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Imperialism
The East India Company, a group of British merchants, is created. The East India Company was given exclusive trading rights in the East Indies -
Anglo-French War
1744 - 1763: Anglo-French War In India. The actual onset of the struggles arose from Anglo-French commercial and political rivalry in India and political rivalry in Europe. There were a number of conflicts between the two countries over this period. Yet, it ended with the Treaty Of Paris, which stipulated an end of French presence in India, which allowed Britain to expand to control India’s government and markets. This is also reflected in the conflict between the two countries in Euro -
Sepoy Rebellion
Mutiny of the Indian Army at Barrackpore, The Rebellion becomes a War of Independence. The Indian Mutiny started in Meerut when angry Sepoys broke open the town jail and released their comrades, who had refused to bite the new cartridges. They had refused to bite the cartridges because they were made with beef fat which Hindus are not allowed to eat. The mutineers joined by other unhappy Indians killed many English settlers and Christians in the area. They attacked European trading posts -
Empire expands
Queen Victoria is pronounced Empress of India and India officially becomes part of the British Empire. -
INC
Indian National Congress is formed to get more government involvement for educated Indians. Initially the congress did not support independence but as the British did not acquiesce their demands time and time again, the congress evolved to favor complete independence from England. Mahatma Gandhi became a prominent figure in the congress. Gandhi and the congress eventually created the mass independence movement of Indians even with their many differences with culture and caste. -
Muslim League
Though the Congress made genuine efforts to enlist the Muslim community in its struggle for Indian independence, it was inevitably a Hindu-dominated organization, and Muslims knew that an independent united India would inevitably be ruled by Hindus. So the Muslim League was founded as a political party that desired independence and the partitioning of a Muslim State separate from India that would later be Pakistan. -
WW I
World War I. Many Indian volunteers fought for the British in World War I and Indian factories supplied the Allied forces. British promise to give concessions for Indian sacrifices after the war but they do not truly follow through on these promises so there is a shift for more government control for Indians to complete control of the government for Indians. -
No compliance
Montague’s promise of self-rule for India – This promise was not carried through at the end of the war, which led the Indian Congress to refuse to support World War II. -
Amritsar Massacre
The British massacred 400 unarmed Indians who were peacefully listening to political speeches. This incident further swayed Indian sentiment against the British because of their cruelty and unjust behavior. -
Ghandi
“Quit India” movement is initiated against the British because the Indians now wanted complete independence from the British. Gandhi led this non-cooperative, non-violent movement. It led to the arrest of Gandhi and Nehru. -
Independence
India and Pakistan become self-governing. Nehru is prime minister of India. Since India is Hindu and Pakistan is Muslim, there were mass migrations to the Pakistan for Muslims within India’s borders and vice versa. There was also violence after the departure of the British with riots and mobs of people of different religions against each other as the borders of these two countries were being decided.
