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Lesson : Colonialism in India

Paper: Foundations of Colonial

Rule in India- Consolidation of British Power
Lesson Author: Dr. Rajneesh Kumar Gupta
College/Dept: Motilal Nehru College
University of Delhi

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi

Table of Contents
Chapter 5: Foundations of Colonial Rule in India- Consolidation of British Power
 5.0: Introduction
 5.1: British East India Company and European Challengers
 5.1.1: Portuguese
 5.1.2: Dutch
 5.1.3: French
 5.2: British Expansion and Indian Powers
 5.2.1: Mughal
 5.2.1.1: Battle of Plassey
 5.2.1.2: Battle of Buxar
 5.2.2: Sikhs
 5.2.2.1: First Anglo-Sikh War 1845-46
 5.2.2.2: Second Anglo-Sikh War 1848-49
 5.2.3: Maratha
 5.2.3.1: First Anglo-Maratha War 1775-82
 5.2.3.2: Second Anglo-Maratha War 1803-05
 5.2.3.3: Third Anglo-Maratha War 1817-19
 5.2.4: Mysore- Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan
 5.2.4.1: First Anglo-Mysore War 1767-69
 5.2.4.2: Second Anglo-Mysore War 1781-84
 5.2.4.3: Third Anglo-Mysore War 1790-92
 5.2.4.4: Fourth Anglo-Mysore War 1799
 5.3: British Expansion- Subsidiary Alliance and Doctrine of Lapse
 5.3.1: Subsidiary Alliance
 5.3.2: Doctrine of Lapse
 5.4: End of Company Rule
 Summary
 Exercises
 Glossary
 References

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5.0 Introduction
The British conquer of India during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were more than
a victory of powerful nation or rule of „superior people‟. In fact, England, a tiny country both
in terms of population and territorial size, could occupy and master a big country like India,
with such an ancient culture due to a solid strategy.

Map 5. 1
British Indian Empire 1909 Imperial Gazetteer of India

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Anglo-
Maratha_War#mediaviewer/File:British_Indian_Empire_1909_Imperial_Gazetteer_of
_India.jpg accessed on 16 August 2013

“The British succeeded in dominating India by a succession of fortuitous

circumstances and lucky flukes. With remarkably little effort, considering the
glittering prize, they won a great empire and enormous wealth, which helped to
make them the leading power in the world.”
Jawaharlal Nehru (The Discovery of India, 276)

5.1 British East India Company and European Challengers

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The British came here as a trader and in due course of time they became our ruler. The
story of British conquest to India begins with the foundation of the British East India
Company in 1600.

The East India Company was granted a royal charter by Queen Elizabeth-I on 31 December
1600. The royal charter granted monopoly of all trade from England to the East and was
permitted, even in an age dominated by mercantilist ideas, to carry bullion out of the
country to finance its trade. It was not, however, given any overt mandate at that time to
carry on conquest or colonization (Bandyopadhyay: 2004, 37).

Did you Know 5.1

The World’s First Limited Liability Corporation
“The British East India Company was a joint stock company of London merchants. It
was established with 125 shareholders and £72,000 of capital. Sir Thomas Smythe
was the Company‟s first Governor. Elizabeth also limited the liability of the EIC‟s
investors as well as her liabilities in granting a Royal Charter. This made The
Company the world‟s first limited liability corporation.”
Source: http://www.theeastindiacompany.com/ accessed on 19 July 2013

Image 5. 1
Sir Thomas Smythe: First Governor of the East India Company

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 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sir_Thomas_Smythe.jpg accessed on 17
July 2013

The East India Company‟s first voyage to India departed in 1601 in the command of Sir
James Lancaster. Lancaster intended to trade lead, Iron, and British cloth for Spices but he
couldn‟t get much success. The Company formally started trading in India from 1613. A
farman from Mughal emperor Jahangir gave them permission to establish their factories or
warehouses in India, the first factory being set up in Surat in the western coast. In 1617
Jahangir received Sir Thomas Roe as a resident English envoy in his court. This was the
modest beginning from where the Company gradually extended its trading activities to other
parts of India, with Bombay, Calcutta and Madras emerging as three major centres of its
activities (Bandyopadhyay: 2004, 37). However, they didn‟t have a smooth passage to India
and had to face other European powers to establish their trade monopoly as well as political
expansion in India.

