India Quiz

Muhammad Yunus

Founder of the Grameen Bank institution which gave tiny loans or microcredit to poor people so they could open up small businesses.

Gandhi's goals

Led campaigns for: -democracy -economic independence from Britain -Ending untouchables (caste system) -Hindu, Muslim, Sikh unity -Independence

Independence and partition in South Asia

Among the first new nations to win independence were the former British colonies of South Asia, or the Indian subcontinent. Nationalists in British-ruled India had demanded self-rule since the late 1800s. As independence neared, however, a long-simmering issue surfaced. What would happen to the Muslim minority in the Hindu dominated India?

India- negative Impact

-British policy led to oppression -Excluded from social institutions - Indian industries (destruction of cottage industries)- shipbuilding, metalwork, glass, paper were broken up. -Results in unemployment -Economic halt. -Poverty grew -Excluded from government

India- positive Impact

-Greater number of infrastructure- bridges, more than 40,000 miles of railway, and 70,000 miles of paved roads. -Irrigation works brought 30 million acres acres under cultivation which greatly added to the agricultural wealth the country. -Beginning of industrialization improved- improved sanitation and higher standard of living. -Fine transport system led to more agriculture and no more famine. -get tropical produce. -Roads, Canals, railways, telegraphs -Schools and newspapers for people -Blessings of civilization -Brought (British) peace and order -Modernization (thought, sciences, and, life)- education -Peace-new laws and courts of justice -"Western standards of Humanity"- end infanticide (stopped killing of girl babies and slave trade) -raise in exports (Indian landowners and princes grew rich from exporting cash crops) -Telegraph improved communication which provided a better sense of unity. -Upper class men sent sons to British schools, where they were trained for posts in the civil service and military.

RECAP

-Mughal dynasty in decline -Exploited divisions between rival princes -Goal=Profit -British also improved roads, introduced western law and education, improved women's rights and introduced Christianity

Britain- positive impact

-Supplied with raw materials and provided markets for England's industrial goods. No negative impact

India under British rule

After 1858, Parliament set up a system of colonial rule in India which became known as the British Raj. A British viceroy in India governed in the name of the queen, and British officials held top positions in the civil service and army. Indians filled most other jobs. With their cooperation, the British made made India the "brightest jewel" in the crown of the empire. British policies were designed to fit India into the overall British economy. At the same time, British officials felt they were helping India to modernize. In their terms, modernizing meant adopting not only Western technology but also western culture.

The Sepoy Rebellion

Angry sepoys rose up against their British officers. The Sepoy Rebellion swept across Northern and central India. Several Sepoy regiments marched off to Delhi, the old Mughal capital. There, they hailed the last Mughal ruler as their leader. Other sepoys called on both Hindus and Muslim to support the uprising. In some places, the sepoys brutally massacred British men, women, and children. The British soon rallied and crushed the revolt. They then took terrible revenge for their earlier losses, torching villages and slaughtering thousands of unarmed Indians.

Formation of the Muslim League

At first, Muslims and Hindus worked together for self-rule. Int time, however, Muslims grew to resent Hindu domination of the Congress party. They also worried that a Hindu-run government would oppress Muslims. In 1906, Muslims formed the muslim League to protect the rights and interests of Muslims in India. The Muslim League initially favored British rule, but before long, it called for self-rule, as well as for Muslim-Hindu unity to achieve this goal. Eventually, by 1930, members of the league began talking of a separate Muslim country. -wanted separate Muslim state.

