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Control of India
In response to the Sepoy Mutiny, the British government takes direct control of India in 1858. The way it worked was a cabinet minister in London directed policy, and a British governor-general back in India carried out his orders. -
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Indian Revolution
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The Sepoy Mutiny
Word that the cartridges in the Enfield rifles were greased wsith beef and pork fat got to the sepoys (Indian soldiers). Angered by this news, because Muslims and Hindus (India's two leading religions) do not eat pork, the sepoys refused their cartridges. The day after they were sent to jail for this (May 10, 1875), the sepoys rebelled, took the city of Delhi, and their rebellion spread to much of northern and central India. -
Indian National Congress
A spreading sense of nationalism in India lead to the founding of the Indian National Congress in 1885, who's concerns were calling for self-government. -
Partition of Bengal
In 1905 the British divided Bengal into a hindu section and a Muslim section, but with the two major religious groups separated it was hard for them to join forces to claim independence. -
Muslim League
The nationalist group founded in 1906, that like the Indian National Congress was concentrated on addressingIndians' concerns. -
Indian Troops Return
The British army had promised Indians that in exchange for their servce as soldiers on their side during WW1, they would be allowed to govern themselves. But when the Indians returned from war in 1918 they were trated poorly, which sparked acts of violence from the Indians. -
The Rowlatt Acts
The Rowlatt Acts were laws passed in 1919, that allowed the government to put Indian protestors in jail for up two two years without having a trial. -
Amritsar Massacre
Approximately 10,000 Hindus and Muslims went to the city Amristar to fast and pray in an enclosed square because of the Rowlatt Acts. The British commander thought that they were defying the ban for public meetings, and commanded his troops to shoot at the crowd without warning. Around 400 Indians died, and 1,200 were wounded. -
Civil Disobedience
The Congress Party chose to fight the British through civil disobedience, meaning to publicly refuse British law and use nonviolence to become independent.This led to boycotts of British goods, especially that of cloth, which was important to Britain's economy. -
The Salt March
Gandhi organized a peaceful protest against the Salt Acts in which he marched 240 miles to the seacoast to make his own salt, which was illegal. -
Saltworks Demonstration
Demonstrators marched to shut a British saltwork down. They did not defend themselves when police officers attacked them with steel clubs and broke their skulls and shoulders. A journalist who witnessed this published what he saw and Gandhi's independence movement gained worldwide support. -
Government of India Act
In 1935 the British passed the Government of India Act, which allowed local self-government and limited democratic elections but didn't make India an independent country. -
Indians sent to WW2
The British sent Indian soldiers to WW2 without first consulting the matter with India's elected representatives. This humiliated Indians, and made their resistance to Britain stronger. -
British Promise Change
In 1942 the British promises India government changes (not including Indian independence) after the war so they can have their support throughout it. -
Calcutta Riots
The British would hand over power to Muslims or Hindus because of the economic issues involved with governing colonies after WW1. Muslims and Hindus fought for control over the government and led to four days of fighting in Calcutta with more than 5,000 people dead and at least 15,000 hurt. -
Pakistan Partition
In order to maintain peace between Muslims and Hindus, the northwest and eastern parts of India where the Muslims lived became Pakistan, spearated from India, where the Hindus stayed. -
One Independent Month
The British House of Commons gave India and Pakistan independence for a month, so that 500 princes, administration in courts, military, and the rest of the civil service could divide between the two new countries. -
Independent India
On August 15, 1947 India becomes an independent country and also the largest democracy in the world. It's first prime minister is Jawaharlal Nehru. -
Gandhi Shot and Killed
Gandhi went to Delhi to promote the fair treatment of Muslim refugees, and there a Hindu extremist who was angry at how compassionate he was towards Muslims shot and killed him.