Image 5. 2
Sir James Lancaster: Commander of the First Voyage to India

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 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lancaster accessed on 23 July 2013

5.1.1 Portuguese

The Portuguese were the first European power to enter into the arena of Indian trade. Vasco
da Gama reached Calicut, on the Malabar Coast, in 1498, after discovering a new sea route
through the Atlantic to India. The Portuguese dominated the Indian trade throughout the
sixteenth century. However, after arrival of the British in India they suffered badly. The
British defeated Portuguese in 1611 and 1620. The Portuguese hold on India further
declined when, in 1634, they entered into an agreement with the British for a good
commercial relationship. This was followed by two other treaties between these two powers
in 1654 and 1661 respectively, which guaranteed the British right to the eastern trade.
Consequently, except Goa, Daman, Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli Portuguese virtually lost
their interest in the Indian trade (Pradhan: 2008, 9-10).

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 Video 5.1
Biography of Vasco da Gama
http://www.biography.com/people/vasco-da-gama-9305736
Source: http://www.biography.com/people/vasco-da-gama-9305736 accessed on
9 August 2013

5.1.2 Dutch

The Dutch were another major European power in India. The Dutch East India Company
was set up in 1602. In the way of British establishment in India they were a major
challenger. Initially, a warlike situation developed when a large fleet of Dutch ships reached
Swally, near Surat, forcing the British to suspend their trade at Surat. However, by 1667
they reached an agreement by which the Dutch agreed not to interfere with the English
settlement in India as a quid pro quo of the British surrender of all claims of trade in
Indonesia. Gradually, the Dutch lost more ground when their naval expedition to Hugli failed
in 1675. Their position further weakened, and by 1695 and Dutch were finally expelled from
India by the British (Pradhan: 2008, 10).

Image 5. 3
A View of Chinsura the Dutch settlement in Bengal

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Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:A_View_of_Chinsura_the_Dutch_settlement_in_Ben
gal.jpg accessed on 27 July 2013

Interesting facts 5.1

Dutch Coins
Dutch operated several mints, at Cochin, Masulipattam, Nagapatam (or Negapatam),
Pondicherry and Pulicat. The coins were all modeled on the local coinages. Below is
an image of a coin issued at the Dutch mint at Pulicat. A careful observation reveals
that the coin carries an image of Lord Venkateswara, a form of the Hindu god
Vishnu.

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 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dutch-pagoda-Pulicat.jpg accessed on 24
July 2013

5.1.3 French

The third European power that competed with the British was France. Though it was a
latecomer to India, it did put up a tough rivalry and even fought with the British for the
control over the trade, capital and territory of India. The French East India Company was
established in 1664 and had its base in Chandernagore near Calcutta and Podicherry. They
also had some establishments at several ports on the east and the west coasts. Position of
the French East India Company was further strengthened in India when they occupied island
of Mauritius and Reunion in the Indian Ocean (Chandra: 2009, 61). By the 1740s the
British and French emerged as main rival powers in India. The British conflict with the
French is known as the Carnatic Wars which covered a period of twenty years from 1744 to
1764 (Pradhan: 2008, 10). The crucial battle of the war was fought at Wandiwash on 22
January 1760 when the British General, Eyre Coot, defeated French. In 1763 the Treaty of
Paris was signed between British and French. As a result of the treaty the French factories
were restored but they could serve only as centres of trade; and now the French lived in
India under British protection. The English, on the other hand, ruled the Indian sea
(Chandra: 2009, 64). The French East India Company was formally wound up in 1769. In a
way that marked the end of French attempt to take over the Indian trade from the British
hand (Pradhan: 2008, 11).
Image 5. 4
French India postage stamps

