Colonialism in India: Colonial Agrarian Policy and its Impact - PDF

You have already read in the previous chapter that establishment of East India Company's rule in India was a long journey full of confrontations, struggles, battles, wars and diplomatic moves. The English came astraders and became ourmasters. Slowly, they conquered India from South to East and then...

You have already read in the previous chapter that establishment of East India Company's rule in India was a long journey full of confrontations, struggles, battles, wars and diplomatic moves. The English came astraders and became ourmasters. Slowly, they conquered India from South to East and then headed towards the North. Gradually, they emerged asthesupreme power in India. There was hardly any aspect of Indian economy which was not affected by the British. Unlike the earlier rulers and invaders, the English totally shattered the traditional self-sufficient rural economy. The economic exploitation of India by the British ruined the peasantry, uprooted the tribals and destroyed Indian trade and handicrafts. COLONIAL AGRARIAN POLJCY AND ITSIMPACT Before the advent of the East India Company, the rural life in india was simple and self-sufficient. The British brought many changes in the field of land revenue system, agriculture, trade, industry and administration to guard their own interests. Therefore, the East India Company devised various methods toensure the collection of revenue from Indian territories, annexed and controlled by them. As the British empire expanded, the amount ofrevenue also increased. So much sothat land revenue became the biggest source of income forthe Company. At this stage, Land Revenue Settlements were introduced with an aim to legitimise the practice of economic exploitation. Therefore, the Zamindari System under the Permanent Settlement was introduced in Bengal in 1793 by Lord Cornwallis. Large parts of South and West India were putunder the Ryotwari System, whereas Punjab, North-West Provinces and Awadh came under Mahalwari System. Let us study in brief about these Land Revenue Settlements. Zamindari System (The Permanent Revenue System) ZamindariSystem was madea hereditary right of the zamindars under thePermanent Settlement Or theZom/ndor/Bondobo5t in 1793. They were made theowners oftheland and were forced to pay 89% ofthetotal revenue to the British government. Their own share was 11%. The systemgdve birth toa new class of landlords consisting of the rajas and taluqdars called the zamindar› who had the power toevict any cultivator of the soil due tonon-payment of revenue, its SLlCh,they used oppressive methods tocollect the taxes. The peasants were compelled to take loans fromthe mOneylenders to pay unpaid rent, which made their life miserable. On the other hand, maximumbenefit went tothezamindars.  As the Company could nOt Claim on the increased income of zomindars as they had fixed it permanently,they decided not to implement this system in the newly conquered territories. Ryotwari System This system ofland revenue was introduced in South India by Thomas Munro in 1820. Later it came into effect in Bombay area also. This system established a direct settlement between the government and theryots, i.e. the cultivators. The revenue was directly collected from the cultivator and it was quite high. Mahalwari System The Ma halwari System was a modified version of Zamindari System introduced by Holt Mackenzie. It was introduced in 1822 in Gangetic Valley, North-West provinces, Central India and Punjab. In this system,a collective settlement was made witha group ofvillages called mahal. Since the land, the forests and the pastures belonged to the village community, the villages were jointly responsible for the payment ofland revenue. It was levied on the produce ofa mahal. The Mahalwari System proved to bea curse forthe peasants in the form ofimpoverishment, eviction from land and exploitation at the hands of the moneylenders. The widespread resentment among thefarmers of North India between 1830 to 1840 was one ofthe causes of the Revolt of 1857. GROWTH OFCOMMERCIAL CROPS With strong footholds in South India, Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, the East India Corfipany wanted to coJlect maximum taxes to meet their military and administrative expenses, They also wanted togain maximum profit. So, the company started using coercive methods to procure goods which were in great demand in Europe. The agricultural raw material was purchased atvery low rates and sent to England. The finished goods were brought back to India and sold at high price to earn more pfofits. The Company forced the farmers to grow cash crops like indigo, cotton, opium, pepper, tea, sugarcane, etc., and compelled them toraise silkworm forthe production of raw silk. The Britishers wanted tosmuggle and sell opium toChina so that they could earn huge profits. tllTiilarly, indigo, called neel in Hindi, was in great demand in the textile industries of Britain. The peasants were forced to cultivate indigo plants to extract blue dye. They ledmiserable life as it fetched very low prices of indigo.  The rising demand ofsugar in the West, attracted many Europeans to set-up sugar plantations i# India. The farmers, who produced gur (jaggery) for local requirement, were now forced toproduce thickened sugarcane juice for the sugar factories and sell their produce ata very low price. The British industries flourished at the cost of Indian industries. Here aresome Commerical Crops and the Places where they were Cultivated.  