3. Pre-Colonial India
Mughal Empire (1526 – 1707)
Established basic structures of centralized government in India
Connected India to global economy
British East India Company
Founded in 1600
Merchants traded to compete with European rivals
Increased commercial, political, and military activity British control
(1858 – 1947)
Export of cotton textiles
Seized control of Bengal
4. Colonization
Regulating Act of 1773
Gave the British Gov. the right to command Company activity
Pitt‘s India Act of 1784
Formation of a Board of Control that reviewed all Company activity
Indian Civil Service (1793)
Train British citizens to replace Indian revenue collectors, police
officers, and judges
British eventually dominated all of the higher ranks in political and
military scenarios
5. Independence Leaders in India
Mohandas Gandhi Jawaharlal Nehru Mohammad Ali Jinnah
“It is a fundamental principle of Satyagraha that the tyrant, whom the Satyagrahi
seeks to resist, has power over his body and material possessions, but he can have no
power over the soul. The soul can remain unconquered and unconquerable even when
the body is imprisoned.”
—Mohandas Gandhi, Young India, May 21, 1931
6. Mohandas Gandhi
Worked under the principle of
Satyagraha, or non-violent
resistance
1919: Rowlatt Satyagraha
April 13th, 1919: Jalianwalla
Bagh Massacre as a result of a
un-authorize, non-violent
gathering
7. Mohandas Gandhi
June 1920: Non-Cooperation Movement
Boycott of foreign (British) good and promotion of khadi
1928: Civil Disobedience Campaign
March 12th, 1930: Salt March
Led to Gandhi‘s arrest on April 6th
8. Post-Colonialism
Reached Independence on February 20th, 1947
After partition + decolonization:
India‘s main trading partner continued to be England
England continues to have the privileges of being the
‗colonizer‘ without running the government
Could not afford to maintain government after broken post-WWII
economy
10. Pre-Colonial Ghana
Non-settler colony
Called ―Gold Coast‖ to its abundance in the resource
1471: Portuguese arrive at the Golden Coast
1482: Build first European settlement, the Castle of Elmina
Traded slaves, gold, knives, beads, mirrors, rum, and guns
1642: Elmina lost to the Dutch; Portuguese abandoned
territory
1867: British Gold Coast formed
11. Colonization
Anglo-Ashanti Wars
Ashanti Empire (Modern-day
Ghana) vs. British Empire
Four wars fought between 1824-
1901
War of the Golden Stool
1900: Remaining Ashanti were
defeated by the British
January 1st, 1902: Ashanti
territories became a part of the Gold
Coast colony under British control
12. Kwame Nkrumah
Independence leader in Ghana
1947: General Secretary of the United
Gold Coast Convention
Imprisoned for leading riots against the
British
1948: Formed Convention People‘s Party
(CPP)
13. Kwame Nkrumah
1949: CPP gathered workers/farmers for riots
1954: New constitution proposing direct elections through universal
suffrage
Opposed by the National Liberation Movement (NLM)
Another proposed constitution approved (April 29th, 1954)
establishing a directly-elected African ministers
May 1956: White paper with proposal for independence
Agreed by British govn‘t
March 6, 1957: the state of Ghana gained its independence
14. Post-Colonialism
No significant positive repercussions
Fight was against colonialism, but did not appear to have a
purpose once independence was achieved
National bourgeoisie rose to power, replacing
previous colonial rule
15. Comparison - Theorists
Historians India Ghana
A.G. Hopkins As nationalist concepts gained support
within the country, global influence was
not a dominating factor in the fight for
independence.
Was not significantly influenced by
outside powers; nationalism was
predominant over globalization in the
struggle for independence.
Spivak Indians, who were deemed the ‗subalterns‘
by the British, gained a voice and were able
to negotiate independence peacefully, as
they wished.
The large population (‗subalterns‘) did
gain a voice through the CPP and
successfully negotiated independence
peacefully.
Benedict
Anderson
Increasing nationalist movements
ultimately led to decolonization and gain
of independence of the nation.
Growing nationalist concepts and
movements led to greater popular support
of decolonization and its success.
Steven
Kemper
Local, immediate response to British
colonizers: Rowlatt Act leads the way to
decolonization.
Local, immediate response to colonizers:
1947 riots against the British led by
Kwame Nkrumah.
Antonio
Gramsci
Subordinated by Britain. Subordinated by Britain.
16. Explanations
India Ghana
Metropolitan Post World War II economy in
Britain allowed for a peaceful
independence agreement – no
longer had to pay to maintain
government but still
benefitted from commerce.
Majority of British Togoland
residents voted for the unification
with an independent Golden
Coast, leading to the agreement of
independence.
Nationalist Increasing nationalist ideals
encouraged by independence
leader Mohandas Gandhi,
beginning 1857 with the Great
Revolt.
Nationalist ideals were spread by
the CPP, gaining increasing local
support and leading to non-violent
riots as well as the ultimate
independence of the nation.
Internationalist Was not significantly affected
by intervention of other
nations – fight for
independence was not
influenced by global events.
Was not significantly affected by
intervention of other nations – fight
for independence was not
influenced by global events.
17. World System Theory
World system (not nation
states) is the basic unit of social
analysis
Dominance of core countries
Individual states can gain or lose
the core status over time (dynamic)
18. World System Theory:
Core Semi-periphery Periphery
Britain China India
Core Semi-periphery Periphery
Britain China Ghana
19. Comparing Consequences
India Ghana
Economy remained stable after its
independence due to continuous
relations with England
Economy crashed: replacement of
colonial rule with bourgeoisie
Independence leaders remained as
representatives of the people
Independence leader was soon replaced
Successful long-term consequences
economic growth and stability
No significant positive outcome or
change post-decolonization
