How did EIC start?

 1600 Queen Elizabeth gave permission to a group of merchants to set

up the EIC.

• British government was not involoved in trade but ensured the

company operated in a way which was acceptable to the

government.
 Why did EIC come to the Subcontinent?

• Attraction of wealth & resources:

 India was called the Golden Sparrow, as it was rich in resources such as spices, cotton, yarn,
sugar, and silk – cheap raw materials.

 Industrial Revolution

 Cheap labor

 Market for finished goods

 Why did EIC come to the Subcontinent?

• Competition:

 EIC wanted to break into the spice trade in the East Indies (Indonesia) but the Dutch were

already there and wouldn’t let any other European power enter

 India was an alternative, landed in Surat in 1608 and allowed to start trade in 1612.

 Dutch and Portuguese had become wealthy through trade.

 Why did EIC come to the Subcontinent?

• Weakness of Mughal Empire:

 Opportunities

 Sub-continent had a variety of religions coexisting.

 EIC saw this as an opportunity and a way of extending their influence by spreading their
religion and culture.
 EIC’s influence grows:

 Profit and business grew so much that EIC had its own huge private army to protect its trading
posts.

 By early 18th century, EIC had three main bases, also referred to as “presidencies” – Calcutta,
Bombay and Madras

 Trade was initially benefitable for Indians also, as they could sell their goods and get Silver for
them from Britain

 1686 -testing waters ,EIC went to war with Aurangzeb but lost. Had to pay heavy fines.
 EIC’s influence grows:

 But they didn’t allow any European powers to make inroads:

o 17th century EIC defeated Dutch and Portuguese

o French were tougher oponents, set up trading company in 1664 but were defeated by British
General,Robert Clive
 Expanding Control

• Through Battles and takeovers

• Through subsidary alliances

• Doctrine of Lapse
 Expanding Control
Battle of Plassey (Inroads into Bengal):
 Who:
o Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah vs EIC

 Events:
o 1756, encouraged by the French, the Nawab attacked and captured Fort William, EIC base in Calcutta

o Black Hole tragedy : British POV were held captive in a dungeon where many died

o 1757, British army led by Robert Clive defeated the nawab and his army.
 Expanding Control-cont.

Battle of Plassey (Inroads into Bengal)- continued:

o Nawab’s general Mir Jafar was a traitor and was rewarded by the EIC,became the Nawab of
Bengal
o Mir Jafar was forced to gift lands and money to EIC officials, making them very rich

o Robert Clive became Governor of Bengal

 Expanding Control-cont.
• Battle of Buxar :

 Who:
o Mir Qasim (son of Mir Jafar) , Nawab of Oudh and Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II vs the
British
o Try to drive British out of Bengal

 Events:
o Buxar :Small town in Bihar near Ganga river

o EIC won decisively aided by the lack of coordination between the three sides

o EIC took control of revue collection in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, extended influence into
Oudh
 Bengal In trouble/ EIC becomes corrupt:

 EIC becomes greedy after victory in the Battle of Buxar

 Huge profits from monopoly of trade in Bengal

 Merchants became corrupt, accustomed to receiving personal gifts

 Local people being exploited. as EIC was extracting revenue from Bengal through taxation and a
monopoly on commodities like food.

 1770 : The great famine - the death sentence to upwards of 10 million Bengalis.
 Measures taken by British Government to control EIC:

Administrative control:

• 1784: Pitts India Act / India Act passed (after PM William Pitt)

 Governor General appointed who would have control over the three presidencies

 Provincial Governors appointed and a commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

 As a result – EIC lost its admin powers, but still allowed to trade

• Police force ,legal system and civil service set up (Local people not given opportunities)
 Measures taken by British Government to control EIC:

Territory Expansion:

1782 : Warren Hasting (Governor General of India) signed a treaty ending the Marhata war
between British and Marhatas so the army is freed up to extend influence elsewhere .