Condition of the Farmers Already suffering from natural calamities like flood, drought and famine, Indian farmers were furtherover-burdened with high taxes, repayment of loans, debts and high rate of interest.They were leadinga life of misery, poverty and frustration. Asa result, many peasants, who failed to pay the land revenue, lost their land and became landless labourers. They were forced to work atvery low wages. Revolts by Farmers Whenever atrocities, repression and exploitation reached beyonda certain limit, there was a mass outburst in the form ofrevolt or rebellion. There wasa long list of injustices meted out tothe farmers at various times during the British rule. Some ofthese were asfollows: Land Revenue Settlements and their administration. Economic exploitation, especially, of the rural masses. Long standing loans and indebtedness. Eviction of peasants from land led them tobecome landless labourers. These causes resulted in revolts, outbreaks and rebellions even before the First War of Independence in 18S7. It was only in 1930 that the organisation of Kison Sabhas started supporting the cause of the peasants. « The Ryots of Bengal refused to grow indigo anda rebellion broke out in 1859known as Blue Rebel. Moplahs ofSouth India revolted against the increasing burden oftaxation in 1860s and 1870s. The Deccan riots turned violent in 1875 due torural indebtedness. The Peasant Movement ofChamparan in north-west Bihar started in 1860 And went on till 1920s. The peasants opposed cultivation of indigo and high taxes. Pratapgarh, Rae Bareli, Sultanpur and Faizabad inUttar Pradesh witnessed opposition by the farmers against high revenue. The Oudh Kisan Sabha was formed under theleadership of Jawaharlal Nehru in1920. Increase in revenue was opposed by farmers of Tanjore in 1923-24. The first RyotsAssOCÎation was organised by N.G. Ranga in1923. The Kisan movement inUttar Pradesh demanded theabolition of Zamindari system. ln 1927 atBardoli, Sardar Patel opposed theincrease in revenue by the BombayPresidency. Satyagraha forced the government to revise the revenue. The peasants ofKheda opposed the revenue rise.  COLONIALISM AND TRIBAL SOCIETES The profitable exploitation of peasants made theBritish greedier. Their next target was the tribal› Of India who lived in deep forests and leda life of self-sufficiency. Their traditional economy was built around forests. Theyfirmly believed that the forests belonged to them andthey belonged totheforests. Most tribals like the Khonds of Orissa practised shifting cultivation. Many tribal groups like Van Gujjars of the Himalayas (J&K), Gaddis of Kullu (HP), etc., lived by herding and rearing of animals. Amongst theMundas ofChotanagpur, the land belonged to the clan asa whole and all members had equal rights on the land. Impact on the Tribal Life Almost every tribe had a tribal chief. But under the British rule, the chiefs lost all power and were forced to follow the laws made bytheBritish officers in India. But the Britishers did not want shifting cultivation because it was difficult to control the movement oftribals. But the tribals wanted to continue shifting cultivation. The changes made in the forest laws by the British made thetribal life very difficult. Most oftheforests were declared as the state property, especially, the reserved forests which produced timber. Many tribals had to move toother areas in search of livelihood. This createda shortage of labourers to cut trees for the railway sleepers and to transport logs. During the nineteenth century, when thedemand fortheforest produce increased, the traders and the moneylenders took advantage of the situation. They went tothetribals and offered them cash loans. They also asked them towork for wages. It led to further misery of tribals. Let ustake the case ofthe Santhals of Hazaribagh (Jharkhand& West 8engal), who reared silkworms for the production of cocoons. When thedemand for lndian silk increased, efforts were made to encourage silk production. The traders, their agents and many middlemen approached the growers. They gave them cash loans and collected cocoons from them. You will be surprised to know that they just paid Rupees3 for 1000 cocoons and then sold them at five times more. When thetribal groups came toknow ofthereality, they were shocked and started considering the traders as their enemy. Many tribals had to leave their forest homes in search of work.A large number ofthem were recruited through contractors to work in the tea plantations in far off areas of Assam. They were pat IOW Wages and were notallowed to go back home. The plight of the coal mine workers was no less ITliserable. Many tribals were also recruited in factories and fields to work under very harsh conditio1*- TRIBAL REVOLTS The commerCialisation of agriculture and exploitation of forest wealth made many tribÜls homeless andjobless. The unjust policies of the British resulted in rebellions by tribaîs in different! parts of lfldla. Revolt by the Khasis, who lived in the Khasi hills of north-west Assam, took place in 1829.Th* COf'lstruction ofa fOÂd thfoLlgh their land united many Khasi chiefs against the English unde rthC the British suppressed their rebelîion brutally. leadershipo{gar Manik andTirut Singh. But  Tribals of India  The Kharwar rebellion of 1870, revolt by Kacha Nagas in1882, revolt by Santhals of north-west Assam andKukis ofManipur intheyear 1917, targeted the British, but they all failed miserably. The Kukis of hilly regions of Manipur continued attacking the British territories from 1829.But they were forced to surrender in 1850. The Ithonds of Khondmals (near Orissa) revolted against the British in 1846 due to the fear of being annexed. But they could not stand before the might of Britishers. The Santhals found themselves quite helpless against the ruthless exploitation and oppression of the traders and the middlemen. They were expecting the British government to safeguard their interests. When nothing was done, they revolted against the Britishers in 1855 to 1856 under the leadership of Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu. Mundas ofChotanagpur, joined by the Kolarian tribe of the same region, revolted in 1831. The struggle was suppressed by the British forces. But the exploitation by the merchants and the moneylenders continued. in 1895, Birsa IVlunda,a young boy, emerged as hero of tribals. He urged them tocontinue to work on their own land to earn their living and not to move away. This would end all their sufferings. As the Birsa movement spread, the popularity of Birsa Munda also increased. He told hi5 people that land policies of the British were destroying their traditional land system. Birsa was jailed for two years but on his release, he instigated the tribals to attack zan indars. He raised the white flag asa symbol of Birsa Raj. This movement ended in 1900 