Political Background of Colonial Rule in India

Dr. Mohammad Humayun Kabir

 European Traders
Portuguese
• Goa in 1510, Bengla at 1517, Hugli in 1536.By the order of Akbar in 1580 they established permanent
factory at Hugli.
Olandas (Dutch)
• Dutch East India Company was formed in 1602. They made factor at Machilipatnam & Pulicat. In
Bengal- Chuchura, Kaseim Bazar, Baranagar etc. They defeated by English in 1759
Denamar
• Denamar East India Company was formed 1616 and made center at Sreerampur in Bengal
French
• French East India Company was established in 1664 the came in Bengal in 1674 & made center at
Chandannagar, Kasimbazar etc.
The East India Company
• The East India Company (EIC) was founded in December 1600 by a group of businessmen, who
obtained the Crown's charter from Queen Elizabeth I for exclusive permission to trade in the East Indies
for a period of fifteen years.
• They had to fight for the spice trade with the Dutch, but they could not establish a lasting outpost in
the East Indies (modern-day Indonesia and Malaysia).
• Eventually, ships belonging to the EIC arrived in India, docking at Surat, which was established as a
trade transit point in 1608.
 The East India Company
• The company built its first factory in India in the town of Machilipatnam by 1610.
• The company asked the British government to open diplomatic relations with the Mughal Empire
to find an ally against the Dutch.
• James I sent Sir Thomas Roe to the court of the Mughal Emperor, Jahangir, and he gained for the
British the right to establish a factory at Surat
• In 1633, the East India Company set foot in Bengal by establishing a factory at Hariharpur as they
obtained a Farman from Emperor Shajahan permitting them to pursue trade and commerce in
Bengal
• The most important privilege was obtained from the Bengal governor, Shah Suja, who permitted
the English to carry out trade in Bengal without any customs duties, in lieu of an annual lump sum
of just Rs. 3000.
• In 1668, a new factory was opened at Dhaka, the capital of Bengal.
• The founding of Calcutta by Job Charnock in 1690 completed the process of factory settlement
and began the process of establishing political dominance by the company in Bengal.
• The rebellion of Shobha Singh in 1696 offered the company an opportunity to obtain permission
to fortify the Calcutta settlement and thus arrange its own defense.
• The company obtained a farman (1717) from the Emperor Farrukhshiyar, that confirmed the
company's right to duty-free commerce in the country. It also made an additional grant of
zamindari right over thirty eight mouzas around the company's Calcutta zamindari.
 Company’s Conflict with Sirajuddaulah
• Firstly, the British were misusing the trade privileges in Bengal and Sirajuddaula
demanded stricter trade practices from the British

• Secondly, in anticipation of the breaking out of the Seven Years’ War (1756-63),
the British and the French began to fortify their settlements in Bengal without
the Nawab’s permission. The Nawab ordered them to demolish their
fortifications. The French carried out his order, but the British did not pay any
heed to it.

• Lastly, the British lack of respect enraged Sirajuddaula. The British refused to
hand over one of Sirajuddaula’s officers, Krishnadas, whom they were
protecting. They also insulted one of the Nawab’s special envoy to Fort William.
This prompted Sirajuddaula to attack Calcutta and take control of the city and
rename it Alinagar.
Palace Politics at Murshidabad
•Four independent Nawabs ruled the Kingdom of Bengal nearly
for 50 years, & then the region fell at the hands of British East
India Company (BEIC) in 1757 for prolong 190 years.
•Nawab Sharfarz Khan, Murshid Kuli Khan, Alibardi Khan & then
Seraj-ud Daula ruled the prosperous region.
•A fateful battle took place at Palashi that subjugated the
people of Bengal to a long colonial exploitation for which the
British maritime power was gradually planning from previous
century.
• After the battle, the BEIC used Bengal as the hub of flourishing
drugs trade & a springboard for British colonial expansion
across South Asia.
Early British contact
• Besides Bengal silk & textile products, spices & other food items, a
growing trade in opium excited many western travelers & business
minded people from the late 16th century.
• Eclipse of the Mughals at the turn of the 17th century witnessed the
emergence of Patna traders in the regional opium trade.
• In partnership with Dutch, Portuguese & then the English trading
companies, Patna traders started patronizing opium production from the
early 17th century.
• Founded in 1600, the BEIC emerged as a consortium trading company & a
maritime power to eventually get hold of the regional drug trade in
Bengal.
Early British contact
• In 1612, the BEIC founded its business establishment at Surat & then in
1638 in Mumbai in the West Coast. In the following year the British
reached to Madras in the East Coast. Then, the BEIC opened factories in
Hughly, Patna & Kasimbazar by 1658.
• In 1690, the BEIC initially secured trade facilities in Kolkata from the
Mughals by fixing Rs.1,200/- licence fees per year.
