British Conquest & Occupation of Bengal

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  •  First empire’ stretching across the Atlantic towards America and the West Indies.
  • ‘second empire’ beginning around 1783 (Peace of Paris) and swinging towards the East—Asia and Africa.
  • Started with the conquest of Ireland in the 16th century
  • Conquest of India is blindly, unintentionally and accidentally, and in a “fit of absent-mindedness” - political turmoil created by the Indians themselves, and were almost forced to acquire territories.
  • Company officials started acquiring territory just to promote and protect their trade interests, Later realise how easily they could pit one local ruler against another and began to interfere in local politics and, in the process, acquired territories.
Causes of British Success in India
  1. Superior Arms, Military and Strategy
  2. Better Military Discipline and Regular Salary
  3. Civil Discipline & Fair Selection System
  4. Brilliant Leadership (which did not bother about adopting unscrupulous practices)
  5. Financial Strength
  6. Nationalist Pride
British Occupation of Bengal
  • Established factories in Balasore, Hooghly, Kasimbazar, Patna and Dacca.
  • In 1690, foundation of Calcutta by the English company.
  • Alivardi Khan ruled till 1756 and also stopped paying tributes to the Mughal emperior.
  • Rest of India was disturbed by inter-border disputes, the Maratha invasions, Jat revolts, and external invasions by Nadir Shah and Ahmed Shah Abdali, Bengal was fortunate enough to escape these challenges.
  • Siraj-ud-daula, the son of Alivardi’s youngest daughter became nawab.
  • 1757 and 1765 - Power transfer from Nawab of Bengal to British. Companies had usurped all power.
Battle of Plassey (1757)
  • Company misuse of its trade privileges, affected the nawab’s finances, Fortified Calcutta without the nawab’s permission.
  • Siraj attacked and seized the English fort at Calcutta - ‘Black Hole Tragedy'
  • Strong force under the command of Robert Clive at Calcutta from Madras strengthened the English position in Bengal, victory in Battle of Plassey (June 23, 1757).
  • Mir Jafar became the Nawab, large sums of money plus the zamindari of 24 parganas to the English.
  • Monopolised the trade and commerce of Bengal, foundation of the British empire in India & Established the military supremacy of the English.
  • Mir Jafar decided to resign in favour of Mir Kasim.
  • Treaty between Mir Kasim and the Company was signed in 1760.
Battle of Buxar (1763)
  • Mir Kasim shifted capital from Murshidabad to Munger in Bihar.
  • Ram Narayan, deputy- governor of Bihar, was not responding to repeated requests by the nawab to submit the accounts of the revenues of Bihar.
  • Ram Narayan was supported by the English, Misuse of dastak. Create tensions between the nawab and the English.
  • Mir Kasim decided to abolish the duties altogether, but the British protested against, Nawab-Company tussle over transit duty led to the outbreak of wars between the English and Mir Kasim in 1763.
  • Mir Kasim, the Nawab of Awadh and Shah Alam II were defeated by the English forces.
  • Mir Jafar, who was made Nawab in 1763, Death of Mir Jafar, his minor son, Najim-ud-daula, was appointed nawab but real power hands of the naib-subahdar appointed or dismissed by the English.
  • The Treaty of Allahabad - Two important treaties at Allahabad in August 1765
    1. Nawab of Awadh
      • Surrender Allahabad and Kara to Emperor Shah Alam II.
      • Pay 50 Lakhs.
      • Give Balwant Singh, Zamindar of Banaras full possession of estate.
    2. Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam II.
      • Reside at Allahabad, under the Company’s protection.
      • Issue a farman granting the diwan of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa to the East India Company.
      • Rs 53 lakh to the Company for nizamat functions.
Dual System of Administration of Bengal (1765-72)
  • Rule of the two - the Company and the Nawab.
  • diwani (collecting revenues) & Nizamat (Police & Judiciary).
  • Led to administrative breakdown and proved disastrous for the people of Bengal.
  • Warren Hastings did away with the dual system in 1772.

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