with the death of Birsa. FF CTSOFCO ONIA ONCRAFTSAND|N USTRE With more and more parts of Urban andrural India, coming under the rule of the East Ind company, the exploitative character of theBfitish rule was exposed. The Company's monopolisati+’ of trade was getting stronger. Although, agFiculture whs themain occupation, there was no deal*  of handicrafts, CalÏCO, MUSlin, wool and silk products. Metal works of iron, steel, copper, brass, gold trd silver were also in great demand. In the seventeenth century, trade with European nations yas infavour of lndia as we exported large quantities of fine cotton, silk fabrics, spices, indigo, dru8›, precious stones and handicrafts. Unfortunately , the Company's policy (ed to the destruction of lndian crafts, cottage industries and artisanship. To safeguard the British cotton industry, lndian silk and cotton textiles were destroyed with imposition ofyery heavy duty on lndian goods, promotion ofBritish machine-made articles at cheaper rates, and decrease in the princely patronage. Changes in the British trade policy forced the lndian CfÂft5men and artisans to give up their traditional live(ihood. No doubt, the Industrial Revolution t1760-1830) in Britain and other European countries was also responsible for de-industrialisation of Jndia. All thèse factors started the process of ruining the traditional handicrafts and the decline in the national incarne of India. MODERN INDUSTRIES IN INDIA wit)› evergreen foliage wliicl Cinchona plants aretrees or large shrubs ti odticctl inl ntlia in 1859, grows to15-20 m i riheight.Thisplant was iii hills of TamÏl Nùdn and They are found in the Niigiri and A namala material for mantifacttiriNg Darjeeling in West Bengal. lt provides raw 9uiriine for malaria.  Comparative Table of Various Land Reforms RevenueSystems Introduced by the East India Company in India Revenue Introduced Year Area Provisions Impact on the peasants System by (terms/conditions) Permanent Lord 1793 Bengal, Bihar Zamindars were recognised The cultivators, who till now Revenue Cornwallis and Orissa as the owners of land, enjoyed some rights, were System The amount was divided now reduced to status of into two unequal parts. tenant on land. 10/11 ofthe share belonged The rules were very rigid as to East India Company and defaulters often lost claim the remaining 1/11 part over the land. belonged to zom/ndors. Since the initial revenue demand bytheBritish was very high,a number of zamindars were unable to pay it and as a result, they lost their land. Ryotwari Thomas 1820 South India The ownership rights were It did not serve the interest System Munro given to peasants and taxes of peasants as they were were directly collected by exploited and oppressed. the East India Company. The peasants could be The revenue rates were 50% deprived of their land if for dry lands and 60% for they failed to pay revenue in irrigated lands. time. The government also had the right to increase the rate of revenue atits own will. Mahalwari Holt 1822 Gangetic Land was divided into The government demand System Mackenzie Valley, MahalS. was very high so it did not North-West. Each i«ahaI comprised of bring any benefit to the Province, oFIe ormore villages. Central India Village committees and Punjab. were responsible for tax collection.  Various types of industries coercive: using force to persuade people to do something that they are unwilling to do. commercialisation: a process ofintroducinga new product in the market forearning profit. dipIonlatiC: acfing ina way that does not cause offence. fndustrial Revolti tion: therapid development ori»dustry that occurred in Britain in the late eigliteenth end nineteenth centuries, brought about by theintroduction of machinery. It was characterised by the use of stream power,the growth offactories and the mass production of manufactured goods. ' reserved forests: remain forests where people were notallowed to live, hunt.graze animals, cut wood Without the permission under theBritishrule. land is cultivated fora short period, then Shfftitlg cultivation: a form OfägFiculture in wliiCha piece of Rbandoned and allowed to regain its fertility- d milies, who live togetl›er, sharing the same language, ' *lb£11:a group£ircomm J j;y often of relate fa who live in forests. Inure and history,especially,those  ""- e *" »*.* A. Tick( ) the correct option. 1. Under the Mahalwari System, the word mono/ means— (a)a group of cities (b)a group of villages (c)a group ofdistricts (d)a group oftowns 2. The Ryotwari System was introduced by— (a) Lord Cornwallis (b) Holt Mackenzie (c) Thomas Munro (d) Lord Wellesley 3. The other name for2amindari Bandobast was— (a) Permanent Revenue System (b) Ryotwari System (c) Mahalwari System (d) Kisandari System 4. Who was the leader of the Santhals’ revolt? (a) Bar Manik and Triut Singh (b) Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu (c) Birsa Munda (d) Bhuwan ' 5. Where didIndustrial Revolution begin first? (a) England (b) France (c) Holland (d) Spain B. Fill in the blanks. 1. English shattered the self-sufficient economy. 2. Many tribals left forests in search of 3. Zamindari System was introduced in Bengal by — 4. revenue was the biggest source of income forthe Company. 5, Basic or industry started in India after independence.  ,«rit» » €Î orFalse for the following statements. j. Before the advent of East India Company, the rural life in India was simple andself-sufficient. z. The British wanted to smuggle and sell opium in Spain to earn profit. j, bison Sabhas were formed in 1gzo to support the cause of peasants. 4. The Khonds ofOrissa practised shifting agriculture. S. The tribal chiefs lost all their powers and were forced to follow the laws made bytheBritish officers in India. R Answer thefollowing questions in brief. 1. Highlight the main features of Mahalwari System. 2. Why did the British force Indian farmers to grow commercial crops? 3. What was theimpact of colonial rule on the tribals of India. Mention any three. 4. Write short notes on the Birsa Movement. 5. High\ight any three changes that took place in modern industries in the nineteenth century. E. Answer thefollowing questions. 