India 1890-1914 Flashcards
1
Q
Administration of India up to 1914
A
- Viceroys continued to rule with fairly unrestrained power
- Indian Civil Service remained to ensure India was secure, profitable and that the native people allowed
- India modernised which involved more British intervention
- Indian Civil Service adopted a “divide and rule” policy
- There were an increased amount of educated Indians on provincial councils but they exploited divisions in Indian society to create an Anglo-Indian elite, many of whom still saw British rule as the future
2
Q
The role of the colonial office and colonial governors
A
- The colonial office preferred reaction to action
- Its resources were tiny with only 30 senior members of staff
- The colonial office did not attempt to control colonial economies
- A governor with friends in high places was hard to control and even harder to remove
3
Q
The colonial office
A
- The colonial office continued to have overall responsibility for the Empire, although the foreign office found that its responsibilities grew as the newly acquired African protectorates were placed under its jurisdiction, while the sphere of the India Office also expanded
- This mixture of authorities could cause problems, particularly since the Admiralty and War Office were responsible for external defence while the Treasury controlled the money
- If there were disputes between these departments, the Cabinet had to be consulted, making decision-making difficult, if not impossible at times
- While governors and colonial offices certainly had to take note of their London masters, and could face a loss of career should they fail to keep the confidence of the ministers, they were generally left alone provided they did what was expected and kept their colony in order
- The worst thing that could happen to them was an outbreak of disorder or rebellion, or for a media storm to blow up over an incident in their area
- Therefore, most of the time it was safer for administrators to lie low, take cautious decisions and avoid controversy
4
Q
Administration of India in comparison to Egypt
A
- British rule in India and Egypt had one characteristic in common – the right to self-rule was explicitly denied
- This is not to say that the British did not seek to work with the local people, nor even hold back moves to some political representation, but there was never any doubt about the need to maintain overall British control
- This was mainly due to a desire to uphold the social Darwinist idea of European racial superiority
5
Q
Aspects which consolidated British control of India
A
- British officials continued to enjoy unrestrained power
- It was the viceroy’s job to make sure that the regime was secure, the Indians would permit British control and India was profitable to Britain
- Effective collaboration with the Indian population allowed India to modernise with the extension of the railways and spread of education enabling more Indians to read English
- Economic and social developments led to more British intervention in Indian life, both physically as the cities grew and also in terms of raising money through taxation
- The policy of divide and rule emphasised the divisions within India (race, language, religion, cast, occupation, and region) and asserted Britain’s moral authority to bring “enlightened reform” to India
- During reforms in 1892 and 1909, some educated Indian representatives were added to provincial councils, however, Britain preserved its executive influence
- Britain also exploited the division between the educated Indians and the illiterate rural masses to create an “Anglo Indian” administrative elite
- Viceroy Curzon was particularly energetic in the cause of reform through universities, police, road and rail systems, adopting the gold standard to stabilise the currency and lowered taxes whilst also being the founder of the Imperial Cadet Corps, in 1901, to appease Indian princes and elite figures
6
Q
Aspects which undermined British control of India
A
- In 1909, an element of Indian representative government was introduced at provincial level
- The Indian National Congress, which had been established in 1885 to campaign for home rule, were cautious and criticised British trading arrangements, restraints on Indian industry and the heavy taxation to which the Indians were subjected in order to pay the high earning British civil servants of the Raj
- Pressure also came from social and humanitarian groups such as “The Servants of India Society” who wanted to see the reform of old restrictive laws and practices
- In October 1905, Curzon attempted to divide Bengal, against the wishes of its population, into 2 separate provinces (Muslim majority in the East and Hindu majority in the West), which resulted in widespread resistance (particularly from the Hindu elite of West Bengal who owned land in East Bengal that they leased to Muslim peasants) and had to be reversed in 1911
- Indians viewed the partition as an attack on traditional boundaries and saw it as pay back for their criticism of British rule. In response there were strikes, protests and boycotts of British-made goods, which were a serious challenge to British control
- Surendranth Banerjee, who had twice been president of the Indian National Congress, led the campaigns against the British and a new strand of strident nationalism developed which ended up splitting the congress in 1905 which caused Curzon to resign
- The All India Muslim League was formed by the Muslim elite in 1906 to safeguard the rights of Indian Muslims
7
Q
George Curzon
A
- Viceroy of India 1899-1905
- Believed in moral duty of empire
- Worked to strengthen British India, improve administration, agriculture, and the defence of India
- Had a dim view of the Indian people and was wary of giving them too much power
- Mindful of criticism and growing influence of the Indian National Congress
- Divided Bengal in a bid to further British control but this backfired and he was forced to resign
- Division of Bengal was responsible for the emergence of a more powerful brand of Indian Nationalism
8
Q
Curzon’s role and the changes he made
A
- Viceroy Curzon was particularly energetic in the cause of reform
- This was partly in response to Indian demands
- Curzon was mindful of the growing criticisms of British rule which came from professional middle class Indians and their representative body, the Indian National Congress
- As the Indian national congress criticised the heavy taxation, they were subjected to in order to pay the wages of the British civil servants of the Raj, Curzon made some changes to the civil service to improve efficiency
- He founded the Imperial Cadet Corps, in 1901, to appease Indian princes and elite figures with military training and special officer commissions
- He also reformed the universities and the police, lowered taxes and adopted the gold standard to ensure a stable currency
- He set up a new commerce and industry department, promoting industry, and an agricultural department, sponsoring research and overseeing the establishment of agricultural banks
- However, when famine struck western and central India between 1899 and 1902, he refused to allow aid to be given, insisting instead that starving villagers needed to develop “self-reliance”. This led to vast numbers of Indians starving to death.
