European Traders and Settlers in India

European Traders and Settlers

• In the 17th century, the Mughals governed the region now recognized as India and Pakistan and facilitated trade with other countries.
• The land is referred to as a subcontinent due to its large size, though not large enough to be a continent.
• Mughal Emperor Jahangir enabled European trading companies to establish coastal trading posts managed by local merchants.
• European traders acquired spices, tea, sugar, silk, cotton, indigo, opium, and saltpetre for sale in Europe
• These goods originated from areas like Indonesia, China, Japan, and other parts of Asia.
• Europeans settled in the region, leading to intermarriage with Indians.
• Trading posts evolved into major cities such as Bombay (Mumbai), Madras (Chennai), and Calcutta (Kolkata).
• European trading companies maintained private armies, courts, and the right to imprison or execute criminals, and they also minted coins.

East India Companies and Power Struggles

• The subcontinent was a global trading hub in the 18th century
• European East India companies established numerous coastal trading posts and initially engaged in peaceful trade.
• The British East India Company used its army to seize and govern territory, defeating Indian armies with superior weaponry and training.
• A British governor was instated, but Hindu and Islamic laws along with Indian officials remained in use.
• "India" at the time encompassed the entire subcontinent, which was highly valuable to European countries, leading to conflicts over its control.
• Following the death of Emperor Aurangzeb, the Mughal Empire weakened due to infighting among his sons.
• The Marathas, Hindus from Maharashtra, began seizing Mughal territories.
• By 1758, the Maratha Empire controlled most of the subcontinent, while the British East India Company governed what is now Bangladesh.
• The Muslim Durranis (Abdalis) of Afghanistan, captured land that is now Pakistan.
• In 1761, Ahmad Shah Durrani (Ahmed Shah Abdali) defeated the Marathas at the Third Battle of Panipat, gaining control of Punjab and Delhi.

Kingdom of Mysore and British Control

• Hyder Ali governed the Kingdom of Mysore from 1761 and resisted British control.
• Rockets were deployed at the Battle of Pollilur with Hyder Ali's rockets used in 1780.
• Europeans made treaties with Indian rulers, while others sought British protection for their disciplined armies and weaponry.
• The British struggled to defeat Tipu Sultan, who, like his father, Hyder Ali, deployed strong armies and rockets.
• In 1799, a British army of approximately 50,000 soldiers attacked Seringapatam, including forces from Madras and Hyderabad.
• The battle resulted in about 1,400 British and 6,000 Mysorean soldiers dead, and Tipu Sultan lost his life.
• The British gained control over much of the subcontinent, protecting kingdoms in exchange for military support and trade and by 1823, they controlled or protected most of the subcontinent.

British Influence and Infrastructure

• The British sought the Indus Valley for its fertile land and inhabitants.
• The British avoided seizing Sindh while Ranjit Singh ruled due to his strong army.
• Ranjit Singh founded the Sikh Empire in the early 19th century and hired Europeans to train his troops, but after his death in 1839, the British took control of Sindh, having already annexed Punjab
• One can still see some buildings built by the British, such as the Empress Market in Karachi, named after Queen Victoria and opened in 1889.
• The British constructed railways to facilitate travel and trade across the subcontinent, aiding their governance and tea transport.
• The Mughals previously established 2,000 miles of "post roads," but the British introduced a new postal service with postage stamps.

Struggle for Independence and Political Movements

• Syed Ahmed Khan, believed Muslims should embrace Western education, advocating for friendship with Britain for advancement.
• The British initiated the Indian National Congress in 1885, involving Indians of all religions and some British members, to allow greater participation in government.
• Some Muslims formed the All India Muslim League in 1906, as they felt that the INC favored Hindus.
• Syed Ahmed Khan believed Muslims and Hindus could not coexist peacefully if the British were to leave.