Bangladesh declares independence

Bengalis in the east outnumbered Punjabis in the west, but Punjabis dominated the gov't. The gov't concentrated most economic development I west Pakistan while east Pakistan remained deep in poverty. Many Bengalis resented governmental neglect of East Pakistan. In 1971, Bengalis in east Pakistan declared independence. They named their country Bangladesh, or "Bengali nation". Pakistan's military ruler ordered the army to crush there rebellion. Millions of Bengalis fled into India. India responded by attacking and defeating the the Pakistani army in Bangladesh. Pakistan was then compelled to recognize the new country. east Pakistan became Bangladesh

An Unequal Partnership

Britain saw India both as a market and as a source for raw materials. To this end, the British built roads and an impressive railroad network. Improved transportation let the British sell their factory-made goods across the subcontinent and carry Indian cotton, jute, and coal to costa ports for transport to factories in England. New methods of communication, such as the telegraph, also gave Britain better control of India. After the Suez Canal opened in 1869, British trade with India soared. But it remained and unequal partnership, favoring hate British. The British flooded India with inexpensive, machine-made textiles, ruining India's once-prosperous hand-weaving industry. Britain also transformed Indian agriculture. It encouraged nomadic herders to settle into farming and pushed farmers to to grow cash crops such as cotton, that could be sold on the world market. However, British land policies resulted in peasants losing property, leading to a steady decline in the standard of living for most Indians. Clearing new farmlands led to massive deforestation, or cutting of trees, and other environmental destruction. -Britain saw India as a source of raw materials and a market for goods. -Cash crops- cotton, jute, tea- forced to clear land- deforestation and famine -Britain's cheap mass produced textiles which destroyed Indies hand weaving industry.

Exploitation of Indian Diversity (British take advantage of Indians)

Even when Mughal power was at its height, India was home to many people and cultures. As Mughal power crumbled, India became fragmented. Indians speaking dozens of different languages and with different traditions were not able to unite against the newcomers. The British took advantage of Indian divisions by playing rival princes against each other. When local disputes led to conflict, the British stepped in. Where diplomacy or intrigue did not work, the British used superior weapons to overpower local rulers.

Indian National Congress (INC)

By the late 1800s, Indians, especially from the educated class, were discussing how to change British rule. In 1885, nationalist leaders organized the Indian National Congress, which became known as the Congress Party. At first, members of the Indian National Congress called for reforms in British rule. Over time, they called for greater democracy, which they felt should allow a class of educated Indians like themselves to help rule the country. The Indian National Congress looked forward to eventual self-rule but supported Western style modernization. Some members of the party began to call on Indians to boycott British goods un favor of Indian-made products. They reached out to India's diverse social classes. Overall though, members of the Indian National Congress believed in peaceful protest to gain their objectives.

The British East India Company

By the mid 1800s, the British east India company co trolled three fifths of India. In the 1800s, Britain turned it commercial interests into political ones. A joint stock company that controlled most of India during the period of imperialism. This company controlled the political, social, and economic life in India for more than 200 years. -Est. trading rights in India since 1600s.

Mohandas Gandhi

Congress party members were mostly middle-class, western-educated elite who has little uncommon with the masses of Indian peasants. Then a new leader named Mohandas Gandhi emerged and was able to untie Indians across class lines. Admiring Indians came to call him Mahatma, or "great soul". Gandhi came from a middle-class Hindu family. At the age of 19, he went to England tp study law. Then, like many Indians, Gandhi went to south Africa. For 20 years, Gandhi fought laws that discriminated against Indians in south Africa. In his struggle against injustice, he began tot develop a tactic of nonviolent, or passive, resistance. he called it satyagraha, or "soul force". In 1915, Gandhi returned to India and was hailed as a national hero for his work in Africa. Gandhi joined the Congress Party and began to campaign for the rights of Indian workers. He was not, however, calling for Indian independence until his views changed due to Amritsar Massacre in 1919. Gandhi was elected president of the Congress party in 1921. -The Mahatma- "Great soul" -Educated in Britain -Worked in south Africa fighting discriminatory laws -Leader of the Indian national congress or congress party which included Hindu majority 1921.

India's struggle for Independence Begins

During World War I, more than a million Indians had served overseas. Under pressure from Indian nationalists, the British promised Indians greater self-government in return for their service. However, when the fighting ended, Britain proposed only a few minor reforms. The reforms did little to change the system of bureaucratic rule. The British continued to have little regard for Indian beliefs and customs. Indian frustrations continued to mount, and many began calling for independence from British rule.

