Mr.Fillo
World History
March 27, 2017 The Indian and British Imperialistic Political Battle
Throughout the years of 1857 to 1858, the Indians and British fought in the Sepoy mutiny. During this time period, the British wanted to have a direct rule over India because of the surplus of natural resources such as pepper, cotton, and jewels. In order to earn trust from the Indian people, the British allowed them to have weapons. When the Indians began to uprise against the British for control over the territory, the British covered the bullets in cow and pig grease, making the people of India who were mainly Hindus and Muslims unable to use the bullets because it was against their religions. The Sepoy mutiny, a bloody war, left the …show more content…
Originally, the East India Company controlled the government and the economic policies of the country. The citizens controlled the government. After the mutiny, the direct rule changed their traditional Indian lifestyle (Alice Moulton). The Indian people felt manipulated and taken advantage of. Unfortunately, “ the British seemed to leave ... the practice of democracy at home when they arrived in India. The Raj's policy has been described as one of "divide and rule." This partly refers to the way in which much territory was acquired, by playing one Indian ruler against another, and to the way in which the British stressed what they saw as intractable differences between different religious communities, arguing that it was only their presence in India that prevented a bloodbath” (“British raj”).The Indian’s put their government in the hands of the British, hoping that the British democratic principles would unify the Indian government. The Raj negatively affected the political environment of India. Instead of being unified, there was much more …show more content…
“It probably was more important that the state of Oudh, from which many of the native soldiers derived, had recently been annexed by the British. This produced political resentments among the Indian soldiers. Furthermore, in consolidating the British supremacy in India, the company forced a radical and rapid Westernization of traditional society that was a major cause of the troubles” (Geoffrey Cook). The Indians and British had tension, not only because of the Mutiny, but because of violence that occurred following the Sepoy Mutiny. The British were destroying cities and depleting their religions and cultures, ultimately leading to political tension regarding laws made by the British. There was no trust between the two regions, which was imperative to overcome the negative political tension. The British also disrespected the Indians by making harsh political policies that did not abide by the traditional Indian customs, culture, and religion (Cleary Vern). The British policies that were made while they were in direct rule resulted in economic hardship for the Indian government. The tension didn’t end, it only continued. British imperialism in India negatively impacted the region politically, by using their direct political control against