RISE OF BRITISH

POWER IN BENGAL

18th CENTURy

PARADISE OF THE EARTH

Bengal - Richest and most profitable province

EUROPEAN TRADERS ATTRACTED TO BENGAL

It became a profitable base for their trade and commerce

Most prosperous settlements was the British settlement at Calcutta

PRIVILEGES GRANTED BY THE ‘1717 FARMAN’ Issued by Mughal Emperor

E.I.C. –right to carry duty-

free trade in Bengal i.e.

without paying any taxes to the

government

Right to issue passes or

dastaks for the free movement

of their goods.

Employees of the company

were not entitled to company’s

privilege of duty free trade.

They had to pay taxes.

BATTLE OF PLASSEY (1757)

Fought between Siraj ud Daulah and the British East India Company.

On 23rd June,1757.

Turning point in Indian History

WHO WAS SIRAJ UD DAULAH?

In 1756, Nawab of Bengal

had died.

Alivardi Khan was

Succeeded by his

grandson Siraj ud

Daulah

Wanted to curb the

growing power of the

British

SIRAJ AND BRITISH RELATIONS

Siraj British

Ordered the British to pay taxes

Attack on Nawab’s power

Ordered british and french to dismantle their fortifications as he didn’t want them to become the masters.French agreed.

Thus he wanted to teach them a lesson

They refused to do

so.

British began to

fortify Calcutta ,in

anticipation of a

war with the French

British refused.

CAPTURE OF CALCUTTA BY SIRAJ

Siraj- ud –Daulah captured fort William in June 1756.

RECOVERY OF CALCUTTA Robert Clive reconquered Calcutta by January 1757.

Nawab had to Restore trading

privileges to E.E.I.CConcede(grant) the

right to fortify Calcutta

Siraj had accepted

all the British

demands

The British

wanted to

replace Siraj-ud

–Daulah with a

puppet ruler

CLIVE PLAN’S TO REPLACE SIRAJ-

Made Negotiations with Mir Jafar

Mir Jafar, the commander in Chief of the Nawab’s army was promised to be made the Nawab of Bengal in return for a large amount of money and trading privileges

WAR BECAME INEVITABLE

After a secret treaty was signed

with Mir Jafar British presented with

an impossible set of demands to

siraj.

BATTLE OF PLASSEY- EVENTS

British forces led by Robert Clive

Siraj also advanced

BATTLE OF PLASSEY- EVENTS

However a major part of Nawab’s

army was under Mir Jafar who did

n’t participate

BATTLE OF PLASSEY- EVENTS

Realizing he was

betrayed Siraj fled the

battlefield

But was captured and

put to death

Mir Jafar was

proclaimed the Nawab

of Bengal

RESULTS-BATTLE OF PLASSEY

EEIC got

right to free trade in

Bengal,Bihar and Orissa

Zamindari of the 24

parganas

300 lakh rupees from

Mir Jafar

IMPORTANCE

1.Paved the way for the establishment

of British rule in Bengal and later rest

of India

2.Transformed the trading company

into political power

IMPORTANCE3.Nawab of Bengal- puppet ruler and British – virtual rulers of Bengal

Bengal nawab

IMPORTANCE4.Vast resources of Bengal helped to win Carnatic war and finance military expeditions in other parts of India

REPLACED MIR JAFAR

When Mir Jafar was unable to meet the

demands of the British ,they deposed

him and made his son-in law, Mir

Qasim the new Nawab of Bengal in

1760.

MIR QASIM GAVE THE COMPANY

Zamindari of

the Burdawan,

Midnapur and

Chittagong

district.

BATTLE OF BUXAR (1764)

MIR QASIM

Competent and efficient ruler

Determined to free himself from

foreign control

STEPS TAKEN TO STRENGTHEN HIS POSITION

He improved the financial position of

Bengal

Raised a modern, disciplined and well –

equipped army trained by the Europeans

COMPANY MISUSED TRADE PRIVILEGES

The employees of the company

misused their trade privileges

Sold duty free trade permits to

Indian merchants

Thus deprived the nawab of large revenues

Unfair to those merchants who paid heavy

duties

To put an end to corrupt practices, Mir Qaim

abolished all duties on internal trade for

the British.