1. List the main features of Permanent Settlement. How did the production of opium, indigo and sugar shot up the profit margins of the East India Company? 2. Differentiate between Ryotwari and Mahalwari system. 3. How did colonialism systematically destroy Indian crafts and industries? Explain. 4. How far were British agrigarian and tribal policies responsible for widespread discontentmen t in India? Explain with the help of examples. 5. Describe any five revolts by the tribals against the British. The management of forests led to some ofthetribal revolts in India, asforests were the main sources Ofthe livelihood of many tribals. The British government had introducedcertain legislations p€'I”jjj| j[) tt merchants and contraCtOrS to cut the forests. These rules not onlydeprived the tFÎbälS Ofseveral fo rest products but also made them victims of harassment by the forest offiCiB|S. This led torebel movement by thetribals in Andhra Pradesh and some other parts of India. 1. Why did the British introduce some laws related to forests7 How did it destroy therights of the tribals7 2, Do you think that efficient management of forests is the need of hour? JuStlfy your answer with suitable arguments. On an outline political map of India, locate and name thestates where thefollowing tribal communities live. (a) Abors (b) Badagas (c) Baiga (d) Bhotias (e) Chakma (f) Banjaras (g) Ahirs (h) Andamanese (i) Lalung (j) Nagas Note: You can take the help of Internet for completing this exercise. 1. Collect information about any three tribal communities of India who still live in isolation from the modern developments. 2. List the ways in which the modernisation has destroyed the self-sufficiency of Indian villages. 3. ‘Tribal communities of India must maintain their cultural ideritltÿ.’ HOlda debate Intheclass. The students should be encouraged to speak ‘for’ and ‘agalnst’ the topic. 4. what ls the condition of Santhül sllk growers today? TFP tO collect Information frlm various sources.  The Revolt of 1857 was the landmark in the history of lndia's struggle for freedom. It started on May 10, 1857 with the mutiny of soldiers in Meerut Cantonment. The revolutionary soldiers marched towards Delhi. On May 11, 1857, Delhi was a mute witness toa band of sepoys who crossed over the River Yamuna and entered the Red Fort. lhey appealed to the aged Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah, an emperor without any authority, to take over the leadership of the revolt. He was proclaimed the Shahenshah-e-Hindustan. The sepoys captured the city of Delhi, killed many Englishmen and ransacked many public offices. Though the revolt was started by the Indian soldiers in the service of the East India Company, it soon spread to different parts of country. Different sections of the society like peasants, artisans, soldiers, educated lndians and many lndian rulers joined hands tofight herocially against the foreign rule. Hindus and Muslims also came together to oppose the foreign domination. The event was also called The Uprising, the Revolt of 1857 or the Sepoy Mutiny by the British. But lndian historians call it the First Wat of Independence as it was the first time that different sections of lndian society united and fought as one nation to throwoff the shackles o( foreign domination. Ever since the BritÏSh had set foot on Indian soil, the nation was losing its wealth and independence. The aim of the 8ritiSh WaS to exploit the resources of oUr country. From t757 Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 onwards, they won almOSt eVery battle against thQ lndian rulers and kept on expanding the area under lhair control. They sent Indian wealth baCk home to England. This angered th0 Indians. Finally, 100 years later, in 1857,a number Of Indians revolted against the exploitation.  CAUSES OF THE REVOLT POlitical Causes The revolt was the outcome ofthe widespread resentment that had been boiling against the British fOra long time. The Indian sepoys were dissatisfied with the treatment meted out tothem. The Indian rulers—Bahadur Shah Zafar, Tantya Tope of Gwalior, Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi and Nana Saheb of Kanpur—had personal scores to settle with the British. They ledthe revolt in their respective territories. The common people of Delhi, Lucknow, Gwalior and other places had no narrow ambitions of power ormoney. They wanted an end oftheforeign exploitation. The policy of annexation of Dalhousie, particularly, the Doctrine of Lapse, created fear and resentment among Indian rulers. They were not allowed to adopt heir to the throne. This policy ensured that those kingdoms, where the kings did not have natural heirs, would be taken over by the British after the demise ofthe king. It is believed that if the British would have not snapped the compensation that kings were paid earlier in return ofa share in government, the kings would not have joined the revolt! The British signed many treaties with the Kings and Nawabs butviolated them, as per their convenience. One such treaty signed with Awadh was Subsidiary Alliance in 1801. The Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was compelled to accept the permanent British army within the territory and to paya subsidy for its maintenance. He could not recruit any other European in his service without prior approval. He had to stationa Resident in his court, which reduced the power oftheNawab. Gradually, the Indians lost all trust in the British. Awadh hadbeen an ally of the East Indian Company fornearlya century. Still it was annexed on the plea that the government was not functioning properly. The Nawab wasexiled to Calcutta. Begum Hazrat Mahal took over the reign of Awadh. This shocked the other rulers. Lord Dalhousie was appointed Governor-General of India in 1848. The eight years of his rule are considered the greatest period rorthe expansion of British power inI ndia. Economic Causes The policy of economic exploitation and the destruction of the traditional Indian economic structure by the British caused widespread resentment among Indians. The zamindari system exploited the peasants who were forced to grow only those crops that the British industries required. They were tortured or jailed on failure to pay the revenue in time. Industrial goods like textiles from Britain flooded the Indian markets.This destroyed Indian industries and made the artisans and peasants unempolyed. Whenever theprincely states were annexed, the British got rent-free land and huge amount Of money. The common people faced unemployment and poverty. When Awadh Wasoccupied by thC gr¡tIsh,uawab's officials were dismissed and his army was disbanded. About 60,000professional teldien lost their livelihood. social and R£›IigiDLiS Causes The social reforms by the British were considered an interference in the customs and traditions Indians were notallowed to travel in first class train compartments. The conservative Indians were alarmed by the rapid spread of western culture and English education in India. Moreover, the British looked down upon Indians and followeda policy of racial discrimination. They considered themselves as ’superiors’. They advocateda judicial system based on the principle of equality but in actual practice it was biased. Military Causes The Sepoys had helped the British to establish their empire in India but instead of receiving awards or promotions, they were humiliated by the British, There was discrimina tion between the Indian and the British soldiers. The highest pay given to an Indian sepoy as subedar was less than the minimum payofa European recruit. The Act of 1856, made it compuISory fornew IFidian recruit to serve overseas. It hurt the feelings of the soldiers as Hindus believed thatoverseas travel would lead to the loss of caste. Immediate Causes The cartridges of the new Enfield rifle had a greased paper cover which h8d to be bitten off before the cartridge was loaded into the rifle. It was Sdid that the grease composed ofbeef and pigfat. Both the Hindus and the I*IM !ims refused to use them asthecow is sacred to the HinduS and the pig '* etestable to the MuslimS. On March 2s, 18S7 atBarrackpore near Calcutta, Mangal Pandey, * Young Indian Sepoy fromBengal Regiment, refused to use the greased t*Rridge and shot down hisSEfrg/?ant. He was arrested, tried and executed. hen this news spread, many sepoys started the revolt.  Delh'o Meerul Barely Agras G alior„/ Kanpur Bananas y '”* Chitta Barrackpore Main Centres of Revolt [Mote: The centres shown on themap areasperthec urrent politic.a1 divisions of I;qdia.]  COURSE OF THE REVOLT Thesepoys broke out into an open ,evolt at Meerut in April, 1857. They refused to touch the greased cartridges. They were court-martialed and sentenced z! l(unwar Singh, the 80-year old to 10 years imprisonment. The regiments landlord of Jagdishpin; was ,' in Meerut revolted on May 10, 1857. the most outstanding military , They broke open the prison and released leader of the revolt in Western , theimprisoned soldiers. They marched Bihar. to Delhi on May 11 and rebelled under Bahadur Shah Zafar II.  CAUSES OF THE FAILURE OF THEREVOLT ° The Uprising had been planned for months, but it broke out before the appointeddate. it did ROI go according to the plan as the revolutionaries failed tospread itbeyond Central India and Delhi. If the plan had gone aspertheschedule, the revolt wOUId have broken out in many parts of India simultaneously and it would have been very difficult for Lord Canning, theGovernor-General at that time, to control the revolt. There was no unity among therebels. The ideas of nationalism had not yetdeveloped. There was no common ideology amongst the rebels. The sepoys of Bengal wanted to revive the glory of the Mughals while Nana Saheb and Tantya Tope tried to re-establis h the Maratha power and Rani Lakshmi Bai fought for her lost kingdom. The rising was not widespread, It was limited to North and Central India. In the North, the Sikhs, the Nizams and the Scindias were unaffected by the Revolt and the Gurkhas not only remained loyal to the Britishers, but helped the British in suppressing the mutiny. The rebels could not match thesophisticated and modern weapons and thedisciplined army of the British. Moreover, an organi5ed communication system and military strategies led to British victory. The leadership of the Revolt was neither strong nor gave direction to the rebels. The Indian rulers fought to liberate their own territories and did not think about the freedom ofthewhole country. Moreover, the Company officials got timely help from thegovernment of Britain. RESULTS OF THE REVOLT The rule of the East India Company ended with Queen Victoria's Proclamatio n of November 1, 1858. She assumed thetitle of the Empress ofIndia. The British crown took over the administration of India.A Secretary of State was appointed by thl? British Parliament to look after the governance of India with the help ofa COUnCil. The Governor-General was given the title of Viceroy-The Representative of the British Crown. The British reorganised the army toprevent any future revolts. The policy ofruthless conquests andannexations of Indian territories was given up. The Indian princes were given the assurance that their States would not be annexed and were granted the right of adoption. Full religious freedom was guaranteed to the Indians. They were also given the assurance thdt high posts would be given to them without any discrimination. By the end ol 1859, British authority in India WaS fullyre-established. But the Revoltproved to be thefirst greatstruggle for freedom. It becamea source of inspiFation forthe later freed0 Struggl£s aF'Id itsheroes became household names in the country.  Queen Victoria Proclamation Act of 1858 ally:a state formally cooperating with another fora military or other gains. coui t-martialed: a judicial court for trying members ofarmed services accused for «rrenKes against military law. mutiny: an open rebellion against the proper authorities, especially,by soldiers and sailors2tg£titlst their officers. racial discrimination: unfair treatment or bias againsta person ora group ofpeople on the basis of their race—hair type, colour ofeyes or skin. revolt: take violent actions against an established government or ruler, or an authority. Sergeant: a rank ofnon-commissioned officer in the army orairforce. ‘ Sh tCkles: a pair of fetters connected togetherby £tC hain,uSed tof£tsten a prisoner's wri ts O* £tll kles together. Subebar: it is rank in Indian Army, ranking below thecommissioned orrcers. *ubsidy: money that is paid usually bya government tokeep the prlce ofa product or service low Orto helpa business or an organisation to continue to function. treason: the crime ofbetraying one's own country.  