2. In today’s class I am learning to:
• Describe the impact of Scottish
emigrants in India
Emigrant Scots in India
3. Scots did not travel to India in the same large
numbers as they did elsewhere in Britain’s Empire,
but they still had a notable impact.
Emigrant Scots in India
4. Scots were attracted to
India mainly due to
business opportunities,
trading products to be
sold around the world.
However others who went
did so to be a part of
India’s government, or
were members of Britain’s
military.
Emigrant Scots in India
6. The Scots had a significant
economic impact in India.
Some moved there for
work, but more became
traders, buying and selling
Indian produce.
One British trading
company became so large
it eventually took over
India’s government.
Emigrant Scots in India
7. Some professional Scots
were attracted to move to
India, to provide their
services to British
governors and
businessmen.
This includes Scottish
doctors, lawyers, teachers
and clergy, and also civil
servants too.
Emigrant Scots in India
8. The Scots built links with
India over a number of
years through trade.
Many Scots travelled to
India to buy products such
as jute and tea which
went back to Europe to be
sold. These companies
gradually increased their
size and influence.
Emigrant Scots in India
9. Eventually this led to the
creation of a business that
became hugely powerful
in India – the East India
Company.
This company started to
support trade between
India and Britain, but it
soon grew so powerful
that it ruled India.
Emigrant Scots in India
10. The East India Company
was dominated by Scots.
Henry Dundas led the
company in the late-1700s
and other Scottish
involvement included
Scots making up one in
nine civil servants and one
in eleven soldiers in the
company’s private army.
Emigrant Scots in India
11. The East India Company
eventually lost control of
India after the Indian
Mutiny in 1857.
This saw the British
government replace them
to take over the running of
India. This period of
control was known as the
British Raj.
Emigrant Scots in India
12. Scottish trade with India
included tea (which
created jobs in India to
grow the produce).
Thomas Lipton, a Glasgow
businessman, set up a tea
company, selling his
product throughout
Europe and also the USA
from 1890 onwards.
Emigrant Scots in India
13. Scottish banks played a
major role in developing
the Indian economy.
Financial companies based
in Scotland loaned huge
amounts of money to
allow investment in India,
including in railway
development, and also
farming.
Emigrant Scots in India
14. Scottish trade with India
created huge profits for
companies in Scotland.
Almost all train engines in
India were made in
Glasgow. Jute mills in
Dundee (such as Cox’s and
Baxter’s) were the biggest
in the world, using jute
grown in India.
Emigrant Scots in India
16. Smaller numbers of Scots
went to India compared
with places such as
Canada or Australia.
As such Scotland’s cultural
impact is less than
elsewhere, but still of
significance, including
politics, religion and
education.
Emigrant Scots in India
17. Undeniably a major
Scottish (and British)
influence in India
concerned politics.
Scots had helped run the
East India Company, and
after this was replaced by
the British government,
Scots continued to hold
many senior roles.
Emigrant Scots in India
18. The first three Governor-
Generals (also known as
Viceroy) of India were all
Scottish. This was the
head of Britain’s
government in India.
A prominent Scottish
example of Indian
Governor-General is Lord
Dalhousie.
Emigrant Scots in India
19. Many Scots were part of
the Indian Civil Service,
overseeing the running of
transport and legal
systems.
Wealthy Scottish families
often sent their well-
educated sons to work in
India, hoping they would
soon gain promotion.
Emigrant Scots in India
20. Under British governance
there were many changes
made to India’s
infrastructure.
This meant the building of
railway lines and also
telegraph poles. This
allowed more travel
within India, and also
encouraged more trade.
Emigrant Scots in India
21. There were other Scottish
influences too.
Many Scots served as
judges in the Indian justice
system. Also Alexander
Kidd designed Calcutta’s
Botanical Gardens, whilst
some Scottish engineers
designed and built
infrastructure in India.
Emigrant Scots in India
22. Scottish missionaries set
up churches across India.
This was to try and
convert local people, but
also to allow Scottish
emigrants to continue to
practice their faith.
Examples of this include
Presbyterian churches in
Sohra and Serampore.
Emigrant Scots in India
23. In 1850 there were 400
British missionaries
(including Scots) in India,
representing 25 churches.
Many of them tried to
target members of India’s
elite to become Christian
in the hope that poorer
Indians would then follow
their example.
Emigrant Scots in India
24. Other Scots – often linked
to churches – helped set
up education
establishments in India.
Schools – such as the
Bombay Scottish School -
were set up to teach the
children of emigrants,
although later accepted
Indians too.
Emigrant Scots in India
25. David Hare – a Scottish
clockmaker – moved to
India and founded the
Hare School, and a society
for women’s education.
Many Scottish
missionaries took steps to
educate India’s women,
including Hannah
Catherine Mullens.
Emigrant Scots in India
26. Other Scots developed
higher education
institutions such as
universities.
The University of Calcutta
was set up after
agreement from the
Governor-General of India,
a Scot named Lord
Dalhousie.
Emigrant Scots in India
27. Some Scots set up groups
to keep links with home,
but this was not on the
same scale as in places
such as Canada.
This included Burns Clubs,
which met to read poetry
and celebrate Burns Night.
Others played Scottish
sports like shinty.
Emigrant Scots in India
28. Scots named some places
in India after Scottish
locations, but on a much
smaller scale than in other
emigrant destinations.
Port Blair and Dalhousie
in India are examples of
locations which took their
name from Scottish
emigrants.
Emigrant Scots in India
30. Scots made up a tiny
proportion of all people
living in India, but also
held a lot of power.
Although there are
examples of positive links,
there was also instances of
very poor relations,
including numerous
examples of violence.
Emigrant Scots in India
31. British settlers – including
Scots – traded with
Indians, and helped make
some tribal leaders rich as
a result of this.
This obviously led to Scots’
presence in India being
supported by those
leaders, and brought some
benefits to other Indians.
Emigrant Scots in India
32. Some other Scots
integrated into Indian
society.
There were instances of
marriages between
Indians and the Scots. At
the start of the 1800s,
around one third of British
men in India were married
to an Indian woman.
Emigrant Scots in India
33. Many Scots’ role in India
was as part of the military.
Scots went to India as part
of British Army regiments
– including the Sutherland
Highlanders – and their
job was to provide
protection for British
traders, and also control
the local population.
Emigrant Scots in India
34. A great many Indians
resented Scottish and
British presence in their
country.
British actions in setting
up a government in India,
taking control of the
country, led to anger from
Indian nationalists who
wanted independence.
Emigrant Scots in India
35. The most prominent
example of resistance to
British rule was the Indian
Mutiny of 1857.
Indian soldiers who
worked for the British East
India Company in the
town of Meerut started a
major rebellion, which
spread across India.
Emigrant Scots in India
36. At least 100,000 people
died as a result of the
fighting. Scottish army
regiments played a major
role in ending the revolt,
led by men such as
General Colin Campbell.
It is also worth noting that
some Indians fought for
Britain during the mutiny.
Emigrant Scots in India
37. Some British decisions in
India received a mixed
response from Indians.
The British outlawed some
practices, including
slavery and thuggee. This
was an action which
involved armed gangs
attacking people and
committing ritual murder.
Emigrant Scots in India
38. Britain also banned
suttee, where a wife was
burned alive after the
death of her husband.
Some Indians did not want
these practices to end so
were angered by Britain,
however other Indians
welcomed changes which
improved their lives.
Emigrant Scots in India
39. Some British actions in
India improved the status
of Indian women.
This not only included the
outlawing of suttee, but
also letting women get an
education, and also
banning the practice of
child marriage (girls then
had to be 14 or older).
Emigrant Scots in India
40. Other British actions were
not especially beneficial to
Indian women.
The British Army set up
chaklas, which were
brothels to be only used
by British soldiers. Many
women worked in these
places because they came
from poor backgrounds.
Emigrant Scots in India
41. Many Scots – such as
Alexander Duff - who went
to India did so as
missionaries to spread the
Christian message.
They established churches
across the country, and
converted many Indians,
suggesting elements of a
positive relationship.
Emigrant Scots in India
42. Many missionaries also
helped develop education
in India, again improving
relations with Indians.
However other Indians
who were from different
faiths – including Muslims
and Hindus – were
offended at attempts to
change their beliefs.
Emigrant Scots in India
