British Expansion In India PDF

Down Fall Of Mughal Empire British Expansion In India British expansion in Indian: Success and failures There were many attempts made by the British to take control over lands in India. They used different measures like Military tactics Political policies Indian weakness Robert Clive: Rob...

Down Fall Of Mughal Empire British Expansion In India British expansion in Indian: Success and failures There were many attempts made by the British to take control over lands in India. They used different measures like Military tactics Political policies Indian weakness Robert Clive: Robert Clive was the East India Company clerk but later joined army. He was very successful in his army expeditions. In 1751, he won the battle of Arcot against the French. In 1757, he conquered Bengal in the battle of Plassey defeating Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula. He won the battle of Pondecherry in 1761. He was made the Governor of Bengal after Plassey. However he had to face corruption charges and he went back to England. The corruption charges were not proven but the disgrace and addiction to opium made him commit suicide in 1773. The Black Hole Tragedy: A small dungeon in the old fort William Calcutta, where troops of the nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah, held British prisoners of war 20 June 1756. One of the prisoners claimed that they were held overnight in conditions so cramped that many died from suffocation, heat, exhaustion and crushing. He claimed that 123 prisoners died out of 146 held. However, the precise number was controversial. Factor – 1: battle of Plassey – 1757 The battle was preceded by the attack on Calcutta by Nawab Siraj-Ud-Daulah, which was the largest and most resourceful province. The British sent reinforcement under Colonel Robert Clive, and recaptured Calcutta. Siraj-ud-Daulah had a numerically superior force and made his stand at Plassey. Mir Jafar, Siraj’s army chief betrayed him in the battlefield. Siraj-Ud-Daulah’s army was defeated by roughly 3,000 British soldiers. Outcomes of the war: One of the pivotal battles in the control of India by the colonial powers. Robert Clive became the governor of Bengal and Mir Jafar was made new nawab of Bengal. British influence increased and acquired large concession for previous losses from the new. Indian resistance proved unsuccessful and Bengal was under the control of British. The British used this revenue to increase their military might and push the other European colonial powers such as Dutch and the French out of India. Factor – 2: Battle of Buxar - 1764 Mir Qasim, Mir Jafar’s son, formed an alliance with Shuja-ud-Daulah, Oudh and emperor of India Shah Alam II, to drive the British out of Bengal. They fought against the British at Buxar in 1764. The British general hector Munro won a single victory over them. The emperor Shah Alam II came to the British camp to ask for terms. The British had taken the fortresses of Chunar and Allahbad and were now the virtual masters of Bihar and Bengal. Outcomes of the war: Another Indian attempt proved unsuccessful and Oudh went under the British Control. The significant outcomes of this battle were as follows: It led to the signing of the Allahabad Treaty in 1765 by Lord Robert Clive with Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II. With the defeat of Mir Kasim, the rule of Nawabs came to an end. Diwani rights or fiscal rights were secured which meant that the British would administer and manage revenues of large areas which included the present-day West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, as well as of Bangladesh. The British became the masters of the people of these places. In return of this right, the British would give Rs 26 lakh to the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II.  After the Buxar victory, the English armies moved towards Awadh and established their control over Banaras and Allahabad. Shuja-ud-Daulah would pay Rs 50 lakh immediately to the company as expenses of war. He also needed to pay later Rs 25 lakh in instalments. The treaty legalised the East India Company's control over the whole of Bengal, Ghazipur and its adjacent area The Allahabad fort became the home of the emperor and he would be protected by few men of the company's army. A vakil of the English would remain in the court of Shah Alam II. But he was not allowed to interfere in the administration of the country. Pitts India Act – 1784: The Pitts India act of 1784, dual control of India by the government of Great Britain and the EIC. These changes continued till 1858. This established the relationship between the british government and the EIC. EIC’s political functions were differentiated from its commercial activities. All civil and military officers of the EIC were ordered to show their property in India and in Britain Severe punishment was provisioned for corrupt officials. The act was considered a failure because of highly biased Factor – 3: Mysore Wars – 1799: In 1796, the British, in alliance with Nizam of Hyderabad and Marathas, fought against tipu sultan, the ruler of Mysore. In the first Mysore war, Haider Ali was able to defeat the British. Haider Ali took his army to the outskirts of Madras and dictated peace to the British. After the death of Haider Ali in 1781, Tipu sultan continued the campaign and secured victory over the British in 1783. He was the most predominant figure but the great treachery and conspiracy of Mir Sadiq forced him to lay down his life in 4th Mysore war at Seringapatam in 1799. Outcomes of the war: With his death, Mysore in south India went under the control of British. Tipu Sultan: (11/1750 – 5/1799) Also known as the tiger of Mysore. Tipu introduced a number of administrative innovations during his rule, including the introducing of a new coinage and a new land revenue system, initiating the growth of Mysore silk industry. Tipu Sultan was instructed in military tactics by French officers. Factor – 4: British Entered Delhi – 1803: The British feared that the French might overthrow Maratha and use the authority of the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II. After the battle of Delhi, Marathas fought against the British forces, in September 1803 British troops entered Delhi and Shah Alam II, a blind old man, came under the British protection. Outcomes of the war: British took the control of Delhi but they did not proclaim their rule over India because they were feared of rebellions and focused only in the administrative affairs of India. Factor – 5: Defeat of Marathas – 1818: The British forces combined with the forces of Nizam of Hyderabad, attacked Deccan. The Marathas were defeated and the British took the control of Deccan. Outcomes of the war: The control of British forces extended to southern India. Factor – 6: Annexation of Sindh – 1843: The British forces attack Afghanistan in 1839 and captured it. In 1841 the Afghans drove the British out of Afghanistan. To hide their humiliation, the British forces under Sir Charles Napier set the Amirs of Sindh against each other and by taking advantage of the situation they annexed the loosely, governed Sindh, without any significant reason. Battle of Miani(Feb 17, 1843): British annexed Sindh with a force of 2,800 defeating 20,000 Amirs. Amirs didn’t supported the British during the first Anglo-Afghan war (1839-1842). The British fully supported Napier in September 1842, He forced Amirs to sign a treaty but provocatively seized and destroyed the desert fortress of Imamgarh. Which led to open war. At Miani the British prevailed. The army of the Amris was scattered, and Sindh, except for the state of Khairpur, was annexed. Outcomes of war: The British took the control of south western parts of the sub-continent Sir Charles Napier: In 1842, at the age of 60, Napier was appointed major general of the Bombay presidency. He controlled insurgency of the Amirs following the first Anglo-Afghan war in 1839. Napier’s campaign against Amirs resulted in victories in the battle of Miani and the battle of Hyderabad, and then the conquest of Sindh province. Factor – 7: Annexation of Punjab NWF – 1846 – 1849: Under Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab was difficult to be controlled by the British forces After the death of Ranjit Singh in 1839, kingdom began to fall into disorder, his son Kharak singh took the charge but was removed by Dilip Singh After that Punjab was taken up by British entered Lahore in 1846 without any resistance. Outcomes of the war: Western regions of sub-continent went under direct British control. Ranjit Singh: Ranjit Singh was a strong Sikh ruler of Punjab, Kashmir and parts of NWFP. He was able to modernized his army with the help of French. Muslim of Punjab were not allowed to perform Azan and cow slaughtering during his rule. He died in 1839. Factor – 8: Doctrine of Lapse – 1852. This was an annexation policy of EIC by Lord Dalhousie(1848-1856). This policy incorporated many Indian princely states including Sitara, Jhansi, Oudh, Kanpur, Jaipur, Sambalpur, Baghat, Udaipur, Nagpur, Karauli etc. According to this doctrine, any princely state would automatically be annexed if the ruler was either manifestly incompetent or died without a direct heir. Outcomes: The rule replaced the long established right of an Indian king to choose his own successor. Also the British could undertake the sovereignty if they decided that the Indian ruler was not enough competent. Although the Indians managed to resist like Ranjit Singh and Haider Ali but the British remained successful because they managed to create traitors, their better planning and military supremacy.  Short Question and Answer Q1. Who were Marathas? They were a group in Southern India. Under the leadership of Shivaji a large Maratha empire was established their leader was called peshwa. They were defeated by ahmed shah and then by the British in 1818 under the governor ship of Warren Hasting. Q2. Who was Shivaji? He was a Maratha Leader. He founded the Maratha empire. He was a ruthless leader. He was born in pune. He promoted Sanskrit. Q3. Who was Robert clive? He was a british officer in india. He was also known as clive of india. He is seen as founder of British India. He commanded the british army in battle of plassey and defeated the Nawab’s forces. He was made the nawab of Bengal.  Short Question and Answer Q4. Describe the battle of buxar? The Battle of Buxar was fought between the forces of under the command of the British East India Company led by Hector Munro, and the combined armies of Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal; Shuja-ud-Daula the Nawab of Awadh; the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam. The battle fought at Buxar, then within the territory of Bengal, a town located on the bank of the Ganges river, was a decisive victory for the British East India Company. Q5.Describe the battle of Plessey? It was a battle between the British East India Company and the forces of Siraj-ud-din and his French Allies. British defeated the larger army of Siraj. It was because clive bribed the Mir Jafar. He was made the Nawab of Bengal. Q6. Who was tipu Sultan? He was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was son of Haider Ali. He was also known as tiger of Mysore. He won first 2 Anglo-Mysore wars but was died in 4th Anglo-Mysore War. Q7. Who was Black Hole event? The Black Hole of Calcutta was a small dungeon in the old Fort William, at Calcutta. There the troops of the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daulah, held British prisoners of war after the capture of the Fort. 123 prisoners died out of 146 prisoners held. Q8.What was Pitt’s India Act 1784? Pitt's India Act was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain intended bring the East India Company's rule in India under the control of the British Government. Pitt's India Act provided for the appointment of a Board of Control, and provided for a joint government of British India by both the Company and the Crown. A governing board was constituted with six members. Q9. What was subsidiary Alliance? The doctrine of subsidiary alliance was introduced by Marquess Wellesley. Many small rulers signed it as it gave them security against attack by their neighbors. The Nizam of Hyderabad was the first to enter into such alliance. Tipu Sultan of Mysore refused to do so, but after the British victory in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War, Mysore was forced to become a subsidiary state. The Nawab of Awadh was the next to accept the Subsidiary Alliance. Q10. What was the regulating act 1773? The Regulating Act of 1773 was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain intended to overhaul the management of the East India Company's rule in India. It was replaced by Pitts India act later. It made the East India Company accountable to British parliament. Q11.Who was Warren Hastings? He was the first Governor-General of India. Hasten extended his rule by wars against Haider Ali of Mysore, his son Tipu and with Marathas. He was accused to bribery and corruption and there was a trial against him in Britain. He was cleared but his reputation was destroyed. Q12. What was suttee? It was an Indian ritual in which the widows were also burned with the dead husband. This was first banned by Auranzeb. British Missionaries also tried to ban it but this bold step was taken by Bentinck. Q13. Who were thugees? They were armed robbers in upper and central India. They claimed that they serve a Goddess. They murdered their victims. In 1830 all the thugges were caught and dealt with by british Colonel Sleeman.