• Within eight years, the British purchased Zaminderi rights in Kolkata &
established the Fort William as their business centre.
• In 1717, it renewed trade facilities from Emperor Forrukh Siyer in Delhi
with the payment of Rs.3,000/- licence fees per year.
Conflict between the British & Nawab
• Due to the abuse of trade facilities & evading of taxes by the British
officials, Bengal government was losing vast amount of revenue that
Nawab Murshid Kuli Khan & Alivardi Khan resented.
• Right from the beginning, the BEIC perceived Seraj-ud Daula as a threat
to their illicit trade facilities in Bengal.
• Major European trading companies greeted the new Nawab during his
coronation in 1756, but the BEIC defied to follow suit.
• Moreover, the BEIC sheltered Krisna Das, the son of Raja Rajbollov, who
fled from Dhaka to Kolkata Fort William with huge amount of
exchequer’s money, but the BEIC authority denied to handover him
violating Nawab’s directives.
 Conflict between the British & Nawab
• The British fortification strategies in Kolkata, in violation of the Mughal
dastak, sparked conflict with the Bengal authority.
• In the pretext of Seven Years War in Europe, the French & British
companies increased their military might in Chandannagar & Kolkata
respectively.
• The defiance of Nawab’s order to stop fortification by Governor Drake at
the Fort William agitated the young Nawab.
• To punish the BEIC leaders, Nawab Siraj-ud Daula captured Kashimbazar
military base in a four days campaign in June 1756.
• Evicting the British from Fort William, Nawab Seraj-ud Daula returned to
Murshidabad by leaving Manik Chand as a protector.
The British Appetite for drug money
• The British intent to capture political power in Bengal was primarily
responsible by their trade interest in opium. Three credible evidences
are as follows:
• In March 1757, in an official letter to Fort William, P. Godfrey
indicated that: ‘The East India Company had achieved exclusive
control over the opium trade on the West Coast by October 1754, &
had ‘prohibited’ all other parties ‘from trading therein’.
• Along with the achieving of control over the drug supplies along Diu,
Daman & Mumbai [Bombay], the BEIC was planning to bring a similar
control in Bengal opium trade thereafter.
The British Appetite for drug money
• The second evidence to correlate Battle of Palashi & the regional
opium trade was given by the eminent botanical researcher George
Watt (1891) where he said:
• ‘the attack of Nawab Seraj-ud Daula over the Kashimbazar military
base in 1756, & the disruption in the supply of opium from the Patna
Opium dealers’ to the British East India Company, led to the Battle of
Plassey in the following year’.
• For taking revenge & coming back to the market, the BEIC authority
forged conspiracy with traitors within the Nawabs court for capturing
throne at Murshidabad.
 The British Appetite for drug money
• The third evidence in reference to opium trade with the Battle of Palashi
was provided by a business Scottish adventurer James Finlay (1894),
where he noted: ‘The destruction of the English settlements by
Sura-jud-Daula in 1756 drove the English merchants out of the market;
and in defiant of competitors, the native dealers were compelled to
dispose of their opium to the Dutch at Rs.70 a maund. This low rate led to
the cultivation being greatly restricted’.
• Evidences provided above indicate that the primary reason for the Battle
of Palashi was directly related to the British trade interests in opium.
Plots of the Battle of Conspiracy
• After the death of Nawab Alivardi Khan, his grandson Seraj-ud Daula
became the Nawab of Bengal in April 1756.
• Power conflict immediately erupted between the young Nawab & the
BEIC on financial interests.
• Fort George Council from Madras, on 13 October 1756, ordered BEIC
leaders to conspire with irritant members of Nawab’s Court.
• Leaders of the BEIC conspired with the Commander of the Army Mir Jafar
Ali Khan & offered Yar Latif Khan to take power with the British help
ousting the Nawab Seraj-ud Daula.
• Business tycoons' Jagat Seth, Raja Raj Ballav, & Omichund also took part
in the conspiracy.
Plots of the Battle of Conspiracy
• In an early attempt, conspirators led by Ghasheti Begum, Raidurlov &
Jagat Seth had supported Shaukat Jang to capture power ousting
Nawab Alivardi Khan.
• Becoming Nawab, Seraj attacked Purnia & killed Shawkat Jang in May
1756 & arrested his aunty Ghasheti Begum as reprisal.
• In a sudden attack at Fort William in June 1756, Nawab captured 123
British soldiers & put them in a 14X18 feet room, as many of them
died at night came to be known as “Black Hole” tragedy.
• Madras Board of Governors sent Colonel Robert Clive & Admiral
Watson to recapture Kolkata & they managed to succeed by
negotiating with Manik Chand.