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 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:French_India_postage_stamps.jpg
accessed on 19 July 2013

Did You Know 5.2

French Rule in Puducherry
The Union Territory of Puducherry comprises four enclaves in three South Indian
States. It includes towns of Pondicherry and Karaikal in Tamil Nadu, Yanam in
Andhra Pradesh and Mahe in Kerala. French occupied these territories since
seventeenth century and ss a result of „Treaty of Paris‟ these areas were remained
under the control of French. “There was a popular movement in these areas and in
1946, the French India Congress was formed with the objective of integrating the
French possessions with India. A treaty of cession was signed by the two countries in
May 1956. It was ratified by the French Parliament in May 1962. On 16 August 1962
India and France exchanged the instruments of ratification under which France ceded
to India's full sovereignty over the territories it held. Pondicherry and other enclaves
of Karaikkal, Mahe and Yanam came to be administered as Union Territory of
Pondicherry from 1 July 1963” (PIB).
Source: http://pib.nic.in/feature/feyr98/fe0898/f1808986.html accessed on 29
July 2013

5.2 British Expansion and Indian Powers

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With depart of the French from Indian territories (except Pondicherry and its constituent
parts), the British succeeded in eliminating all three major European rivals from India which
left a free field for them alone. During their struggle with other European rivals and their
Indian allies, the British learnt a few important and valuable lessons which were crucial for
their expansion in India. First, in the absence of a concrete nationalist idea in India, they
could precede their political aspirations by taking advantage of the mutual quarrels of Indian
rulers. Second, the western skilled infantry, armed with modern sophisticated weapons and
backed by artillery could defeat the old-style Indian armies with ease in pitched battles.
Third, British realized that by providing European style training they can get good soldiers in
India itself. As there was lack of feeling of nationalism in general British could rely on them.
Thus the British now set out to crate a powerful army consisting of Indian soldiers, called
sepoys, working under instruction of British officers (Chandra: 2009, 64). Now, the British
East India Company embarked on an era of wars and territorial expansion.

5.2.1 Mughal

The Mughal Empire was founded by Zahiruddin Babur in 1526 and reached to its full glory in
the later part of the sixteenth century at the period of Emperor Akbar. However, the Mughal
empire began to decline rapidly since the reign of its last great ruler Aurangzeb. After death
of Aurangzeb in 1707, Mughal dynasty witnessed recurrent wars of succession. Further, the
Mughal army was weakened because of lack of military reforms, adoption of new technology
and more importantly non availability of loyal commanders. This weakening of the Mughal
military power encouraged internal rebellions and invited foreign invasions. (Bandyopadhyay:
2004, 1). “Attacks by Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali, drained the empire of its wealth,
ruined its trade and industry in the north, and almost destroyed its military power. Bengal and
Awadh became virtually independent from the Mughals, Hyderabad emerged another regional
power in the South. On the other hand, emergence of the Maratha and the Sikh were major
blow to centralized authority of the Mughals. None of the Indian powers rose to claim the
heritage of the Great Mughals for they were strong enough to destroy the empire but not strong
enough to unite it or to create anything new in its place” (Chandra: 2009, 17). This created
enough space for the British to take advantages of the situation and consolidate their power in
the Indian territories. Territorial expansion of the British started from battle of Plassey and battle
of Buxar and by 1803, Delhi itself was occupied by the British army and „the proud Mughal
emperor was reduced to the status of a mere pensioner of the British‟ (Chandra: 2009, 1).