WAR OF 1763

Between Mir Qasim and the

British

Nawab was defeated

Mir Jafar reinstated (put back)

on the throne

ALLIANCE MADE BY MIR QASIM

Mir Qasim was determined to recover his

throne

Escaped to Awadh and formed an

Alliance

Alliance- Mir Qasim( Nawab of Bengal) ,

Shuja ud Daulah (Nawab of Awadh) and

Shah Alam II (the Mughal Emperor)

BATTLE OF BUXAR (1764)

Fought in the year 1764

Between the combined forces of the

Alliance and the British troops at

Buxar

The alliance was defeated

IMPORTANCE OF BATTLE OF BUXAR Established British as masters of

Bengal, Bihar and Orissa

Gave them the political control over Awadh and the Mughal emperor

Laid the foundation of the British rule in India

Robert Clive as Governor of Bengal

TREATY OF ALLAHABAD(1765)

Robert Clive signed the Treaty of

Allahabad with Shuja-ud-

Daulah(Nawab of Awadh) and Shah

Alam II in 1765

TERMS FOR NAWAB OF AWADH

Awadh was returned to Shuja ud

daula

2 districts of Kora and Allahabad were

taken away from Shuja ud daula

He had to pay a war indemnity of

50 lakh rupees

TERMS FOR NAWAB OF AWADH

British agreed to defend the nawab

against his enemies

Nawab had to pay for the British

troops

Awadh became a buffer state(a small

state between 2 powerful states that helps

keep peace between them) between Bengal

and Maharashtra

TERMS FOR THE MUGHAL EMPEROR

The British gave Shah Alam II the

districts of Kora and Allahabad

An annual pension of 26 lakh

rupees was also given to him

In return- Shah Alam II granted the

company the Diwani rights of

Bengal, Bihar and Orissa

Diwani rights - Right to collect

revenue and Also judge civil cases

Company’s control over Bengal was

made legal

TERMS FOR NAWAB OF BENGAL

No military and administrative powers i.e.

puppet rulers

In 1765, Mir Jafar died and his son

became the nawab

He signed a treaty with Clive.

The EEIC became real powers of Bengal

from 1765

TREATY WITH THE NEW NAWAB

Nawab had to disband most of his army

Transfer the Nizamat powers( general

administration and criminal justice) to a

Deputy nawab

Deputy nawab was appointed by the

British and could not be dismissed by the

Nawab of Bengal

Nawab’s allowance of 53 lakh

rupees was also reduced.

Thus EEIC became real ruler of

Bengal from 1765.

TREATY WITH THE NEW NAWAB

DUAL GOVERNMENT (1765-72)

Introduced by Robert Clive in

Bengal in 1765

Bengal had Dual Governments

1) the Nawab

2) the company

DUAL GOVERNMENTNawab English east India

company1. General

administration1. Collection of revenue

2. Maintenance of law and order

2. Justice (civil cases)

3. Justice (criminal cases)

3. Defence and military power

Responsibility without power

Power without responsibility

BENGAL FAMINE

Conditions

worsened

One third

population

perished

The company nor

the nawab cared

WARREN HASTINGS

In 1772, court of Directors appointed Warren

hastings as Governor of Bengal

In 1773, the Regulating act introduced the

Governor General as the most important

functionary of the EEIC

Warren Hastings – First governor-general of

British territories in India

END OF DUAL GOVERNMENT Warren Hastings, the governor-general

of British territories in India , abolished it

Bengal was brought under direct and complete control of the Company

Nawab was deposed and pensioned off

Treasury was shifted from Murshidabad to Calcutta (new capital)

WARREN HASTINGS

Competent

administratior

Many reforms introduced

in administration

Laid foundation of

organised system of

Government in Bengal

Period Events

1717 

 FARMAN ISSUED BY MUGHAL EMPEROR

1756    

 

 CAPTURE OF CALCUTTA BY SIRAJ-UD DAULAH

1757   

 BATLE OF PLASSEY BETWEEN BRITISH AND SIRAJ-UD DAULAH

1760   

 MIR QASIM THE NEW NAWAB OF BENGAL1763  

 

 WAR BETWEEN BRITISH AND MIR QASIM 1764  

 BATTLE OF BUXAR BETWWEN THE COMBINED FORCES AND THE BRITISH 

1765  THE TREATY OF ALLAHABAD

1772   

 DUAL GOVERNMENT IN BENGAL INTRODUCED BY CLIVE1773  

WARREN HASTING IS APPOINTED AS THE GOVERNOR GENERAL OF OF THE BRITISH TERRITORIES IN INDIA

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE