8.1 The East India Company Arrives
The East India Company (EIC) was formed in 1600 when Queen Elizabeth I granted it a royal charter to trade with the East Indies. In 1608, Captain William Hawkins arrived at the court of Emperor Jahangir to seek permission for a trading post. In 1615, Sir Thomas Roe secured the right to establish factories (trading posts) at Surat, and later at Madras (1639), Bombay (1668), and Calcutta (1690).
'The Company came as a trader but stayed as a ruler. This transformation — from commerce to conquest — is one of the most remarkable stories in world history.'
Key Terms
- Factory: Not a manufacturing unit, but a warehouse where goods were stored and traded.
- Farmaan: A royal decree or order (like a permit).
- Dastak: A pass that allowed goods to pass without custom duties (misused by Company officials).
8.2 How the Company Gained Power
The Battle of Plassey (1757)
Context: In Bengal, the Nawab Sirajuddaulah opposed the Company's misuse of trade privileges. The Company wanted a puppet ruler on the throne.
Key players:
- Sirajuddaulah: Nawab of Bengal, young and inexperienced.
- Robert Clive: Commander of Company forces.
- Mir Jafar: Sirajuddaulah's general, who conspired with the British.
The battle: Fought on June 23, 1757, at Plassey (about 150 km from Calcutta). Mir Jafar did not fight; his betrayal ensured the Company's easy victory.
Consequences:
- Sirajuddaulah was captured and killed.
- Mir Jafar became Nawab but was a puppet of the Company.
- The Company got enormous wealth and the right to collect revenue in Bengal.
- This marked the beginning of British political control in India.
| Year | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 1757 | Battle of Plassey | First major British victory; Company becomes a political power |
| 1764 | Battle of Buxar | Company defeats combined Mughal, Awadh, and Bengal forces |
| 1765 | Treaty of Allahabad | Company gets Diwani rights (revenue collection) of Bengal, Bihar, Odisha |
The Battle of Buxar (1764)
The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II, Nawab Shuja-ud-Daulah of Awadh, and Nawab Mir Qasim of Bengal (who had replaced Mir Jafar) united against the Company. They were decisively defeated at Buxar.
Consequences:
- The Company got the Diwani (right to collect revenue) of Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha.
- The Mughal Emperor became a pensioner of the Company.
- This established the Company as the supreme political power in eastern India.
8.3 The Subsidiary Alliance System
Introduced by Lord Wellesley (Governor-General, 1798-1805), the Subsidiary Alliance was a clever diplomatic strategy to control Indian states without directly conquering them.
Terms of the Alliance
| Rule | Implication |
|---|---|
| The Indian ruler had to accept a British army within his territory | Loss of military independence |
| The ruler had to pay for the army's maintenance | Heavy financial burden |
| The ruler could not employ any European without Company approval | Loss of diplomatic freedom |
| The ruler could not make war or treaties without British consent | Loss of sovereignty |
States That Accepted
- Hyderabad (1798) — the first to sign.
- Mysore (1799, after Tipu's defeat).
- Awadh (1801) — later fully annexed.
- Also: Gwalior, Indore, Nagpur, Tanjore, etc.
Advantages for the British
- Maintained a large army at the expense of Indian states.
- Weakened Indian rulers financially and politically.
- Established British supremacy without the cost and risk of direct conquest.
8.4 The Doctrine of Lapse
Introduced by Lord Dalhousie (Governor-General, 1848-1856), the Doctrine of Lapse allowed the Company to annex any Indian state where the ruler died without a natural male heir.
The rule: If an Indian ruler died without a natural male heir, his state would 'lapse' (revert) to the British. The Company did not recognise adopted children as heirs.
States Annexed Under This Doctrine
| State | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Satara | 1848 | First state annexed |
| Sambalpur | 1849 | |
| Jhansi | 1854 | Rani Lakshmibai's adopted son was denied the throne |
| Nagpur | 1854 | |
| Awadh | 1856 | Annexed on grounds of 'misgovernment' |
'The Doctrine of Lapse was a major cause of the 1857 Revolt. Rani Lakshmibai's cry "Main apni Jhansi nahi doongi" (I will not give my Jhansi) became a rallying cry for Indian resistance.'