The Salt March

Early in 1930, Gandhi wrote to the British viceroy in India. He stated his intention to break the hated slat laws and condemned British rule as "a curse". On March 12, 1930, Gandhi set out with 78 followers on an 240-mile march to the sea. As the tiny band passed through villages, crowds responded to Gandhis message. By the time they reached the sea, the marchers numbered in the thousands. On April 6, Gandhi waded into the the surf and picked up a lump of sea salt by the edge of the water. He was soon arrested and jailed. Still, Indians followed his lead. Coastal villagers started collecting salt and evaporating sweater to make it. Indians sold salt on city streets- and went to jail. As Gandhi's campaign gained force, tens of thousands of Indians were imprisoned. -The salt march embarrassed Britain, which prided itself on its democratic traditions. Slowly, Gandhi's campaign forced Britain to hand over some power to Indians. Britain also agreed to meet other demands of the Congress party. Public opinion shifts and people began go criticize Britain for its harsh treatment.

Jawaharlal Nehru

From 1947 to 1964, Jawaharlal Nehru, leader of red congress party, was Indias prime minister. He worked to build a modern, secular state dedicated to promoting economic growth and social justice. Under Nehru, food output rose but so did Indias population. the government encouraged family planning to reduce the birthrate but with limited success. Although Indias 1947 constitution banned discrimination against people in the lowest castes, discrimination based on castes continued. Nehru's government set aside jobs and places in universities for Dalits and other lower-caste Indians. Still higher caste Hindus generally got better schooling and jobs.

Nonviolent Protest

Gandhi was horrified by the violence at Amritsar, but he also condemned Indian acts of violence in response to the massacre. Instead, he preached a philosophy of nonviolence protest that he had first begun to develop during his years in South Africa. His philosophy was based on the ancient HIndu and jain doctrine of ahimsa, or nonviolence and reverence for all life. By using the power of love, Gandhi believed people could convert even the worse wrongdoer to the right course of action. To fight against injustice, he advocated the use of nonviolent resistance, Hindu tradition also informed Gandhi's belief that all Indians regardless of religion had a common spiritual character and common interests. Gandhi's philosophy reflected Western as well as Indian influences. He admired Christian teachings about love. He believed in the American philosopher Henry David Thoreau's ideas about civil disobedience, the refusal to obey unjust laws. Gandhi also embraced Western ideas of democracy and nationalism. Inspired by both Indian and western ideas, Gandhi rejected the inequalities of the Indian caste system and fought hard to end the harsh treatment of the untouchables, the lowest caste of Indian society. He called these outcasts Harijans or "children ion God". Gandhi also urged equal rights for all Indians, women as well as men.

Why did he choose nonviolent resistance?

Hindus believe in Ahimsa or "nonviolence" and reverence for all life.

The Amritsar Massacre

In 1919, the British passed the Rowlatt Acts, which allowed British officials to arrest and imprison any Indian citizen suspected of sedition, or urging people to disobey the government. These political prisoners could then be tried without jury. Gandhi opposed the act, which also threatened freedom of the press, and helped organize protests. When violence threatened, he called for an end to the protest campaign. On April 13, 1919, a large but peaceful crowd of protesters, most of them Sikhs, jammed into an enclosed field in Amritsar, a city in northern India. The protest took place during Vaisakhi, the most prominent holiday in the Sikh tradition. The British Commander, General Reginald Dyer, had banned public meetings, but many in the crowd were unaware of that order. As Indian leaders spoke, Dyer ordered his troops to open fire on the unarmed crowd, killing nearly 400 people and wounding more than 1,100. The Amritsar Massacre was a turning point for many Indians, including Gandhi. Up to that point, Gandhi had hoped to win partial self-rule for India. After Amritsar, he was convinced that India must seek full independence.

