Pre-show talk by Dr. Rukmani Jayaraman.
Namaste and Good Afternoon!
My name is Bhama Jayaraman, and I am here to give you a brief history lesson. I’m sure you’re wondering “why a history lesson” since you’re here for a dance performance. However, it’s important that you understand the context of British occupation in India so you can better appreciate the story behind Kittur Rani Chennamma’s heroism, which is the theme of tonight’s performance. For those of you not well-versed in Indian history, I hope you will find this lesson helpful.
So when, how, and why did the Europeans come to India? The initial European interest was purely economic, driven by profit rather than conquest. By the 15th century, India’s spices, textiles, indigo, and precious stones were highly valued in Europe. However, land routes through the Middle East were long, dangerous, and expensive. In 1498, Vasco da Gama’s arrival at Calicut through the Cape of Good Hope marked a turning point—Europe and India were directly connected by sea for the first time. The Dutch followed, and then the British.
The British occupation began slowly with trade. In 1600, Queen Elizabeth I granted a charter to the British East India Company. For over 100 years, the Company only traded, with posts in Surat, Madras, Bombay, and Calcutta.
However, as time passed, conditions in India became ripe for the British to play a more prominent role. The power of the Mughals was slowly declining in the 18th century. Regional kingdoms such as the Marathas, Mysore, Hyderabad, and the Nawabs of Bengal and Awadh were often in conflict with each other. In the mid-18th century, officers of the East India Company realized that greater political control would protect their business interests. By then, they had already started amassing an army. The turning point came with the Battle of Plassey in 1757, when Robert Clive—who began as a clerk in the company and later led the army—defeated the Nawab of Bengal. Soon after, the Company won the Battle of Buxar in 1764, which gave it control over large parts of the Indian subcontinent, including Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. Slowly, the British East India Company emerged as the most strategic and organized European force in the region.
From here, British political expansion grew rapidly, not only through war but through diplomacy, alliances, and sometimes betrayal. Indian kings were divided, and the British took advantage of those divisions. They formed treaties, passed laws, collected taxes, and slowly took over territories.
However, many princely states remained independent. The East India Company now wanted complete control through other political strategies, such as the infamous Doctrine of Lapse. Introduced by Lord Dalhousie in 1848, it allowed the British to annex any independent princely state whose ruler died without a natural male heir. Adopted sons would not be recognized as legitimate heirs. This directly attacked a long-standing Indian tradition where, for centuries, kings who had no sons legally adopted heirs to continue ruling their kingdoms. The Doctrine of Lapse took away this right. Several states, including Satara, Sambalpur, Jhansi, and Nagpur, were absorbed without war.
The policy created anger and resentment across India. Among the earliest and most powerful resistances to British expansion was the revolt of Kittur Rani Chennamma. Chennamma was one of India’s earliest woman freedom fighters, and her courage and spirit inspired others, including Rani Lakshmi Bai.
By the 19th century, most of India had come under British control. British occupation transformed India’s economy and society. The Industrial Revolution in Britain created demand for raw materials like cotton and jute, and markets for manufactured goods. Traditional Indian industries were destroyed as British machine-made goods flooded the market. Indian artisans and farmers suffered under heavy taxation. Colonization was also justified through cultural ideology. Many British officials believed they were bringing “civilization,” education, and the rule of law to India, though these reforms also served British political interests.
By the mid-19th century, anger against the British had spread everywhere—among kings, soldiers, farmers, and ordinary people. This resentment culminated in the Revolt of 1857, the first major anti-colonial uprising. Although unsuccessful, it marked the beginning of political nationalism in India. The British government realized that the East India Company could no longer rule India, and in 1858, the British Crown took direct control. The Doctrine of Lapse was officially abolished. However, economic and political exploitation continued for almost another 90 years until India finally achieved independence in 1947.
You will learn more about India’s famous heroine, Kittur Rani Chennamma, from our next speaker, and I hope you enjoy this evening’s performance.
Thank you.
