British Raj · 1858-1911

The British Raj and the rise of Indian nationalism

After 1858 India is ruled by a British viceroy, with railways, famines and a small number of British officials governing hundreds of millions of people. Students follow the birth of the Indian National Congress and the protests against the partition of Bengal.

Teach it live New Open on the map
Length
50 minutes
Ages
13–16
On the map
3 steps, AD 1880 to AD 1905
Live lesson
7 rounds, 3 on the map
Worksheet
Two A4 pages, with Classroom
You need
A projector; phones for live

Live lesson · new in Classroom

Teach it live. The class answers on their phones.

Put the board on the projector. Students join with a six-digit code, no account needed, and tap the map: where was the frontier, where did the grain come from. Their pins drop in together when you reveal, and the closest student takes the round.

€19 per month: every lesson live, every worksheet, cancel anytime. Rome at its height runs live for free.

A live lesson on the projector: the class's pins on the map around Alexandria, the closest students listed beside it A student's phone: the question and a map to tap
7 rounds
3 places to find on the map, quiz questions, a class vote and a one-line answer.
About 15 minutes
Run it as the map step, or to open the discussion. You move on with the space bar.
A report
Every answer, per student and per round, to read back or print after the lesson.
1

Introduction

5 min

Read aloud

After 1858 India is ruled by a British viceroy, with railways, famines and a small number of British officials governing hundreds of millions of people. Students follow the birth of the Indian National Congress and the protests against the partition of Bengal.

By the end of the lesson, students can

  • Describe how Britain ruled India after 1858, including the princely states.
  • Explain why the Indian National Congress was founded in 1885 and what it wanted.
  • Explain the protests against the partition of Bengal (1905-1911).
2

Explore the map

15 min

Project the map, or let students follow on their own devices. Each step opens the map at the right year and place.

a

AD 1880

The Raj

Open the map in 1880 and zoom out over British India. Find Calcutta, Bombay, Madras and Delhi. Which neighbouring states lie outside British rule?

Open this view on the map
b

AD 1880

Through the canal

Turn on Trade Routes and follow the Suez Route from London to Bombay. How might a shorter sea route change Britain's hold on India?

Open this view on the map
c

AD 1905

Bengal

Open the map in 1905 and zoom in on Bengal. Find Calcutta and Dhaka. That year the British split this province in two. Why might people call that "divide and rule"?

Open this view on the map
3

Class discussion

15 min

Pick two or three. They run from what happened to why it mattered.

  1. A small number of British officials ruled hundreds of millions of Indians. How was that possible?
  2. Millions died in famines in the 1870s and 1890s while grain was still exported. Who should be held responsible?
  3. The All-India Muslim League was founded in 1906. Why might some Muslims want their own organisation?
  4. Boycotting British cloth was a peaceful protest. Why can buying or refusing goods be powerful?
  5. Railways carried troops and grain, but also brought Indians together. How could one invention help both rulers and their critics?
4

Game round

10 min

Play Akbar in Rule History. Akbar ruled a vast and varied India by winning over Hindu princes and tolerating many faiths. Discuss: compare his methods with British rule after 1858. Which kept people loyal, and why?

Open Rule History
5

Worksheet

5 min

This worksheet comes with Classroom

€19 per month unlocks every worksheet, every live lesson and the class workspace. The free lesson prints without a subscription.