Page 59 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

THE HIST OR Y OF INDIA  57

Sepoys (Indian foot soldiers of the East India Company) rebelling at Fatehpur during the Mutiny of 1857

Parliament in England started to exercise India, and obtained them vast profits.
some control over the Company. Warren After the Industrial Revolution, raw
Hastings, appointed Governor in 1772, materials from India were exported to
was soon given the title of Governor Britain, and machine-made British goods,
General of Bengal (1774–1785), with particularly textiles, flooded the country.
supervisory powers over all the Company’s Artisans were impoverished, and crafts,
territories. Under him and his successors towns and cities declined. Discontent with
(who from 1833 onwards were known the alien rulers was growing. Unlike earlier
as governors general of India), expansion conquerors of India, the British maintained
continued, with major wars being fought their separateness, and their base in
against the Marathas, the Punjab, and another country. In 1857, a combin ation
Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan in Mysore. of factors led to a major revolt, which
Other states too were conquered or began as a soldiers’ mutiny, but soon
brought under British control by various had widespread civilian participation.
policies, such as the Subsidiary Alliance, Thousands of rebels marched towards
under which Indian states had to maintain Delhi in May and proclaimed the titular
British troops and allow a British official to Mughal ruler, Bahadur Shah Zafar, emperor
reside in the state and advise them. of India. By September the British had
Another policy was the Doctrine of Lapse, regained control over Delhi. Bahadur Shah
under which states “lapsed” to was exiled to Rangoon (Yangon),
the Company if a ruler died and his young sons executed.
without a direct male Other rebel areas were also
heir. Thus by 1857, the brutally taken over, ending
Company’s control the first major challenge
extended over much of Toy showing Tipu’s tiger mauling a British soldier to British rule.

1803 British 1857 The Indian Mutiny
capture Delhi 1853 First railway from
from the Queen Victoria’s head on Bombay to Thana 1863 Simla
Marathas a Company coin becomes summer
capital of the Raj
1800 1825 1850
1829 Governor 1856 1858 Crown takes
General Bentinck Annexation over the East India
1799–1839 1818 Rajasthani bans sati, the of Avadh Company, and Lord
Reign of kingdoms accept Hindu practice of Canning becomes
Ranjit Singh widow burning Nawab Wajid Ali
British control Shah of Avadh the first Viceroy

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