India in the British Empire

What was India's role in the British Empire?

India played a vital role in the British Empire. To begin with, England's interest in India was purely economic. From the mid-19th century, however, India was ruled directly by the British government, and it became the 'Jewel in the Crown'.

What early contact did England have with India?

Early contact with India was purely economic, as English merchants hoped to increase the trade in commodities such as spices, cotton, and silk.

• ❖ Trade was initially established by the East India Company (EIC), a joint stock company founded in 1600. EIC merchants made contacts with Indian princes and merchants, and set up trading posts on the coast.
• ❖ In 1661, the Portuguese colony of Bombay was given to England as part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza, when she married King Charles II.
• ❖ The EIC was not the only company trying to increase trade with India. The Portuguese, the Dutch, and the French, were also competing for India's valuable resources.
• ❖ Over time, as the European countries went to war with each other, their trading companies in India also came into conflict. A major period of warfare was the Seven Years' War between England and France, from 1756 to 1763.

How did England gain control over India?

Gradually, the East India Company gained economic and political control over parts of India.

• ❖ In 1757, during the Seven Years' War, Robert Clive defeated the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies, at the Battle of Plassey. The EIC then installed its own choice of nawab, showing that it now had political power in the region.
• ❖ In 1765, Robert Clive signed the Treaty of Allahabad, which gave the EIC more political control in Bengal, the richest Indian region.
• ❖ In 1784, the India Act gave the British Parliament the power to appoint a Governor General to manage British interests in India,
• ❖ In 1799, the defeat of Tipu Sultan at Seringapatam extended the EIC's power even further, and ended French influence in India.
• ❖ In 1843, Sir Charles Napier conquered Scind, which extended the EIC's control over India even further.
• ❖ In 1856, the province of Oudh was also annexed to the EIC's 'empire' in India.
• ❖ In 1858, after the Great Rebellion, the British government took full control of India, and incorporated it into the British Empire. India remained part of the empire until it gained independence in 1947.