i“ ’" "”: Sometfstzsg 3'oXzzow A. Tiek (w ) the correct option. 1. The Revolt of 1857 started on— (a) May 10, 1857 (b) May 11, 1857 (c) May 12, 1B57 (d) May 13, 1857 2. Mangal Pandey belonged to which one ofthe following places? (a) Jhansi (b) Hyderabad (c) BarraCkpore (d) Gwalior 3. Who took over the governance of India from the East India Company after the 1857 revolt? (a) The British Parliament (b) The Queen (c) The Viceroy (d) The Governor-General 4. The British army was reorganised after the Revolt of 1857 to— (a) annex the Indian states. (b) ruthlessly conquer Indian rulers. (c) give more powers to East India (d) prevent future revolts. Company. S. The practice of looking down upon the Blacks is known as— (a) religions (b) racial law (c) racialdiscrimination (d) imperialism B. FIII in the blanks. 1. The First War of Independence is also known asthe Mutiny of 1857. 2. The British considered themselves 3. Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled to 4. Rani Lakshml Baiwanted her lost 5. The Doctrine of created resentment among Indian rulers. c. Write True or False far the following statements. 1 Bahadur Shah Zafar was proclaimed theShahenshah-e-Hindustan, 2. At Kanpur, the Revolt was led by Begum Hazrat Mahal. 3. The British followeda policy of racial discrimination, 4. The regiment in Meerut revolted on May 10, 1857. S. A Secretary of State was appointed to look after the governance of England. O. Answer the followingQuestions In brief. 1. The revolt of 1857 was the landmark in the history of India's struggle for independence. Justify the statement with any three arguments. 2. What wastheDoctrine of Lapse and how did it affect the rulers of India? 3. Explain subsidiary alliances with the help of examples. 4. How did the economic policies of the British adversely affect the Indian economy? 5. Why is the Revolt of 1857 called the First War of Independence? What were its immediate causes? E. Answer thefollowing 9 estions. 1. Describe the course of the Revolt of 1857. 2. Describe five main causes of the First War of Independence. 3. What steps did the British take to suppress the Revolt? 4. Why did the First War of Independence fail inspite of theparticipation of different sections of Indian Society? Explain, 5. What changes were made in the administration of India acer the Revolt was suppressed? the Mughal Emperor, was trled for treason and exiled to Aft£!r the 1B57 revolt BahadUr Shah ZafI£ ! dOWf\ d@ they were held gullty of the murder Of the English men, Rangoon. His sons were cruelly ShOt ofMUghol rule In lndla. women andchildren. It led to the end taken by thE!Britl5* *g alnst sahadur Shah Zafar's fai III'/ MOrally correct7 ccOrding to you, wks theaction On an outline political map of India, locate and name theplaces to which the following leaders of the Revolt of 1857 belong. Collect their pictures and paste them attheappropriate places. [a) Bahadur Shah Zafar (b) Ram Lakshmi Bai (c) Begum Hazarat Mahal (d) Nana Saheb (e) Mangal Pandey (f) Kunwar Singh (g) Tantya Tope 1. In your opinion what preparations should have been made tomake theFirst War of Independence a complete success? Find out the names offilms an India‘s freedom struggle and freedom fighters. Celebrate the week before the Independence Day by showing them tothewhole school. 3. Makea scrapbook ora PowerPoint presentation on ‘Heroes of the Revolt of 1857’, 4. Organisea poetry recitation competition based on the partriotic poems like w wit W W W’ written by Subhadra Kumari Chauhan.  The British era is the most eventful era in the history of India. It brought changes in every aspect of the Indian society—education, public institutions, reforms in caste system and the condition of women. Most ofthese changes were brought about by the efforts of English educated Indians. A number ofpathshalas, maktabs forelementary education and tols and madarsas forhigher education were imparting education in India before the rule of East India Company began. Education was limited to reading of religious books in vernacular languages and learning arithmetical tables. Higher education covered subjects like Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian, law, logic, medicine and astronomy, based on old texts. EDUCATION UNDER TUE BRITISH The main objective of the East India Company was to make profit and not to take over the responsibility of educating Indians. Though the missionaries openeda few English schools, their purpose was to promote Christianity. Some stray efforts were made in the field of education but the Charter Act of 1813 was the first significant As a contrast to the British thinking, Swami step wherein the British sanctioneda Vivekananda said, ’All history points to India as the sum of one lakh rupees for education mother ofs in India. The Hindu and the Elphinstone C0llegeswere established in Calcutta and Bombay respectively. These institutions produced English educated Indian elite class, who aped western etiquettes, dress and eating habits. The British wanted psychological slavery of the elite class of the Indian society. In 183S, Thomas Macaulay (Member Legislative Council) said, ‘We must do our best to forma cIBSS Who may be ihterpreters between us and the millinos whom we govern,d class of persons Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste and opinion.’ The British decided to take steps in the field of education in India. But a controversy arose between the Orientalists and the Anglicistsregarding medium of education. The Orientlists favoured the ‘traditional’ system ¥/ith Sanskrit and Persian as the medium ofinstruction while theAnglicists faVoured English as medium ofinstruction. Lord Macaulay supported the Anglicists as the British wanteda class of Indians who would actasa link between the rulers and ruled, and provide cheap manpower forlower levels of the administration. He also believed that teaching of western education through English asa medium would civilise the people of India. This would change their taste, value and culture and developa taste and desire for the British commodities and thus, they could earnhuge profit which was the main objective of EastI ndia Company. Wood's Despatch of 1854 issued by Charles Wood, made major changes inthe education policy of the British. It gavea detailed plan for separate department of education. Universities were set-up at the presidency towns of Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. Institutes for training the teachers were also set-up and assistance was given to vernacular schools. In 1882, Hunter Education Commission was appointed to look into the non-implementation of Wood's Despatch, position of primary education, secondary education, work ofmissionaries in the field of education and vocational training in secondary education. tord Curzon, the Viceroy of India, revised the whole system of education because he believed that educational institutions in India were producing political revolutionaries. With this view, the Indian Universities Act of 1904 was passed to check the growth of higher education in India. It annoyed the Indians. On the whole, universal education in India was neglected by the British till Wardha Education Scheme (1937) was initiated by Gandhiji. He believed that English education createda sense of inferiority and developed master-slave mentality among theIndians. So,a National Education System was proposed that would inculcate morals like truth, goodness, justice,a sense of self-respect and dignity among theIndian masses. In 1943, the British appointed John Sargent to preparea National System of Education. It proposed universal, compulsory and free education for children between 6-14 years of age for all round development ofthe students. Most ofthe recommendations ofthis plan were implemented by the Government ofIndia after independence. Positive Impact of British System of Education The English language united the people of different regions. People now rose above narrow regional prejudices and started thinking of India as their motherland. A surge of nationalism spread in all parts and all sections of India. It created awareness about the ideals of equality, liberty, fraternity and democracy. It createdawareness about the need ofsocial and religious reforms. Educated women like Sarojini Naidu joined the national movement. Negative Impact of British System of Education It createda division between English educated Indians and the rest of Indians. Indigenous literature and thought were ignored.  British textbooks glorified the British administration and philosophy. Education became thepriority of those who could afford it and hence, only the rich Indians benefitted. During the BritiSli per iod, Ana Samaj madea great contribution in the field of education. It opened many purt/#uJs, schools, colleges and other educational institutions. It started Dayanand Anglo Verlic High Schonl at Lahore in 1885. At present, DAV has above 800 instituti0nS all over India. Social Impact The British did not like the customs, traditions and culture of Indians. They considered Indians as barbarians, inferiors and discriminated against them. English-educated Indians wanted tofree the Indian society from evils, superstitions and ritual5. Many reform movements were started. Reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Swami Dayanand Saraswati wanted to eradicate the evils from Indian society. They even compelled the British to pass some laws to introduce social reforms in India: Sati was an inhuman practice wherea widow was forced to burn herself on the funeral pyre of her husband. It was abolished in 1829 by the Governor-General, William Bentinck, at the insistence of Raja Ram Mohan Roy,a social reformer anda crusader forthe cause of women. Female Infanticide, killing of infant girls, was banned by law in 1870. Child-Marriage of children as early as one or three years of age was banned by law in 1891 and again in 1929. The Sharda Act of 1929, after amendment, fixed the age of marriage at 18 years for girls and 21 years for boys. ln Bengal Presidency alone, 8,134 cases ofsnfi werp It applied to all people reported between 181S-28. living in British India and lndian government has banned female infantlEide. Many schemes lil‹c 'Beti Ilachao, Beti Padhao' not only Hindus. It was 'Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana' and 'Balika Saniriddhi the result of social reform Yojana' have been started for the bcnefit of girls. movement in India. It The evil practice of Dowry System has been banned Was also a great victory by law butunfortunately it continues even today in Of Hindu and Muslim Sonic parts of India. Women's groups, who opposed child marriage. ° Widow Remarriage Act was passed by the British Government in 1856. It W?{S With the persistent efforts of lshwarChandra VidyaSagaF that widow remarriage was legalised.  Up to 1920, only the enlightened Indian men worked forthewelfare and upliftment of Women. They not only opposed discrimination against women butalso dedicated their lives to the cause of religious and social reforms. Later on, many educated women also joined welfare programmes. In 1927, an All India Women's Conference was organised. Gradually, the Indian society came to accept equality of men and women. SOCIO-RELIGIOUS REFORMS During the nineteenth century,a social transformation began in India and kindled the spirit of nationalism. Close contact with western science, literature and thought changed the mindset ofthe masses. In the beginning, only the elite classes were campaigning against discrimination of the so- called low castes. But later, the lower castes themselves rose against social injustice and evils in the Indian society. Many socio-religious reform movements spread in different parts of India. Kerala had suffered at the hands ofa very rigid and oppressive caste system. The social and economic status ofa person was determined by his position in the caste hierarchy in Kerala. In the princely states of Kochi and Jyotiba Phule(1827-90) Jyotiba Phule was a social reformer of Maharashtra who founded the Satya Shodhak Samaj, an organisation that