Key Figures

• Muhammad Ali Jinnah, born in Karachi in 1876, trained as a lawyer in London and joined the All India Muslim League, advocating for Indian home rule and later became known as Quaid-i-Azam.
• Mohandas Gandhi, originally from Porbandar (Gujarat) and also trained in law in London. After working in South Africa, he advocated in India for peaceful protests, promoting simple living and joining the Indian National Congress.
• Jawaharlal Nehru, another lawyer trained in London, collaborated with Gandhi to achieve home rule for India and joined the Indian National Congress.

Events on the Path to Independence

• Muslim and Hindu leaders sought more power from the British, but the British did not concede self-governance.
• Protests were held, but the British governor of Punjab banned protest meetings, leading to the Amritsar Massacre: In 1919, British soldiers fired on a crowd of Muslims and Hindus at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, resulting in many deaths and injuries.
• The Prince of Wales visited India in 1921, met with silent streets reflecting the desire for independence.

Negotiations and Partition

• In 1928, the British decided on India's governance without Indian input, prompting the Indian National Congress to advocate for complete home rule, along with non-separate elections for Muslims.
• The Muslim League believed their concerns would be ignored due to the Hindu majority.
• British "Round Table" conferences in London proposed dividing India into states with limited self-governance and the British maintaining control over key areas, with the Muslim League disagreeing.
• In 1935, the British separated Burma and Aden from India, and split Sindh from the Bombay Presidency, creating Bihar and Orissa provinces.
• Politicians suggested creating two nations: one for Muslims and one for Hindus.
• Allama Iqbal advocated for a separate Muslim nation, fearing Muslims would be overshadowed by Hindus
• Muhammad Ali Jinnah wanted a separate Muslim nation
• Mohandas Gandhi opposed dividing the subcontinent based on religion.
• Vinayak Damodar Savarkar advocated for Pakistan's independence.
• In the 1940s protests arose over British rule and the possibility of two nations, with Sikhs also requesting a separate nation in the Punjab.
• The British planned to unite Muslims and Hindus, but Jinnah, fearing the INC would obstruct the creation of a Muslim nation, organized Muslim marches.
• In 1947, the British created new borders, leading to Pakistan's independence on August 14, 1947, with Jinnah as Governor General, and India's independence the subsequent day, with Nehru as Prime Minister.
• The partition resulted in mass displacement and violence between Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs
• Chaudhry Rehmat Ali, living mostly in Britain, proposed the name of "Pakistan" (Punjab, Afghanistan, Kashmir, Sindh, and Tan from Balochistan) to mean "Pure Nation".

War of Independence

• By 1857, the British East India Company controlled most of the subcontinent, constructing railways, roads, canals, and ports to transport goods and soldiers.
• The British built the telegraph for rapid communication across the subcontinent and taxed the population to fund these developments.
• The British implemented a law allowing the government to seize land from those who died without a son and sent Christian priests which made people think that they would to make them Christians.
• The British East India Company's army was primarily composed of Indian soldiers who, after the British altered their pay and religious customs became unhappy.
• The East India Company taxed the people and then used the money to pay for the British military.
• New army guns used animal fat in their cartridges, violating religious restrictions for both Muslim and Hindu soldiers.
• In Meerut, British officers punished 85 "disobedient" soldiers for refusing to use the cartridges, sparking further unrest.

Resistance and the British Raj

• Indian soldiers in Meerut freed the imprisoned soldiers and civilians, leading to violence where many Indian and European civilians were killed and European officers' homes were set on fire.
• Indian soldiers took Delhi and declared Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal Emperor, as Emperor of all India in response.
• The commanders of the British army were not ready for an attack. The officers there blew up the store of guns and ammunition to stop the Indian soldiers getting them.
• Soldiers from Bengal Regiments fought for independence, but the British labeled it a mutiny and responded harshly, resulting in widespread casualties.
• When the Maratha king of Jhansi died he had no son, so the British took his land. His widow, the Rani, fought them. She died fighting at Gwalior. Tatya Tope was another Maratha who fought the British. He was captured and executed.
• By 1858, the British government took control, beginning the British Raj which then included India, Pakistan, Burma, and Bangladesh with Queen Victoria becoming 'Empress of India'.
• Queen Victoria had two Indian Muslims working in her palace, Abdul Karim, with some in the British government disliking their close relationship.