Millitants in Pakistan

In 2008, after 9 years in power, General Pervez Musharraf allowed elations. Before the election, Islamic extremists assassinated one of the candidates , Benazir Bhutto, a popular former prime minister. Pakistans new civilian gov;t faced tough challenges. Still when new elections were held in 2013, it marked the 1st time in Pakistani history that power passed form one elected gov't to another. Meanwhile, support for Islamic fundamentalist groups in Pakistan grew, especially in the northwest. In November 2008, Islamic militants from Pakistan launched terror attacks on hotels and tourists in Mumbai, India, feeling tensions between the hostile neighbors. Islamic traditions were strong in the rugged border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan. When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, one million Afghan refugees fled into Pakistan. There many joined Islamic fundamentalists groups to battle the invaders. After Russia withdrew from the Afghanistan, the Taliban, an extreme Islamic group, seized power with the support of Pakistan. The Taliban backed al-Qaeda which launched terrorist attacks on the United states in 2001. When us forces invaded Afghanistan and overthrew the Taliban, it supporters fled to Pakistan. By then, Pakistan had withdrawn its support of the Taliban.Still Taliban fighters and other islamic extremists set up strongholds in northwestern Pakistan. The Pakistani gov't waged on and off again war against the militant and reluctantly accepted US aid. Many Pakistanis, however, sere outraged by American drone attacks on suspected terrorists within its borders which sometimes caused civilian casualties.

Increasing Discontent (Sepoys)

In the 1850s, the BEIC took several unpopular steps that deepened anger with the British. The company had relied on Indian soldiers, called sepoys, that it had recruited for service. Sepoys had helped the company expand its control of India. As its empire grew, the British required Sepoys to serve anywhere, either in India or overseas. For some orthodox Hindus though, overseas travel was and offense against their religion. The EIC, prompted by Indian reformers, also passed a law that allowed widows to remarry. The final insult came in 1857 when the British issued new rifles to the sepoys. Troops had to bite off the tips of cartridges before loading them into the rifles. The cartridges, however, were greased with animal fat- either from cows which Hindus considered sacred, or from pigs, which were forbidden to Muslims. When troops refused the order to "load rifles", they were dismissed without pay or imprisoned.

Nuclear arms race

In the 1970s, first India and then Pakistan developed nuclear weapon programs. By 1998, both nations had successfully tested nuclear weapons. The emergence of these two nuclear powers alarmed neighbors in South Asia and the world, in part bc of the ongoing hostility between India and Pakistan. Another concern was the danger that extremists in either country might get access to the nuclear technology or even nuclear weapons.

Indian attitudes

In the early 1800s, Ram Mohun Roy combined both views. A great scholar, he knew Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic classics, as well as English, Greek, and Latin works. Roy felt that India could learn from the West. At the same time, he wanted to revitalize and reform traditional Indian culture. Roy condemned some traditions, such as rigid caste distinctions, child marriage, sati, and purdah, the isolation of women in separate quarters. But he also set up educational societies that helped revive pride in Indian culture. Because of hsuan influence on later leaders, he is often hailed today as the founder of Indian nationalism.

South Asia in the Cold War

India and Pakistan were among the first of more than 90 new nations to emerge after WWII. By the 1930s, nationalist movements had taken root in European colonies across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. After India and Pakistan gained independence, nationalist leaders in other regions demanded the same for their countries. India, Pakistan and other new nations condemned colonialism. they also rejected Cold War expansion and the divisions between the west and the Soviet Union. In response, they sought nonalignment or political and diplomatic independence from the Cold War superpowers. In 1955, India and Pakistan helped organize a conference of Newley independent nations in Bandung, Indonesia, which marked the birth of the nonalignment movement. The nonaligned movement had its first formal meeting in 1961 in Yugoslavia. India was a leader of the nonaligned movement, which came to include more than 100 nations, mainly in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Because they rejected both western allies or the first world, and the soviet alliance, or the second world, the nonaligned movement was seen as the voice of the third world of countries.

The formation of India and Pakistan

Like Mohandas Gandhi, most of the leaders and the members of the congress party were Hindus. However, the party wanted a unified India that would include both Muslims and Hindus. The Muslim League, led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, had a different view of liberation. although they had cooperated with the Co guess forty int he drive for independence, they feared discrimination against the Muslim minority in a unified china. Therefore, the Muslim League dominated the creation of a separate nation, called Pakistan, that would include the parts of British India where Muslims formed a majority. After world war II, the British government decided that it could no longer afford to resist Indian demands for independence. As independence approached, violence between Hindus and Muslims worsened, pushing Britain to accept the idea of partition, or dividing the subcontinent into 2 nations. In 1947, British officials hastily drew borders to create Hindu India, and Pakistan made up of two widely separated areas that had large Muslim populations. In august 1947, the 2 nations celebrated their independence. -India is partitioned by British -Hindu occupied India while Muslims occupied Pakistan (east and west) which was made up of 2 widely separated areas with large Muslim populations (where muslims formed a majority)

Indira Gandhi

Nehru's daughter who served as prime minister most of the years between 1966-84; led India with a firm hand and challenged traditional discrimination against women and she had global influence.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Other leaders also worked for Indian independence. Muhammad Ali Jinnah was one do the most influential leaders of India's large Muslim population. He was a leader of the Muslim League, which was founded in 1906 to protect Muslim interests. Jinnah and others feared the congress party was only looking out for HIndu interests. The Indian Congress Party, while being primarily made up of Hindus, also had muslim members. In the early decades of the century, the Congress party and the Muslim League cooperated in working to achieve an independent India. As time passed, however, the 2 organizations began to diverge. -leader of the Muslim league

Restoring National Pride

Over the next 2 decades, Gandhi intended a serious of nonviolent actions against British rule. He called for Indians to boycott, or refuse to buy British goods, especially cotton textiles. The move was designed to boost local Indian industries and help restore Indian pride. For centuries, had produced fine textiles which had declined under British rule. Gandhi wanted to rebuild such traditional industries. He made the spinning wheel the symbol of the national movement. In a symbolic move, he abandoned western style clothing for the dhota, the simple white garments worn by village Indians. Through his own example, Gandhi inspired Indians "to get rid of our helplessness." When protests led to violent riots, Gandhi would fast, pray and call on patriotic Indians to practice self control. His campaigns of civil disobedience attracted wide support, and his nonviolent protests caught the attention of the British government and the world. -organized boycott of British goods (clothing) -homespun or self sufficiency movement

Pakistan's Unstable government

Power shifted back and forth between elected civilian leaders and military rulers. Tensions among the country diverse ethnic groups posed problems. The fiercely independent people in the northwestern "trial areas" were left largely on their own and resisted gov't control. The activities of Islamic fundamentalists created tension. The fundamentalists wanted a gov't that followed strict islamic principles, while other Pakistanis wanted greater separation between religion and state.

The battle of Kashmir

Since independence, India and Pakistan have fought a series fo wars over Kashmir, a state in the Himalayas. in 1947, Kashmir's Muslim majority wanted to be part of Pakistan. for decades, Kashmiri separatists often supported by Pakistani militants have fought Indian troops. Indian and Pakistani forces have also battled along Kashmir's mountainous border. Today, Kashmir remains a flashpoint in the tense relations between India and Pakistan.

Sikh religious conflict

Some Sikhs wanted greater autonomy for Punjab, a prosperous, largely Sikh state in northern India. Sikh dissidents engaged in protests, most of them nonviolent, against gov't policies. These protests were organized from the Golden Temple, the most prominent Sikh house of worship. Indira Gandhi planned an attack to remove Sikh dissidents hiding in the Golden Temple. As news of this planned attack leaked, Sikh activists fortified the Golden Temple with arms and weapons. Indian troops attacked the temple in 1984. Over 1000 Sikhs were killed and many religious artifacts were destroyed. Soon after, Gandhi was assassinated by 2 of her Sikh bodyguards. In the state-sponsored anti-sigh riots that followed, thousands more Sikhs were killed.

