1.Explain why the East India Company was interested in the subcontinent in the years before 1750.

(7
marks)

Ans: The British wanted to establish their influence in the subcontinent and to oust the Dutch and
Portuguese; The British wanted to establish a strategic port in the subcontinent that would protect its
trading interests there and in the Far East; Reports of immense wealth in the subcontinent meant the
British wanted to establish a trading base there as they saw a profitable future.

Q. Who was Mir Qasim?(4 marks)

Ans: Nawab of Bengal in 1760, succeeding Mir Jafar With the support of EIC, he confiscated lands and
wealth of people in Bengal to give to the British; Eventually he tried to stop British influence in Bengal;
1764 Mir Qasim fought with Clive at war of Buxar, but was defeated.

2. Were the policies of Aurangzeb the main reason for the decline of the Mughal Empire? Explain your
answer. (14 marks)

Ans: Aurangzeb introduced a tax on non-Muslims called the Jizya. He destroyed Hindu temples and tried
to ban Hindu practices reducing his popularity and causing some insurgencies during his reign;Higher
taxation was needed to pay for the cost of military campaigns such as the Deccan Wars increasing
Aurangzeb's unpopularity, which enabled opposition to his rule and the Mughal Empire to grow. After
his death Mughal Emperors were renowned for living an extravagant lifestyle and spending money
without regard to the effect on the economy of the Empire: The absence of a definite line of succession
led to in-fighting amongst his successors which contributed to instability and the downfall of the
Empire;The Marathas were skilful Hindu fighters who defeated a Mughal army in 1737. The Marathas
took control of Delhi and the land eastwards towards Bengal. By 1760 the Mughals could do nothing to
stop them;The Mughal forces and their equipment struggled to respond to the rapid expansion of the
British into the sub-continent.

3. Explain why Robert Clive was successful in the Battle of Plessey in 1757.(7marks)

Ans: Clive persuaded one of the Nawab's key men, Mir Jafar, to side with the British. Jafar's defection
weakened the Nawab's army, which Clive was able to use to his advantage. Clive ordered his men to
cover their cannon when it rained. So, the dry cannons of Clive's army outfired the Nawab's cannons.
Clive was an experienced soldier as he had fought the French in southern India. He was used to the
tactics of warfare, this helped to defeat the Nawab.

4. Was the India Act of 1784 the main reason why the British were able to expand beyond Bengal
between 1784 and 1850? Explain your answer.(10 marks)

Ans: This made the position of Governor General a royal appointment. Lord Cornwallis was appointed to
this position in 1786.A Board of Control replaced the East India Company's Board of Directors, changing
it from a trading concern to a sovereign body in which the Crown had direct control of Bengal.A police
system was developed to help in the administering of justice and maintaining law and order.Lord
Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Settlement in 1793 making zamindars of Bengal landowners,
subject to their payment of a fixed sum to the British. In 1793 this amounted to some 10% of the total
sum collected by the zamindars. The Permanent Settlement secured the financial interest of the East
India Company and helped Bengal to become the wealthiest province in India, allowing the British to
extend their control. Local rulers were persuaded to sign subsidiary alliances by Lord Wellesley who
became Governor General in 1798. The local ruler continued to run their affairs while British soldiers
offered protection. In return for this protection the ruler paid towards the cost of the soldiers and
accepted a British resident adviser. This consolidated Britain's power in India at little cost and extended
British control.The annexation of land. Hyderabad and Oudh accepted British protection with a
subsidiary alliance. Mysore, Oudh, Delhi and the Marathas came under British control by the early
nineteenth century. followed shortly afterwards by Sindh and the Punjab.

5. Who was Lord Wellesley?(4marks)

Ans: Governor General of India in 1798.Wellesley persuaded local princes / rulers to sign subsidiary
alliances. Local rulers were also forbidden to make any other alliances. IN 1799 Wellesley invaded
Mysore killing Tipu Sultan and gaining control of his lands. Wellesley also defeated the Nawabs of Oudh
and took control of their territory.

6. Explain why the Mughal Empire declined following the death of Aurangzeb.(7 marks)

Ans: Aurangzeb's successors left the administration to their ministers meaning there was no direct, firm
leadership of the empire;The lack of a law of succession meant there was sometimes a struggle for
succession, costly in human lives and other resources. Fighting battles was expensive and weakened the
empire's military, which they depended on for defence;Succession often depended upon the ability of
the candidates to gain support, such rulers may have been popular but they did not necessarily have the
skills to run a large empire;The successors become extravagant - large sums of money, which could have
been spent on defence or government were lost; The size of the Empire made it hard to defend and the
army was already overstretched as a result of internal conflicts. Several invasions weakened it further so
eventually the British were able to take control.

7. Was British expansion in India the most important reason for the decline of the Mughal Empire?
Explain your answer.(14 marks)

Ans: British expansion into the subcontinent was rapid. They were experienced in warfare and had many
weapons and other resources, so they were difficult to defeat.The Emperors were suspected of
spending money with little thought to the effect it had on the economy of the Empire. This led to
inefficiencies in the running of the Empire. The absence of a definite line of succession led to a
significant amount of in-fighting amongst his successors, which also led to instability Aurangzeb
introduced a tax on non-Muslims, called the Jizya. He destroyed Hindu temples and tried to ban Hindu
practices. As a result he faced insurgencies throughout his reign. Taxation was high as Aurangzeb had to
pay for the cost of military campaigns such as the Deccan Wars. He also spent highly on luxurious
palaces. Because of this he became an unpopular ruler and enabling opposition to his rule and the
Empire to grow.The expense of fighting the Deccan Wars meant there was little money for the upkeep
of the Empire The military lacked investment, which meant they were reliant on outdated weaponry and
were easily overpowered. Financial inefficiencies meant that money that could have been used to
support the Empire, had been wasted. The size of the Empire meant that it was very difficult to defend
from multiple invasions; the Empire's armies became exhausted in trying to repel them. The Marathas
were skillful Hindu guerrilla fighters who defeated a Mughal army in 1737 and took control of Delhi and
eastwards towards Bengal. By 1760, they were the most powerful people in India and the Mughals could
do nothing to stop it.