British Raj (English) Timeline: Triple Entente vs. Central Powers (Map Game) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1858 - Present | |||||
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| Capital | Calcutta | ||||
| Largest city | Bombay | ||||
| Official languages | English, Hindustani | ||||
| Ethnic groups | Dravidian, Pakistani, Kashmiri, Burman, Tibetan, Aryan, European | ||||
| Demonym | Indian | ||||
| Government | Imperial political structure | ||||
| - | Emperor | Edward VII of England | |||
| Currency | British Indian Rupee | ||||
British Raj: is the British Rule of the subcontinent of India beginning in the year 1858 after the Rebellion of 1857. The area also includes Burma and Pakistan. British Raj is an economic and military power in Asia. Its economy holds sway over a vast amount of land. The military is self-supported; no funds from Britain fuel the Indian Military. The Indian Army is the largest volunteer army in the world. India enjoys a very well-educated population, especially its youth. British Raj is a large-scale supplier of oil and metal to the British Empire as well as the entire world. A stalwart ally of Britain, British Raj hopes to grow more independent, petitioning for self-rule from the British. However, those wishing total independence for India and its people do exist and they are growing in number with each passing year.
History[]
For history before the PoD in 1901, please refer to the Wikipedia page for British Raj.
1901[]
- The Pro-Independent movement continues to gain momentum as pro-independent leader Gopal Krishna Gokhale holds his seat on the Bombay Legislative Council. Many pro-independence citizens of British Raj protest by proclaiming a vow of poverty, working alongside untouchables as they try to end the mistreatment of those in the lower castes of British India. Men such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak become heroes to the general populace of British Raj. By this time, Raj's government is composed entirely of Indian men. However, the Islamic population of India feels that they are under-represented and treated as second-class citizens. Tensions between Hindus and Muslims rise in India. The economy expands.
- The Pro-Independent movement continues to gain momentum as pro-independent leader Gopal Krishna Gokhale holds his seat on the Bombay Legislative Council. Many pro-independence citizens of British Raj protest by proclaiming a vow of poverty, working alongside untouchables as they try to end the mistreatment of those in the lower castes of British India. Men such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak become heroes to the general populace of British Raj. By this time, Raj's government is composed entirely of Indian men. However, the Islamic population of India feels that they are under-represented and treated as second-class citizens. Tensions between Hindus and Muslims rise in India. The economy expands in British Raj as trade from all over the Indian sea flows into British Raj. With the end of the Boxer Rebellion, India looks forward to increased trade potential from China.
1902[]
- The Indian National Congress continues to push for home rule in India. While extremists such as Bal Gangadgar Tilak pushed for total independence, the hot issue in India is home rule. The Hindus in India wish for home rule while Muslims believe that the situation is currently acceptable in India and no change is necessary. Tensions between Hindus and Muslims rise as ideological differences divide the two people. In August of this year, the INC votes for its say in Indian home rule. The result is an almost overwhelming 'yes'. In the meantime, the Indian Army is expanded and updated with new weapons. The United Provinces of Agra and Oudh are created.
1903[]
- The Indian National Conference, led by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, continues to petition for home rule as the new King Edward VII of Britain is crowned last year. The Delhi Durbar is held in Delhi to celebrate his coronation. Division between Hindus and Muslims in India continues to grow deeper. The Hindus are more interested in home rule and distancing themselves from the British Empire. The Muslims, however, believe that India should completely separate from the British Empire and be a sovereign nation. Debates regarding this issue continue with no hint of stopping within the next six months. Roads in India are built as towns and cities are connected. The ports in Bombay are renovated. Christian churches in areas with high British populations are built, though they do not expand to the surrounding areas. The waters around Sri Lanka are patrolled for pirates. The military, funded by British Raj itself rather than Great Britain itself, is expanded this year. The INC pushes for more naval development. The high iron concentration in India allows for the construction of guns and the laying down of two coastal defence ships. A frigate is considered, though no official plans are enacted. Machine guns are added to the Indian Army. By this time, the Royal Indian Navy consists of 50 ships and the Indian Army consists of 220,000 men. Herbert Kitchener, British Commander-in-Chief of India, continues to reform the Indian army, directing that the Indian Army be one unified army. In the Pakistani regions of British Raj, the University of Punjab undergoes renovations. It threatens to disassociate Hindu College unless it acquires proper university buildings. Hindu College, which had been founded in 1899, is associated with the University of Punjab since there is no university of Delhi at this time. To avoid the disassociation of Hindu College, Rai Bahadur Lala Sultan Singh donates historic property at the Kashmiri gate to the college, allowing it to remain open.
