British in India Grade 7

British Rule in India (1757-1947)

In the 1600s, the East India Company received a royal charter to take control of Great Britain’s merchant trade and activity in the Indian Ocean and Asian regions. In the 1650s, the East India Company operated in the area of the Bay of Bengal, where it established a port city at Calcutta on India’s East Coast.

Over the next century, the East India Company grew as it took over the trade. The Mughal Empires were allowed to continue trading in Bengal through agreements with the British until the 1680s. When Mughal shipping and merchant traders competed with British fleets, they started being attacked.

Multiple Choice

What was the purpose of the royal charter granted to the East India Company in the 1600s?

• To establish a military base in India

• To take control of Great Britain’s merchant trade and activity in the Indian Ocean and Asian regions

• To create a cultural exchange program with India

• To abolish other European trading companies

Multiple Choice

Where did the East India Company establish its port city in the 1650s?

• Mumbai on India’s West Coast

• Delhi in northern India

• Calcutta on India’s East Coast

• Chennai on India’s southeastern coast

Multiple Choice

Why did the Mughal Empire's trading relationship with the British begin to deteriorate in the 1680s?

• The Mughals imposed high taxes on British goods

• Mughal merchants and British fleets began competing, leading to attacks on Mughal shipping

• The British started trading with other European powers

• The Mughals stopped allowing British traders in Bengal

Other European countries established trading ports on both the East Coast and West Coast of India by 1740. Mughal rulers made concessions to allow them to gain control of the port cities. Rivalry between the French and British traders created divisions among the Indian rulers. The British were forced to leave Calcutta in 1756. In response, the British navy recaptured Calcutta and occupied it in 1757, beginning the formal occupation and control of India.

From Calcutta, the British forced their way north to take control over Bengal at the northern tip of the Bay of Bengal. By 1856, the British had gained control of territories from the Panjab region and across the north, and most of the coastal regions of India.

Multiple Choice

By 1740, which European countries had established trading ports on the East and West Coasts of India?

• Only the British

• The French and the British

• Only the Dutch

• The Spanish and the Portuguese

Multiple Choice

What happened to the British in Calcutta in 1756?

• They were given full control by the Mughals

• They were forced to leave the city

• They signed a peace treaty with the French

Multiple Choice

What did the British achieve by 1856 in India?

• They lost all territories in the region

• They gained control over Bengal, northern India, and most coastal areas

• They returned control to the Mughal rulers

In 1857, the British created a permanent colonial administration based from their capital at Calcutta. Thousands of British soldiers and colonial administrators made their careers by service in India. Because the Rajput princes supported the British in 1857, they were allowed to have control over their local areas for nearly a century. This period is known as the British Raj.

From 1880 to 1930, many Indians wanted to have the British out of their country. Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) was an Indian lawyer who led people to think about fairness in society. He raised awareness of the situation of very poor people in India. He and others helped put pressure that eventually pushed the British out of India. In 1947, the independent states of India and Pakistan were formed.

Multiple Choice

What is the period known as when the British ruled India and established a permanent colonial administration?

• The British Empire

• The British Raj

• The Indian National Movement

Multiple Choice

Which event led to the British allowing the Rajput princes to have control over their local areas?

• The Battle of Plassey

• The Indian Rebellion of 1857

Multiple Choice

Who was the Indian leader who raised awareness about the poor and led the movement for India's independence from British rule?

• Subhas Chandra Bose

• Mahatma Gandhi