 Plots of the Battle of Conspiracy
• After regaining Kolkata, the BEIC insisted the Nawab through Mir Jafar Ali
Khan for signing the Alinagar Treaty on 9 February 1757.
• Convinced by the threat posture raised by Mir Jafar about the Afghan
invasion by Ahmed Shah Abdali, who had attacked Delhi in 1739, Nawab
Seraj-ud Daula accepted the British demands to compensate for the
damage incurred to their Kolkata possession.
• Then, BIEC signed a secret agreement with Mir Jafar at Amjurpi in Kushtia
on 5 June 1757.
• He accepted the conditions on behalf of the conspirators: Jagat Seth,
Omichund, Lutfi Khan & Kadam Hossain etc.
Seditious battle at Palashi:
• In his book The Art of War, Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) had
suggested a seditious war strategy that: ‘A Captain should endeavour
by every means to divide the forces of the enemy, either making him
suspicious of his own men over whom he has complete trust, or by
explaining him reason why he should dispersed his forces, & by doing
this become weaker.’
• ‘Machiavelli taught Europe the art of war; it had long been practiced,
without being known’ – Voltaire.
• In Bengal, Robert Clive conspired with the irritant members of the
Nawab’s palace, including the Army Chief & business leaders to
create such a dismay in Bengal palace politics.
Seditious battle at Palashi:
• Clive’s war plan got approval by the BEIC Select Committee in Madras
on 11 June & after two days he advanced to Murshidabad with an
army of 3,200.
• War Council signalled ‘immediate action’ on 21 June & Mir Jafar Ali
Khan, Commander of the Bengal Army, invited Robert Clive at
midnight to launch attack in the morning.
• In line with the secret deal between Clive & Mir Jafar, War started on
23 June, leaving 50,000 thousand strong Bengal Army in a state of
confusion.
 Seditious Battle at Palashi
• Taking one third soldiers under their commands, Mir Mardan & Mohonlal
fought courageously, but Mir Jafar, Yar Latif, Ray Durlab with the rest
forces remained inactive.
• Due to geostrategic reason, however, forty French marine soldiers with
their canons fought courageously against the British troops at Palashi.
• The British troops were facing hard time & planning to flee from the battle
field in darkness after sun set.
• Nevertheless, the death of Mohonlal by enemy gunfire at 3:00pm,
changed the scenario & Mir Jafar’s hidden plan was executed by Nawab’s
order to stop the battle instantly.
Seditious battle at Palashi:
• At the time of troops withdrawal, the BIEC forces attacked the
scattered soldiers & by 5:00pm the battle was over.
• Being defeated, on his way to Rajmahal, the Nawab Seraj-ud Daula
was captured by Miron, the son of Mir Jafar Ali Khan, & killed by
Mohammodi Beg.
• The defeat of Nawab was political in nature, with conspiracy & deceit
maintained by the ‘Fifth Column’ within the palace.
• Mir Jafar became the Nawab of Bengal, but the excessive dominance
of the BEIC over his authority pushed him to conspire with the Dutch
East India Company for self-defence.
Ensuing wars at Bidera & Buxar
• In the Battle of Biderra at Hughly on 25 November 1759, the British &
Dutch troops fought face to face, the later being in support of the
Nawab’s army.
• Following the defeat of Mir Jafar, his son in law Mir Qasim was installed
as a puppet Nawab by the British.
• Like Mir Jafar, however, Mir Qasim also became sick of British control &
decided to consolidate his power & authority.
Ensuing wars at Bidera & Buxar
• To increase revenue, Mir Qasim tried to force the BEIC employees to
pay taxes for their private trade, which they were appropriating for
personal wealth.
• Being unable to do so, he granted equal free trade facilities to the
local traders that angered the BEIC authority & led to the outbreak of
Buxar War.
• At Buxar, the joint forces of Mir Qasim, Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II
& the Nawab of Awadh Shuja-ud-Daulah were defeated by the British
on 22 October 1764 ending the resistance war by Nawabs.
Concluding Remarks
• The very reason that aspired the BEIC to invade the Kingdom of
Bengal was their greed to make money out of the flourishing regional
drug trade.
• For attaining their strategic goals, the British used every conceivable
means, including conspiracy, deceit & hypocrisy & managed to
capture power at Murshidabad in Bengal.
• Following the colonial takeover, the BEIC authority pursued
plundering by every possible ways for making their fortune in England
with Bengal resources.
 The Battle of Palashi
• Robert Clive, the Governor of the Company came to a secret agreement with the Murshidabad
Darbar faction, who opposed the young Nawab.
• Mir-Jafar, the Bakhshi of the Nawab, was chosen to be the next Nawab of Bengal. Then Clive’s
forces met those of Sirajuddaula at Palashi on 23 June 1757.