Government[]
British Raj is governed as a province of the British Crown. It recognizes the British monarch as the Emperor of India, though a viceroy is in charge of matters in India. British Raj is composed of two types of states: British India and the Princely States. The former refers to territory directly controlled by the British Crown while the latter refers to nominally sovereign states not directly owned by the British Crown. These Princely States are able to enjoy much more administrative freedom than those under British Indian control. Over 175 Princely States existed at the beginning of the 20th Century. Each princely state swore Suzerainty (i.e. being a tributary of sorts) to the Viceroy of British Raj and the British Crown. There are eight major provinces of British Raj administered by a governor. They are as follows:
| Province of British India | Total Area in sq km | Population in 1901 (in millions) | Chief Administrative Officer |
|---|---|---|---|
Assam |
130,000 |
6 |
Chief Commissioner |
Bengal |
390,000 |
75 |
Lieutenant Governor |
Bombay |
320,000 |
19 |
Governor-in-Council |
Burma |
440,000 |
9 |
Lieutenant Governor |
Central Provinces |
270,000 |
13 |
Chief Commissioner |
Madras |
370,000 |
38 |
Governor-in-Council |
Punjab |
250,000 |
20 |
Lieutenant Governor |
United Provinces |
280,000 |
48 |
Lieutenant Governor |
In 1885, the Indian National Congress was founded. This Congress allows India to govern itself where it could. Recently, due to cries for independence, the Indian National Congress is currently split on the issue of home rule from Britain or complete and total independence from Great Britain. As opposed to other subjects of the British Crown, British Raj enjoys quite a bit of autonomy; most members of the government of British Raj, aside from the Viceroy himself, are Indian men rather than British men. Their ability to perform municipal, economic, and military expansion goes uninterrupted and unchallenged by Great Britain, allowing for prosperity in India.
Economy[]
As the saying goes, India is the jewel of the British Crown. The Indian Subcontinent is home to a vast array of natural resources that are becoming more and more relevant in an industrial and post-industrial society. India is the third-largest exporter of iron in the world. It not only supplies the global market with stores of iron, but it is a massive source for iron to be used in the British military, navy or otherwise. India makes heavy use of this iron as well in its extensive volunteer army. India is also a large scale producer of coal. It is the 4th largest producer of coal in the world. British Raj also produces oil and natural gas. The fishing and forestry industry in India is alive and can trace its lineage back for hundreds of years.
Due to these large amounts of resources, India's economy is flourishing, providing wealth for British Raj and quite a bit of coin for Great Britain as well.
Military[]
British Raj is the proud owner of the largest volunteer army in the world. At over 200,000 bodies, the Indian Army is funded entirely by the economic actions of India itself rather than funds from Great Britain. Due to this and the fact that all members of the Indian Army are volunteers, morale is quite a bit higher than that of many other armies. British Raj owns several machine guns, though none of these machine guns has seen action. Should Britain call India to war, it will have the Indian Army at its back, fighting alongside Britain as allies. While the volunteer army is one of British Raj's crowning achievements, it is not the only military establishment of India.
The Royal Indian navy consists of 50 ships, with two more Coastal Defence Ships on the way. Royal Indian Naval ships carry the prefix RIMS. The Royal Indian Navy forms a defense grid in the Indian Ocean and around the Indian subcontinent in case of war. The massive stores of iron and oil in India allow for the production of large amounts of ships in British Raj. While the Royal Indian Navy is not a volunteer fighting force like the Indian Army, the Royal Indian Navy is indeed a force to be reckoned with.
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