1798: Lord Wellesley (Governor General ) made local people sign Subsidiary alliances -
• local rulers continue to rule the affairs of the state with the paid protection of the British
Soldiers, in exchange for a British resident advisor .
• No other alliances were permitted

• States remain safe from attacks and take overs

• Hyderabad was the first to accept this alliance in 1800

1799: GG Wellesley invaded Maysore , killed Tipu , the Sultan of Mysore and took over his lands.
Nawabs of Oudh also defeated and forced to give large area to British

1803: British entered Delhi and forced Shah Alam II to accept rule under British protection

1818: Marathas were defeated by British forces and forced to accept British control.
 Why did the British Government take control of EIC?

• EIC had become corrupt and greedy - fear in London that the Company’s corrupt practices could
soon seep into British business and public life, bad reflection on British government.

• EIC was making huge profits and the British government was not benefitting from it.

• British feared Russian expansion

 Resistance by Indians:
• Titu Mir – Bengali freedom fighter
• In 1822, he went to Makkah where he came into close approximation and influence of Ahmed Barelvi, who
was a great Islamic reformer.
• Beliefs: He believed that the terrible state of Muslims can only be improved if the Muslims of Bengal stand
united against the cruel Hindu Zamindars. He realized that Muslims are introducing Shirk and Bid’dat and
advised them to refrain from doing it.

• Workings: A cruel Zamindar, Krishna Deva Rai imposed a tax on Muslims on beards that made the Muslims
enraged. Following Titu Mir’s guidance, the Muslims refused to pay this tax. The peasants and weavers saw
Titu Mir’s leadership as a way free themselves from the slavery of Hindu Zamindars and were greatly
influenced by him. He gathered a small army and trained the people. In 1831, he built a bamboo fort in
Narkelbaria, Calcutta and set his own rule. The British were threatened by his fellowship and with a force of
300 sepoys and 100 soldiers attacked Titu Mir and his army. They failed to resist the British attack and Titu
Mir along with many of his followers died in the battle.
 Annexations:

Afghanistan: (British lose):

• Early 1800s: British worried about Russian expansion, feared Afghanistan would fall into Russia’s
hand

• Asked for Ranjit Singh’s (Ruler of Punjab) help to install a pro-British ruler in Kabul, but he
refused

• British went ahead without his support

• 1841-1842: Rebellion against the British , all troops killed

Sindh:

• 1809: Amirs who ruled Sindh signed a treaty of friendship with Britain

• After defeat in Afghanistan, British wanted to redeem themselves and restore their pride.

• Also didn’t want Sindh to be taken over by Sikh expansion

• 1843: British general, Charles Napier provoked the Amirs that they attacked the British Residency

• British now had an excuse to attack Sindh, which they annexed

Punjab:

• 1809: Ranjit Singh signed a treaty of friendship with British

• 1839 : After Ranjit Singh’s death rival chiefs arguing over kingship , they also feared a British
invasion, hence decided to launch an attack themselves.

• 1845-46:First Sikh War: Sikhs defeated , had to sign treaty of Lahore – Sikh to cede land and pay
indemnity

• British were helped by Raja of Jummu, Gulab Singh who was then allowed to purchase Kashmir
from the British and became the Maharaja of Jammu & Kashmir

• 1848-49: Second Sikh War: Sikhs defeated again and Sikh empire came to an end

• 1849: Punjab became part of the British Empire.

North West Frontier:

• Acquisition of NWF meant natural borders which would help defend territory from outside forces

• 1879: Lord Lytton (Viceroy of India) put forward idea of establishing boundary tp separate India
from the tribesmen

• 1893: Sir Martimer Durand and Amir Abdur Rahman Khan of Afghanistan fixed the border called
“Durand line” – leaving the two Afghans and British to rule without interference.
 Doctrine of Lapse:

By:
• Governor General Dalhousie

Stipulation:
• If a ruler dies without a natural heir, British would annex his land
• Satara, Nagpur and Jhansi fell into British hands
• Unpopular as it was seen as an excuse to take over land for eg :
• 1856 : Nawab of Oudh died, had several legal hires but still his land was taken over, with the claim
that he was a bad ruler.