New
New
Year 2

Victoria, Empress of India

I can describe the relationship between India and Britain during Victorian times.

New
New
Year 2

Victoria, Empress of India

I can describe the relationship between India and Britain during Victorian times.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. During Victorian times, the British Empire controlled many countries around the world including India.
  2. Britain had gradually taken control of more and more territory of India before and during Victoria's reign.
  3. In 1876, Victoria was given the special title 'Empress of India'.
  4. Later in Victoria's life, one of her most faithful servants was called Abdul Karim, who was from India.
  5. Some of Victoria's other household servants were angered by Abdul and did not want to treat him as an equal.

Keywords

  • India - India is a country in southern Asia surrounded on three sides by the Indian Ocean

  • Empress - the female leader of an empire is called an empress

  • Servants - a person who has a job working in someone else's home is a servant

  • Household - a ruler's household includes all the people who support a ruler and live in the same building as them or very near to them

Common misconception

Pupils may think that Britain still rules over or controls India today.

Britain does not rule India today. Britain ruled India and much of the surrounding land for over 300 years, but this ended in 1947 when the territory was partitioned into two separate independent countries which became India and Pakistan.

The British Empire lead to the development of the Commonwealth of Nations, which includes 56 countries around the world. Pupils could investigate the commonwealth and its history and see how the aims of this organisaiton are to promote prosperity and peace, and equality for all nations.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
In South Africa, many people worked as ...
sailors
bakers
Correct answer: miners
Q2.
Who set up a group to help the miners and change the conditions they were working in?
Prince Albert
John Brown
Correct answer: Alice Kinloch
Queen Victoria
Q3.
The largest diamond in the world was found in England.
True
Correct answer: False
Q4.
Queen Victoria ruled over lots of countries in the British .
Correct Answer: Empire, empire
Q5.
Alice Kinloch came to to explain that African miners were not treated fairly.
Correct answer: London
Edinburgh
Cardiff
Q6.
Select the ways that miners in South Africa were treated.
lots of breaks
Correct answer: no breaks
Correct answer: low pay
high pay

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the keywords to the definitions.
Correct Answer:servant,a person who works in someone else's home

a person who works in someone else's home

Correct Answer:empress,the female leader of an empire

the female leader of an empire

Q2.
Britain still rules over India today. True or false?
True
Correct answer: False
Q3.
Victoria was given the title 'Empress of India' in ...
1676
1776
Correct answer: 1876
1976
Q4.
Which country was Abdul Karim born in?
England
Scotland
Correct answer: India
South Africa
Q5.
Abdul Karim taught Queen Victoria how to speak ...
French
Correct answer: Urdu
Spanish
Q6.
The royal included many servants who did jobs for the queen.
Correct Answer: household, house hold

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