8.5 Expansion in South India
Anglo-Mysore Wars
| War | Years | Key Figures | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | 1767-69 | Hyder Ali | Treaty of Madras (status quo) |
| Second | 1780-84 | Hyder Ali, Tipu Sultan | Treaty of Mangalore (status quo) |
| Third | 1790-92 | Tipu Sultan | Half of Mysore annexed to British |
| Fourth | 1799 | Tipu Sultan | Tipu died defending Srirangapatnam; Mysore came under Subsidiary Alliance |
Tipu Sultan is remembered as the 'Tiger of Mysore' who fought bravely against the British. He developed rockets and promoted modern agriculture.
Anglo-Maratha Wars
| War | Years | Result |
|---|---|---|
| First | 1775-82 | Treaty of Salbai (status quo) |
| Second | 1803-05 | British defeated Marathas; Subsidiary Alliance imposed |
| Third | 1817-19 | Last Maratha resistance crushed; Peshwa abolished |
The Marathas were the last major Indian power to resist the British. Their defeat eliminated the only serious challenge to British supremacy in India.
Annexation of Punjab
Under Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1799-1839), Punjab was a strong, independent Sikh kingdom. After his death, internal conflicts weakened the state. The British fought two Anglo-Sikh Wars (1845-46, 1848-49) and annexed Punjab in 1849.
8.6 AP Connection: The Madras Presidency
The Andhra region was part of the Madras Presidency, which was established by the British after acquiring the Northern Circars (the five districts of Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, and Guntur) through treaties with the French and the Nizam of Hyderabad between 1765 and 1823. The Circars became part of the Company's territory even before much of northern India was annexed.
8.7 Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Confusing Plassey (1757) and Buxar (1764) | Remember: Plassey first (Company's entry as a power), Buxar second (Company's supremacy in Bengal confirmed) |
| Saying the Doctrine of Lapse was by Wellesley | It was by Dalhousie, not Wellesley (Wellesley did Subsidiary Alliance) |
| Mixing up Anglo-Mysore and Anglo-Maratha wars | Mysore = south (Tipu); Maratha = west-central (Peshwa) |
| Forgetting Mir Jafar's role at Plassey | His betrayal was the key reason the Company won |
8.8 Exam Focus (AP Board)
| Topic | Marks |
|---|---|
| Battle of Plassey — causes and consequences | 4 marks |
| Subsidiary Alliance and Doctrine of Lapse | 5 marks |
| Anglo-Mysore Wars (Tipu Sultan) | 3-4 marks |
| British expansion through wars | 4 marks |
| AP connection — Northern Circars | 2-3 marks |
8.9 Quick Self-Test
Q1. When and where was the Battle of Plassey fought? A1. June 23, 1757, at Plassey (Bengal).
Q2. Who was the Nawab of Bengal at the time of Plassey? A2. Sirajuddaulah.
Q3. What was the Diwani right granted to the Company after Buxar? A3. The right to collect revenue in Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha.
Q4. Who introduced the Subsidiary Alliance? A4. Lord Wellesley (Governor-General, 1798-1805).
Q5. Which state was the first to sign the Subsidiary Alliance? A5. Hyderabad (1798).
Q6. What was the Doctrine of Lapse? A6. If a ruler died without a natural heir, the state would 'lapse' to the British.
Q7. Name the state annexed in 1856 under the Doctrine of Lapse. A7. Awadh.
Q8. Where did Tipu Sultan die fighting the British? A8. Srirangapatnam (1799, Fourth Anglo-Mysore War).
Q9. What were the Northern Circars? A9. Five coastal districts of the Andhra region acquired by the British from the French and Nizam.
Q10. Who led the Sikh kingdom before its annexation in 1849? A10. Maharaja Ranjit Singh (died 1839; annexed after Anglo-Sikh wars).