- However, for all his reforming impulses, he is best known for his attempt to divide the province of Bengal in 1905, against the wishes of its population, which resulted in widespread resistance and had to be reversed in 1911
- In July 1905, Curzon decided that Bengal should be divided into two separate provinces: a Muslim majority province in East Bengal and Assam and a Hindu majority province in west Bengal
- When this was carried out in October, it produced an uproar among the Hindu elite of West Bengal, many of whom owned land in East Bengal that they leased to Muslim peasants
- In response to the partition, Banerjee led campaigns and strikes and a new strand of strident nationalism began
- Curzon attempted to counter this by imposing strict censorship on the Indian press
- The partition of Bengal split the congress between the extremists and continuing moderates and helped bring about Curzon’s resignation in 1905
9
Q
Curzon’s reaction to the famine of 1899-1902
A
- He refused to allow aid to be given, insisting instead that starving villagers needed to develop “self-reliance”
- He is very apathetic towards the Indians
- He felt he had done enough and would not change his policies
10
Q
What does Curzon’s reaction tell you about British attitudes towards India at the time?
A
- The British felt they had done enough to help the Indians and they now needed to act themselves and not be so reliant on the British
- British did not want the Indians to become so reliant on the British and therefore didn’t help
- This shows a lack of care for Indian lives
11
Q
Viceroy Minto
A
- Wanted to appease Bengalis (Morley-Minto reforms)
- 27 Indians elected to Viceroy’s council to make laws
- Greater Indian participation in government
- Further reforms in 1910 gave more seats to Indians to play a greater role in provincial government
12
Q
Viceroy Hardinge
A
- Reuinted Bengal in 1911
- Moved capital to Delhi to undermine revolutionary Hindu groups
- George V visit attempted to consolidate control and ensure loyalty Durbar 1911
- Declaration of war on India’s behalf was met with tacit approval (with hope of a “new deal” once the war finished”
13
Q
What did Viceroy Minto do in 1909 and 1910?
A
- Viceroy Minto was left to deal with the fall out of Curzon’s plan
- With the encouragement of the new liberal government in Britain from 1906 and the help of John Morley, Secretary of State in India, he introduced a limited programme of reforms in 1909 in an attempt to appease the Bengalis
- The Indian Councils act of 1909 enabled 27 Indians to be elected from provisional constituencies to the Viceroy’ council which advised the viceroy and assisted in making laws
- Further democratic reform in 1910 meant that in elections for enlarged provincial councils, 135 Indians were able to secure seats across the subcontinent and thus play a greater part in government at provincial level
14
Q
What did Viceroy Hardinge do?
A
- Viceroy Hardinge appreciated the damage done by Curzon’s partition of Bengal and therefore used the visit of King Emperor George V to India in 1911 as an opportunity to reunite Bengal
- He also moved the Indian capital from Calcutta to Delhi (a Muslim stronghold) as a means of undermining the revolutionary Hindu groups
- When Viceroy Hardinge declared war on India’s behalf in August 1914, it was to be a test of India’s commitment to British rule particularly as he had done so without consulting India’s population or its elected representatives
- For the most part, the Indian population accepted and supported Britain’s efforts as nearly 1.3 million Indians served
15
Q
Conclusion of British control of India
A
- The British have created this Indian anglicised elite, educated in a western way, however, this elite were now beginning to campaign against British control and imperialism
- British control in India looks splendid and well from the outside but inside trouble is brewing
- This trouble, however, had not been exposed to the public yet