5.2.1.1: Battle of Plassey

In the wake of the decline of Mughal central authority, Bengal- one of the most fertile and
the richest of India‟s provinces in eighteenth century became virtually independent. Murshid
Quli Khan was appointed as the Governor of Bengal in 1717 by the Mughal emperor. Soon
he, for all practical purposes, became his own master, though he continued to send a tribute
to the Mughal court. He died in 1727 and was succeeded by Suja-ud-din who, in turn, was
succeeded by Alivardi Khan, an army commander, in 1739. Alivardi Khan stopped paying
tribute to Delhi and made all official appointments on his own. After his death in 1756, he
was succeeded by his grandson Siraj-ud-daula (Pradhan: 2008, 5). In 1717 the Mughal
emperor issued a royal farman to the East India Company. By this farman the company
obtained the freedom to export and import their goods in Bengal without paying taxes and
the right to issue passes or dastaks for the movement of such goods. Over the period of
time this farman became a continuous source of quarrel between the Company and the
Nawabs of Bengal. This quarrel reached to the critical juncture as the British began to fortify

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Calcutta and also imposed heavy duties on Indian goods entering to territories which were
under their control after their victory over French in South India. Nawab of Bengal Siraj-ud-
daula opposed these moves of the Company and asked them to honour the farman of 1717
with true spirit. However, the British refused to do so. This resulted in conflict between the
Company and Nawab Siraj-ud-daula in 1756. „The Nawab‟s army made initial success and
they seized the English factory at Kasimbazar and occupied Fort William on 20 June 1756.
But the Company reoccurred Calcutta in the beginning of 1757 with the help of strong naval
and military force under Colonel Clive‟ (Chandra: 2009, 64-66).

Video 5.2
Battle of Plassey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwgF2-C83hc
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwgF2-C83hc accessed on 17 August
2013

Final assault on the rule of the Nawab Siraj-ud-daula occurred on 23 June 1757 at the
Battle of Plassey. “It was a battle only in name lasted no more than a few hours, and indeed
the outcome of the battle had been decided long before the soldiers came to the battlefield.
In all the British lost 29 men while the Nawab lost nearly 500. The major part of the
Nawab‟s army, led by the traitors Mir Jafar and Rai Durlabh, took no part in the fighting.
Only a small group of the Nawab‟s soldiers led by Mir Madan and Mohan Lal fought bravely
and well. The Nawab was forced to flee and was captured and put to death by Mir Jafar‟s so
Miran” (Chandra: 2009, 67). The battle of Plassey was of immense historical importance
and marked the beginning of political supremacy of the English East India Company in
India.
Image 5.5
Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey

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 Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Clive.jpg accessed
on 19 July 2013

Did You Know 5.2

Plassey plunder
Immediately after the war the English army and navy each received the hefty sums
of £275,000 for distribution among their members. Apart from that, between 1757
and 1760, the Company received Rs 22.5 million from Mir Jafar; Clive himself got in
1759 a personal jagir worth £34,567. So far as the Company was concerned, it
brought in a major change in the structure of its trade. Prior to 1757 the English
trade in Bengal was largely financed through import of bullion from England; but
after that year not only bullion import stopped, but bullion was exported from Bengal
to China and other parts of India, which gave a competitive advantage to the English
Company over its European rivals. On the other hand, for the Company officials
Plassey opened the gates to make personal fortunes, not only through direct
extortion, but also through rampant abuse of dastaks for their private trade.
Source: (Bandyopadhyay: 2004, 44)

5.2.1.2: Battle of Buxar

After the battle of Plassey, Mir Jafar became ruler of Bengal but soon he realized that it was
impossible to meet the full demands of the Company and its officials who, on their part,
began to criticize the Nawab for his incapacity in fulfilling their expectations. And so, in
October 1760, they forced him to abdicate in favour of his son-in-law Mir Kasim. However,
he belied British hopes, and soon emerged as a threat to their position and designs in
Bengal. „In December 1763 Mir Kasim fled from Bengal and formed a grand alliance with the
Mughal emperor Shah Alam II and Shuja-ud-daula of Awadh. But their combined army was
routed at the Battle of Buxar on 22 October 1764. This was one of the most decisive battles
of Indian history for it demonstrated the superiority of British arms over the combined army
of two of the major Indian powers. It firmly established the British as masters of Bengal,
Bihar and Orissa and placed Awadh at their mercy‟ (Chandra: 2009, 69-70).