Westerner attitudes

The British disagreed among themselves about India. A few admired Indian theology and philosophy. As Western scholars translated Indian classics, they acquired respect for India's ancient heritage. Western writers and philosophers borrowed ideas from Hinduism and Buddhism. On the other hand, few British people knew about Indian achievements and dismissed Indian culture with contempt. This view on Indian civilization was commonly accepted in Britain and elsewhere in Europe.

The Strain of Population Growth

The British introduced medical improvements as new farming methods increased food production. The result was rapid population growth. The rising numbers put a strain on food supply, especially as farmland was turned over to growing cash crops instead of food. In the late 1800s, terrible famines swept India.

Implementation of British Policies

The EIC'S main goal in India was TO MAKE MONEY, and leading officials then grew rich. At the same time, the company did work to improve roads, preserve peace, and reduce banditry. By the early 1800s, British officials introduced western education and legal procedures. Missionaries converted Indians to Christianity, which they felt was superior to Indian religions. The British also pressed for social change. They worked to end forms of indentured servitude in India and to improve the position of women within the family. One law banned Sati, a custom practiced mainly by the upper classes. It called for a widow to join her husband in death by throwing herself on his funeral pyre. However, the British used caste differences to their advantage. Caste was used to determine how the native population could best serve British rule. The census the British implemented made caste distinctions more rigid and permanent.

Impact of the Rebellion

The Sepoy Rebellion left a bitter legacy of fear, hatred, and mistrust on both sides. It also brought major changes in British Policy. IN 1858, PARLIAMENT ENDED THE RULE OF THE EIC AND PUT INDIA DIRECTLY UNDER THE BRITISH CROWN. It sent more troops to under, taxing Indians to pay the cost of these occupying forces. The rebellion slowed the "reforms" that had angered Hindus and Muslims. In India, discontent continued to feed a growing nationalist movement. Indian nationalists later called the 1857 uprising India's First War of Independence.

Gandhi takes a stand

To mobilize mass support, Gandhi decided to take stand against the British salt monopoly, which he saw as a symbol of British oppression. Natural salt was available along the shore, and people had traditionally gotten their salt supplies by billing seawater. But under colonial rule, the British claimed the sole right to to produce and sell salt. By taxing those sales, they collected money to maintain their government in India.

The Growth of Indian Nationalism

Under British rule, a class of western-educated Indians emerged. The British expected this elite class to support British rule. As it turned out, exposure to European ideas had another effect. By the late 1800s, Western-educated Indians were spearheading a nationalist movement. Schooled in Western ideals such as democracy and equality, they were determined to end foreign rule.

Pakistan and Bangladesh separate

When Pakistan gained independence in 1947, It was a divided country. West Pakistan and East Pakistan were located on either side of India, separated by a thousand miles. India made trade and travel difficult between the 2 Pakistans.

Partition leads to violence

drawing fair borders for the 2 new nations was impossible bc Hindus and Muslims lived side by side in many areas. As soon as the new borders became known, a mass migration began. On the Pakistani side of the borders, millions of hindus and Sikhs, members of a south Asian religious minority, packed their belongings and fled to the new India. At the same rate, millions of muslims fled from India into newly created Pakistan. An estimated 10 millions people fled their homes, most of them on foot. Muslims fleeing along the crowded roads into Pakistan were slaughtered by Hindus and Sikhs. Muslims massacred Hindu and Sikh neighbors. Around 1 million people died from the massacre while others died of starvation and exposure to the road. Horrified at the partition and the violence, Gandhi turned one more to satyagraha, or nonviolent resistance to evil. On January 30, 1948 he was shot and killed by a hindu extremist. Gandhis death discredited extremists and helped end the worst violence. Still hindu-muslim tensions remained.