1.8.4

1.8.4 Chapter 8 - Section 4 pgs. 193-198 Brad Saunders and Matt Dauphin

Objective: Students will understand how Britain's control of India affected the country during that time and how India gained independence.

Read and annotate:

1) What were the motives behind the formation of the British East India Company? 2) What reforms were introduced during B.E.I.C. rule and why were they implemented? 3) When and how did the B.E.I.C. lose power in India?



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Brad's Link on Sepoy Rebellion In this encyclopedia entry, the author covers 3 parts of the Sepoy Rebellion: the causes, the rebellion, and the aftermath. This article is part of Encyclopedia Britannica, an extremely reliable source. The purpose of covering the before and after of the rebellion is to show what the causes and effects were. The common belief is that it was just the animal grease on the cartridges, but the article adds new possible causes, such as the Brahman's agenda. The account of the rebellion is detailed, and takes the reader through each event and gives the motives behind every action. The article is both descriptive and analytical, hypothesizing motives behind the actions taken during the rebellion. At the bottom of the webpage there are related topics and suggested reading for those looking for more information. This article provides useful background information for anyone looking for elaboration of the common knowledge of the Sepoy Rebellion.

Matt's link on British Rule This article comes from the British National Archives, which is a very reliable source because it is published by the British government. However, because the article was written from the British perspective there may be some bias towards the British actions in India. Had the article been written from an Indian perspective, there probably would have been more harsh criticism of British actions. Nonetheless, this source does a fairly good job of presenting the argument from both sides. The pros and cons of British rule are outlined clearly without much bias. The article acknowledges many of the negative actions taken by the British in India, such as exploitation of resources and manpower for economic and military gain. The article also notes that there were positive effects of British rule, such as increased education, infrastructure, and healthcare. Despite the article's British perspective, this source presents a fairly unbiased analysis of British rule in India.

media type="youtube" key="T_sGTspaF4Y" width="560" height="315" 3:45 - 6:45  This is a video by the Youtube channel Crash Course, and is narrated by author John Green. Crash Course is not a scholarly source, but the information in the video is corroborated by the textbook, which makes this video reliable. The portion of the video selected covers the goals and timeline of Indian nationalism in more detail; however it is easier to understand because of the visuals that accompany the words. The most valuable piece of the this video is the focus on Gandhi. The book doesn't speak a lot about him, so this video provides some much needed detail. It covers his goals, the major events in his life, and his death. It ultimately spans his entire influential career. The source is more specific on Gandhi's life than the textbook but is a long way from scholarly. The intended audience is for high school students who either need a refresher or want to supplement the curriculum with online videos.

Reflection Questions: 1) Why did the British want to control India and how did they gain control? 2) Did British and B.E.I.C. rule hurt or help India's development? Defend your answer with examples and inferences from the text. 3) What goals did Indian nationalists have and how did the opposition to British rule become divided?