Burma was initially governed as a province of India, but was later split off to form a separate colony in 1937. Initially governed from India, the Straits Settlements would eventually be ceded by the British East India Company to the British crown in 1867, thus becoming a crown colony ruled directly from London. From India, the British would begin the process of colonising neighbouring Burma through the Anglo-Burmese Wars in 1824, ending with the defeat of the Burmese in 1885. The partition was a major disaster. This guide deals mainly with the Indian Subcontinent — the modern day countries of Bangladesh , India and Pakistan — in that period, and with aspects of the Raj left behind in those countries. In Africa, dictators like Idi Amin stoked racial hatred against people of Indian descent as many of them had come to accumulate some wealth as shopkeepers and businessmen, eventually culminating in the expulsion of the ethnic Indian community from Uganda in 1972. Many of them fled from what's now Pakistan, and they now live mostly in the Indian part of Punjab, but in the 1970s and 1980s clashes between Sikhs and the government under Indira Gandhi (not related to the Mahatma) resulted in her being killed by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984. He had fought alongside the French, and was familiar with French military tactics and discipline. for the academic world: for school, primary, secondary, high school, middle, technical degree, college, university, undergraduate, master's or doctoral degrees; Calcutta was the capital of British India throughout the period of company rule and remained so under the Raj until in 1911 the government moved to New Delhi, a new capital built next to the much older city of Delhi. In 1756, the ruler (nawab) of Bengal, who had for sometime been casting envious eyes on the busy British port of Calcutta, had occupied the town. Eventually, Gandhi and the British agreed and at independence in 1947, the main territory of the Raj was partitioned into mostly-Hindu India and mostly-Muslim Pakistan. However, the British presence in the region started long before the Crown took control in 1858 and their influence extended beyond the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947. Pondicherry was held by the French and Goa by the Portuguese until after Indian independence in 1947, though both are now parts of India. However, the British Raj was hugely important for the formation of an Indian and to a lesser degree Pakistani national consciousness, and also led to the establishment of Indian diaspora communities throughout the former British Empire, often in unlikely places. An Anglo-Indian cuisine developed, largely based on dishes that Indian cooks made for their British employers during the Raj. 1858: Beginning of the Raj. It was not until 1998 that the ethnic Chinese were allowed to apply for Indian citizenship, and many of them continue to be stateless to this day despite having families that have lived in India for several generations. In these years the British East India Company has both greatly expanded the territories it governs directly, and even more so extended its influence through a far-ranging network of alliances with numerous Indian ... For India as a whole, the period between 1820 and 1857 has generally been one of peace. Other areas, notably Rajasthan and various areas in the Himalayas, were a patchwork of small kingdoms independent of both empires. Gandhi was assassinated by Hindu fanatics who blamed him for the partition. In 1857, there was a large mutiny among the sepoys, Indian troops who served under British officers. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Raj. Mauritius, Guyana and some Caribbean nations celebrate Indian Arrival Day, which commemorates the arrival of the first indentured Indian labourers in their respective countries and their subsequent contributions to society. Nevertheless, many Nepalis would serve in the British Army as part of various Gurkha regiments, and were deployed throughout many parts of the empire. East Pakistan split off to become what's now called Bangladesh in 1971; there was a war over that as well. The famous chicken tikka masala is not really Anglo-Indian, but may be of British origin, as it was allegedly created in Glasgow by a chef who originated from the Indian Subcontinent, although that story is questioned by some. The British left behind a legacy of architecture which is still evident in many parts of South Asia, as there is much European architecture across the subcontinent, including neo-Gothic and other European styles of churches, which can be seen in what is today are railway stations, cantonments, courts, colleges and schools, churches, bridges and museums. While at times local rulers had significant power, often princely states were created to "buy off" people that could threaten British rule and some titles were nominal at best. Neither the Indian nor the Pakistani government was happy with the border as the British defined it; some areas, notably Kashmir, are still disputed today and the two countries have fought several wars over these disputes, with China often also joining the mix. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates on new articles, lesson plans and special offers. In principle, the princely states had internal autonomy, while by treaty the British Crown had suzerainty and was responsible for the states' external affairs. Vintage Images of The Raj The British Empire's jewel was India, and images of The Raj, as British India was known, fascinated the public at home.. Other Indian cuisines usually make curries by starting with individual spices and, for example, very quickly wok-frying them in ghee or oil or dry-frying them. https://en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?title=British_Raj&oldid=4046961, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This travel guide page was last edited at 17:48, on 11 August 2020 by Wikivoyage user. It gives a brief definition of each concept and its relationships. However, this process was accelerated by the Second World War in which Indians fought for both the Axis and the Allies and some Axis sympathizers even created an "Indian state" fighting against the British and for independence, the best known being the Japanese-backed Indian National Army (INA) led by Subhas Chandra Bose. These companies amassed immense wealth and eventually came to possess vast swaths of land. The colonies of Penang, Singapore and Malacca would be merged into the Straits Settlements in 1826. In 1761 the south Indian Kingdom of Mysore had come under a very capable ruler, Haider Ali. Simla served as a summer capital with much of the government migrating there each year to escape the heat. British_Raj was founded by Countryballs, This nation was named India before, but Countryballs bought India and renamed it to British_Raj. Even though ultimate control of most affairs was with British authorities, their rule over India would not have been possible without the aid of native participation and often alliances with local rulers. The subcontinent had not been completely united at any point in history prior to British arrival, although several empires came quite close. It's free to use and each article or document can be downloaded. The British besieged Jhansi, which was ruled by the most famous of the Indian leaders, Mahharani Lakshmibai, sometimes called "India's Joan of Arc". Over the next century they more-or-less continually expanded their territory until they directly ruled most of the subcontinent; the rest was controlled by "princely states" ruled by local Maharajahs with varying degrees of British influence. *Map highlights the British empire with current country boundaries. Individually, these provinces were ruled by maharajas or princes, meaning that there was no central power. Other European powers soon followed. Other areas were also administered as part of the Raj at times — Ceylon, Burma (Lower Burma 1858-1937, Upper Burma 1886-1937), Aden (1858-1937), and even briefly Singapore (1858-1867) and Somalia (1884-1898). Many of the rebels’ grievances were quickly addressed. In 1858, British Crown rule was established in India, ending a century of control by the East India Company. Signup to our Newsletter. Often it was the mixture English elements and components of specifically Islamic or Hindu architecture. Here is the definition, explanation, description, or the meaning of each significant on which you need information, and a list of their associated concepts as a glossary. The most successful of these was the British East India Company; at one point, this one company was conducting approximately half of all the world's trade. Although the Himalayan kingdoms of Nepal and Bhutan also came under British suzerainty, through various treaties signed with the British, they were able to remain nominally independent throughout the years of the Raj. See more ». The Sikhs, the third-largest religious group in India, did not initially demand their own state. While in some places the Indians retain a distinct ethnic identity, in others they assimilated and intermarried to the point of being indistinguishable from their peers, though aspects of Indian cuisine and culture still survive in the local culture. The princely states were a method of "indirect rule", that granted some government to local authorities; there were over 500 such states. The decisive force for independence was the (mostly) nonviolent movement of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, better known by the honorific Mahatma Gandhi (maha, great + atman, soul) and his followers. To this day, Gurkhas continue to be employed by governments throughout parts of the former empire, with Gurkha units in the British, Indian and Bruneian armies, as well as in the police force of Singapore. The British Raj was the rule of the British Crown over South Asia and some nearby areas from 1858 to 1947.

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