Key Idea: How Britain went from trading in India to ruling it, why India revolted in 1857, how nationalism grew under the Crown, and how Afghanistan and Burma took very different paths.
From company to Crown
- Trade — The East India Company began as merchants trading in Asia.
- War — Plassey (1757), the Mysore wars (Tipu died 1799) and the Maratha wars (ended 1818).
- Company rule — Permanent Settlement (1793), Doctrine of Lapse; Bentinck banned sati; Dalhousie annexed Awadh.
- 1857 — Greased cartridges sparked a revolt fed by many grievances; Company rule ended.
Crown rule to 1919
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1858 | Government of India Act: rule by a Viceroy |
| 1885, 1906 | Indian National Congress, then the All India Muslim League |
| 1905, 1911 | Bengal partitioned, then reunited after protest |
| 1909 | Morley–Minto reforms bring separate electorates |
| 1914 to 1918 | India's war effort raises hopes that go unmet |
Afghanistan and Burma
- Three Anglo-Afghan Wars (1839 to 1919) ended in full Afghan independence.
- Three Anglo-Burmese Wars (1824 to 1885) ended with King Thibaw's fall and annexation.
Trade, then wars, then rule, then revolt; and British rule itself helped create Indian nationalism.
How did Clive win at Plassey? With Mir Jafar's betrayal of Siraj-ud-Daulah.
Why did Morley–Minto matter for the future? Separate electorates deepened the Hindu–Muslim divide.
Which neighbour kept its independence and which lost it? Afghanistan kept it; Burma lost it.
What did the Great Revolt end? East India Company rule.