worked for the upliftment of the low and oppressed cIasseS Phule considered education asa means of liberation and started a special school forthf2 underprivilged class. He was successful in creating awarene5s about the miserable conditiO*l  Social and Religious Reformers of India of the depressed classes. His campaign for the removal of untouchability and upliftment of lower castes took the form Of dn anti-Brahmin movement. Jyatiba Phule rejected Indian National Congress Party and defined it as the party of rich and upper castes. Jyotiba Phule Veeresalingam Kandukuri (1848-1919) Veeresalingam is considered the prophet of modern Andhra Pradesh as he awakened the Andhra society from their orthodox customs and superstitions. He was a reformer and the first person to writea novel, drama, books on natural sciences and history in Telugu. He wrote Abhagyopakhyanamu,a humorous satire on the Andhra society. Veeresalingam starteda magazine, titled Viuekavardhini, in which he propagated women's education, widow remarriage and the rights of women. He was thefirst writer to write prose for women. He opposed Kanyasulkam (price of bride) and marriage of old men with young girls. Veeresalingam Kandukuri Periyar E.V. Ramasamy (1879-1973) He was born in Erode town ofTamil Nadu. He wasa great rationalist and revolutionise. He left Congress in 192Sbecause he felt that the party was only serving the interest ofs ohmln5. He calledCongress—a Fort of Brahmins. He questioned the subjugation Of Dravidian Race by the Brahmins, rio enjoyed the donations andgifts ofDraVidians but discriminated against them in social and religioUs matters.P\? iv t was a strong supporter of Dravidian culture end launched a Self-Res pect Movement in 1925. He propogated the ptinciples of nationalÏSM,s elf- respect, women's right and eradication of caste system. Periyar RamasamY ", ,"/ e' -nm -  \ OfVîfomf2Ft.Ldws were enforced to curb social evils. The reform movements createda middle cla Of teachers, doctOFS, lawyers, scientists and journalists. This enlightened and educated class played crucial and constructive role in the progress of India.  The caste system had faced challenges since the times of Buddha and Mahavir, and even earlier than that. BUt Ît was during the reform movements that the opposition to the caste system spread throughout lndia and among all sections of the society. The movement was helped by education, contact WÏth Europeans, printing press, etc. The Printing Press played a pivotal role in mobilising public opinion. lt enabled the reformers to spread awareness through their writings. Many English educated lndians learnt Sanskrit and translated books into English. The spirit of national pride instilled patriotism and prepared the ground forthe rise of nationalism in lndia. Moreover, people from different castes, communities and regions came incloser contact, which gavea great impetus to the struggle for freedom. The most remarkable phenomenon was thesurgence of national consciousness and cutural  '”” -)) Sozzzetb?og Tb fLnow A. Tick{ ) the correct option. 1. The main objective of the East India Company was— (a) to provide education (b) to civilise the Indian people (c) to earn profit (d) to develop India 2. Who initiated the Wardha Education Scheme in 1937? (a) Mahatma Gandhi (b) Raja Ram Mohan Roy (c) Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (d) Swami Vivekanand 3. The reformer who fought against the Brahmin dominance and discrimination against the lower castes was— (a) Raja Ram Mohan Roy (b) Shri Narayana Guru (c) Jyotiba Phule (d) E.V. Ramaswamy 4. Arya Samaj was established by— (a) Dayanand Saraswati (b) Vivekananda (c) Periyar Ramaswamy (d) Jyotiba Phule 5. Who is known astheArchitect of Indian Constitution? (a) IVtahatma Gandhi (b) Jawaharlal Nehru (c) Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (d) Dr. B. R. Ambedkar B. Fill in the blanks. 1. A number ofpothsho/as and moktobs providedelementary 2. Charter Act of 1813 sanctioned one lakh rupees for- in India. 3.. of 18S4 gavea plan fora separate department of education. 4. Swami Dayanand wanted toeradicate the from Indian Society. S. The. , _. placeda pivotal role In mobI)Islng publlc opinion.  write True or False for the following statements. i orientalists favoured English asa medium of instruction. y. Child marriage was banned in India in 1891. 3. Soti was an inhuman practice. 4. Kochi and Travancore denied governmental positions to lower castes. 5. Gandhi considered untouchables as Harijans—people of God. D. Answer the following questions inbrief. 1. What were theproposals of Wood's Despatch of 1854? 2. Highlight any three social evils of Indian society related to women. 3. Describe any three main contributions of Swami Dayanand Saraswati asa social reformer. 4, Differentiate between theAnglicist and the Orientalist. 5. Evaluate the efforts made byIndian leaders to improve Indian education. E. Answer thefollowing questions. 1. Do you think that the British system of Education hada negative impact on the people of India? Support your answer with suitable arguments. 2. State the major landmarks in the field of education in the nineteenth and the twentieth century. 3. Describe the main contributions of any three social reformers in improving the Indian Society. 4. State the impact ofthe reform movements on India. 5. ’Although the British and the Indian Parliament brought many laws to end social evils, yet they continue to exist in the Indian society.’ Justify the statement. Value Based Questtozz to women with increased awareness and sensitivity.’ There is a need to give more importance ddress ’Mann KI Baat’. ‹ me Minister Narendra Modi said in his rad:aa ent oftheIndian women? 1. What type of awafeness can lead tO empowerm towards the women folk. - What is meant bysensitivit›7 sive any th ree examples of sensitivity  On an outline political map of the world, mark thecountries to which the following women emancipotors belong. (a) Malala Yousafzai (b) Kiran Bedi (c) Michelle Obama (d) Emma Watson (e) Beyonce India. 2. Preparea chart of the teachings of Swami Dayanand, 3. Which reformers from other countries have served for the cause of Indian Society? Givea brief description about them.