• Mir Mardan, Mohanlal, Khwaja Abdul Hadi Khan, Naba Singh Hazari and a few others put up a
brave resistance, while others under Mir-Jafar, Yar Latif and Ray Durlabh Ram avoided any
serious involvement.
• The British had not expected even this much resistance and it was reported that at one point Clive
had thought of retreating. However, around three in the afternoon, things took a turn for the better
for the British when Mir Mardan was struck by a cannon ball and killed.
• Siraj then sought the help of Mir-Jafar, who advised the Nawab to suspend action for the day in order
to renew his efforts the next day.
• This message was also relayed to Clive who, upon finding the Nawab’s men in retreat, launched a
fresh assault on them.
• The battle was over by afternoon with Clive marching towards Sirajuddaula’s capital city,
Murshidabad.
• The Causes of defeated
 Company Rule
• After the battle of Palashi, the East India Company ruled Bengal through a series of puppet rulers,
such as Mir-Jafar, Mir Qaseim, Nazumddula, Saifuddoula.
• The Diwani Treaty, negotiated by Clive after the war of Buxar in 1764, allowed the region to be
governed by collaborators including Mir-Jafar and Mir-Kaseem in return for surplus revenues which
were channeled to the company.
• From 1765 to 1772, the company shared revenues from Bengal but took no responsibility in
administering it. This system came to be known as ‘dual administration’.

The Famine of 1176 (1769-70) Causes & Consequences

• The Regulating Act of 1773 (GG, 4 Council Member)
• Warren Hasting appointed Governor-General
• Abolished Dastak System(tobacco, salt & betel-nut)
Land Revenue
• Five Year Plan- Yearly plan
• Then in 1784, the British government passed the India Act and took direct control of the Indian
possessions. It appointed a Governor-General, who would have control of the three presidencies.
There would also be provincial governors and a Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.
• To establish an English-style land revenue system in Bengal, Cornwallis introduced the Permanent
Settlement in 1793.
 The war of Independence of 1857
• The Causes
- Political Causes - The administrative reforms of Cornwallis, Dalhousi’s `Doctrine of Lapse’, The mistreatment of the
Mughal emperor
- Economic Causes - The grievances of the land-holding classes, excessive taxation, Privilege of the British in Trading
and Business
- Religious Causes- Activities of the Missionaries
- Military Causes - Discontented among the Sepoys, Introduction of Anfield Rifle
• Events of the war
- Rebellion spreads to region of Bengal - The war started at Barrackpur under the leadership of Mangal Pandey on 29
March 1857 and soon spread to Meerut, Delhi and other parts of India. In November 1857, the Native Infantry of
Chittagong rose in open rebellion and released all prisoners from jail
- Military sent to stop rebellion
- Trials -Most of the fugitives were, however, arrested and put up for summary trial by a hurriedly constituted Court
Martial. Of the accused sepoys, 11 were sentenced to death and the rest were sentenced to life imprisonment.
• Reasons for the failure of the uprising - Lack of unity - British strengths
• The Outcome
- The Company rule ended with the British Government taking over the administration, Muslims lost much
of the influence and power, Hindus filled the vacuum
• Different interpretations of the war- To Indian historians, it was the first war of independence against the
British - To the British, the events of 1857 are known as ‘The Indian Mutiny’
 British Rule (1858- 1947)
• The Partition of Bengal, 1905
Reasons - The province of Bengal was a huge area, having a population 3 times that of Britain itself - The British
found it too large to administer efficiently - Curzon partitioned Bengal by detaching east Bengal from the
province, and added it to Assam to form a new province of East Bengal, with Dhaka as the capital.
Reactions - The Muslims of East Bengal welcomed it, but the Hindus reacted negatively - The Muslim league was
formed in 1906 - Swadeshi movement started in protest - The British government reverted it in 1911
• Lahore Resolution
- At the annual session of the Muslim League held in Lahore on 22 March 1940, the premier of Bengal, Fazl-ul-Haq,
put forward the resolution
- The demand was:
“no constitutional plan would be workable in this country or acceptable to Muslims unless it is designed on the
following basic principles, viz., that regions in which the Muslims are numerically a majority, as in the
north-western and eastern zone of India, should be grouped to constitute independent states in which the
constituent units shall be autonomous and sovereign”
• The Partition of India, 1947
- The Cripps Mission in 1941 proposed an independent Indian Dominion, with provision for provinces to opt out
from it- In 1942 Congress started the Quit India movement -In the elections held in 1946, Muslim league won 87%
of the Muslim vote, while the Congress got 91% of the non-Muslims - The Cabinet Mission in 1946 proposed three
groups of states in post British India including one in Bengal and Assam
- But it was rejected and finally the British left India giving birth to 2 different States, India & Pakistan