British India

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/british-india

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Where is British India?South Asia, encompassing modern-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh
2. What language do people speak in British India?English, alongside numerous regional languages like Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, and Punjabi
3. What is the population (circa 1941)?Approximately 389 million people
4. What is the administrative capitals?Calcutta (until 1911), then Delhi
5. Why did the British take over India?The British first came as traders, then used their army and alliances to grow their control. In 1858, after a big rebellion, the British Crown took direct rule.
6. How did the British change life in India?They built railways, canals, and telegraphs mainly to move goods and soldiers. They also introduced new laws, like ending the practice of Sati, and set up schools that taught English and European ideas.

British Raj: The period of direct British rule over the Indian subcontinent from 1858 to 1947.
East India Company: A powerful English trading company that gradually gained political and military control over large parts of India.
Indian National Congress: A major political party formed in 1885 that led the Indian independence movement.
Macaulay Minute: A 1835 policy document advocating for English as the medium of instruction in higher education in British India.