East Indies Company received £2.5 million, while Clive earned £234,000. By comparison, a British noble could live a life of luxury back home on £800 a year.

38. Robert Clive meets his ally, Mir Jafir, after his decisive victory at Plassey (1757)

39. FC. 123 THE BRITISH IN INDIA (c.1600-1947) A Defeat Fr. expansion in S. India during 7 Yrs War BEIC trains native troops like Eur. armies  Br. E. Indies Comp.(BEIC) sets up & must defend trading posts in India Defeat Bengalis at Plassey vs. 30:1 odds (1757) Decline of Portuguese Emp. in SE Asia by 1600 (FC.82) Decline of Mughal Empire  Growing turmoil (FC.52)

40. FC. 123 THE BRITISH IN INDIA (c.1600-1947) A Defeat Fr. expansion in S. India during 7 Yrs War BEIC trains native troops like Eur. armies  Tropical diseases & heat kill many Br. E. Indies Comp.(BEIC) sets up & must defend trading posts in India Many make huge fortunes Many adopt local customs Defeat Bengalis at Plassey vs. 30:1 odds (1757) India wide open for exploitation & conquest by BEIC & its employees  Decline of Portuguese Emp. in SE Asia by 1600 (FC.82) Decline of Mughal Empire  Growing turmoil (FC.52)

41. Shaking the Pagoda tree Thanks to Plassey, opportunities opened up for making vast fortunes, a practice referred to as shaking the pagoda tree. Company employees developed extravagant and regal tastes. For example ice for cooling drinks was packed in straw and sent by sailing ship from Maine. An extreme example of the luxurious lifestyle was that of the governor of Bombay who would emerge from his private quarters carried on a palanquin with forty servants led by underlings waving silver wands. A fanfare of trumpets would announce each course at dinner, with some state dinners having as many as 600 dishes. Even if you didn’t die from overeating, you still might go deaf. Below: A British party, c.1825. It was wild partying like this rather instead of taking care of Company business that drove the BEIC into debt.

42. Griffins, as British newcomers were known, adapted poorly to India’s hostile and less than comfortable surroundings. Their daily work schedule commonly went from 9AM to Noon. Afternoons were spent in eating, napping, gambling, drinking, and more drinking. Nights were spent with dancing girls, drinking, and smoking hookahs (some with opium).

43. FC. 123 THE BRITISH IN INDIA (c.1600-1947) A Defeat Fr. expansion in S. India during 7 Yrs War BEIC trains native troops like Eur. armies  Tropical diseases & heat kill many Br. E. Indies Comp.(BEIC) sets up & must defend trading posts in India Many make huge fortunes Many adopt local customs Defeat Bengalis at Plassey vs. 30:1 odds (1757) India wide open for exploitation & conquest by BEIC & its employees  Decline of Portuguese Emp. in SE Asia by 1600 (FC.82) Decline of Mughal Empire  Growing turmoil (FC.52)

44. “Two monsoons are the age of a man” “Two monsoons are the age of a man” was an English proverb describing the downside of living in India, for the risks were as high as the rewards. Such things as heat stroke, malaria, cholera, snakebites, and jungle fever finished off many British in their first six months after arriving from Britain. Many others turned to heavy drinking to drown their sorrows and homesickness. Consequently, liver disease was one of the most commonly suffered afflictions. Below left: A company employee, in ridiculously heavy clothing, is hosed down. Below right: Griffins, as British newcomers were known, relax after a ball.

45. FC. 123 THE BRITISH IN INDIA (c.1600-1947) A Defeat Fr. expansion in S. India during 7 Yrs War BEIC trains native troops like Eur. armies  Tropical diseases & heat kill many Br. E. Indies Comp.(BEIC) sets up & must defend trading posts in India Many make huge fortunes Many adopt local customs Defeat Bengalis at Plassey vs. 30:1 odds (1757) India wide open for exploitation & conquest by BEIC & its employees  Decline of Portuguese Emp. in SE Asia by 1600 (FC.82) Decline of Mughal Empire  Growing turmoil (FC.52)

46. Going native. Some British adapted to Indian culture and conditions better than others, adopting local dress and diet and even taking local wives. Left: Sir David Ochterlony (r.) watches dancing girls while smoking a hookah beneath portraits of his Scottish ancestors in his Dehli residence. Below: Major William Palmer and his two Indian wives, a good example of how many British adapted to native Indian culture.

47. FC. 123 THE BRITISH IN INDIA (c.1600-1947) A Defeat Fr. expansion in S. India during 7 Yrs War BEIC trains native troops like Eur. armies  Tropical diseases & heat kill many BEIC in debt  Br. govt. assumes more control Br. E. Indies Comp.(BEIC) sets up & must defend trading posts in India Many make huge fortunes Many adopt local customs Defeat Bengalis at Plassey vs. 30:1 odds (1757) India wide open for exploitation & conquest by BEIC & its employees  Problem BEIC got into & who got involved? Decline of Portuguese Emp. in SE Asia by 1600 (FC.82) Decline of Mughal Empire  Growing turmoil (FC.52)

48. FC. 123 THE BRITISH IN INDIA (c.1600-1947) A Defeat Fr. expansion in S. India during 7 Yrs War BEIC trains native troops like Eur. armies  Tropical diseases & heat kill many BEIC in debt  Br. govt. assumes more control British having no respect for Ind. civ. Growing tension between: British advocating respect for Ind. civ. Br. E. Indies Comp.(BEIC) sets up & must defend trading posts in India Many make huge fortunes Many adopt local customs Defeat Bengalis at Plassey vs. 30:1 odds (1757) India wide open for exploitation & conquest by BEIC & its employees  Decline of Portuguese Emp. in SE Asia by 1600 (FC.82) Decline of Mughal Empire  Growing turmoil (FC.52)

49. FC. 123 THE BRITISH IN INDIA (c.1600-1947) Defeat Fr. expansion in S. India during 7 Yrs War BEIC trains native troops like Eur. armies  Tropical diseases & heat kill many BEIC in debt  Br. govt. assumes more control British having no respect for Ind. civ. Growing tension between: British advocating respect for Ind. civ. Br. E. Indies Comp.(BEIC) sets up & must defend trading posts in India Many make huge fortunes Many adopt local customs Defeat Bengalis at Plassey vs. 30:1 odds (1757) India wide open for exploitation & conquest by BEIC & its employees  Decline of Portuguese Emp. in SE Asia by 1600 (FC.82) Decline of Mughal Empire  Growing turmoil (FC.52)

50. Warren Hastings was the first governor general of the company’s Indian possessions from 1772 to 1785. He rode eight miles a day, drank only tea, took cold baths, and was in bed by 10 PM. He ruled the company strictly but fairly, raising employee salaries, while restricting their personal business dealings. Hastings hired young men willing to study and respect local languages and traditions and who were more devoted to king and country than to their own personal profits. He also incorporated Indians into the company bureaucracy, thus laying the foundations of the Indian Civil Service. Hastings, who knew both Persian and Bengali, believed in treating Indian civilization with respect. In a sense, he was the father of Indian historiography, in that he first treated the history of the subcontinent as a unified whole instead of as a bunch of regional histories. He helped scholars introduce Indian civilization to the rest of the world. As a result, he was able to persuade Indian princes to ally with the company.