Video 5.3
Battle of Buxar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TkNDMkp84g
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TkNDMkp84g accessed on 25 July
2013

Image 5.6
Battle of Buxar

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 Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/72/Battle_of_Buxar_-
Crown_and_company-_Arthur_Edward_Mainwaring_pg_144.jpg accessed on 25 July
2013

5.2.2 Sikhs

The Sikhs were another group of people who built up a powerful state in Punjab in the
eighteenth century. Maharaja Ranjit Singh built up a powerful state by the first decade of
the nineteenth century. During his lifetime there was no major tension with the British as
the Company wanted to maintain the Sikh state as a buffer between its north Indian
possessions on the one end and the Muslim powers in Persia and Afghanistan on the other.
But after death of Ranjit Singh, Punjab became politically unstable. A number of people
ascended the throne in quick succession and the whole region was plunged into prolonged
and bloody succession battles. Continuous political instability made that scheme unworkable
and the company wanted to impose direct British rule (Bandyopadhyay: 2004, 56-58).
There were two major wars between the Company and Sikhs before the signing the
document of annexation by Maharaja Dalip Singh on 29 March 1849.

Image 5. 7
Maharaja Ranjit Singh

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 Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranjit_Singh#mediaviewer/File:Maharaj_Ranjit_Singh.j
pg accessed on 4 June 2014

5.2.2.1: First Anglo-Sikh War 1845-46

The first Anglo-Sikh war began with the declaration of war on the state of Lahore by Lord
Hardinge on 13 December 1845. The Sikh army was defeated largely because of failure of
leadership and treachery of some of the sardars. The war ended with the „Treaty of Lahore‟
in March 1846. As a consequence of the treaty Jalandhar Doab was annexed by the British
and Kashmir was given to Raja Ghulab Singh Dogra of Jammu. The size of the Lahore army
was reduced, and an English army was stationed there. Dalip Singh was to retain his throne,
but was to be advised and guided by an English Resident (Bandyopadhyay: 2004, 58).

Image 5.8
First Anglo-Sikh War

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 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Anglo-
Sikh_War#mediaviewer/File:British_troops_crossing_the_Sutlej_(Punjab)_in_boats._
10_February_1846.jpg accessed on 4 June 2014

5.2.2.2: Second Anglo-Sikh War 1848-49

The Second Anglo-Sikh War took place in 1848-1849. The war resulted in the subjugation of
the Sikh Empire, and the annexation of the Punjab. Subsequently, these territories became
the North-West Frontier Province by the East India Company.
Video 5.4
Second Anglo-Sikh War and Maharaja Dalip Singh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cXkHT46Twc
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cXkHT46Twc accessed on 22 August
2013

5.2.3 Maratha

The Maratha Kingdom was initially set up by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1674, who had
started his political career as a rebel against the Mughals. As Mughal empire was rapidly
declining after death of Aurangzeb, the Marathas took hold of greater territories and by the
time that the British became established power in India, the Marathas controlled much of
central India. Initially, the British were on good relations with some of the Marathas. But as
they were increasing there territorial control, conflict with Marathas was inescapable.
However, by the time that the British became involved with the Marathas, they were a loose
grouping of five ruling families- the Peshwas of Pune, the Sindhias of Gwalior, the Holkars of

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Indore, the Gaekwads of Baroda, and the Bhonsles of Nagpur. There were three major wars
between the East India Company and Marathas.

Image 5. 9
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj: Founder of Maratha Kingdom

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shivaji#mediaviewer/File:Shivaji_british_meusium.jpg
accessed on 4 June 2014

5.2.3.1: First Anglo-Maratha War 1775-82

The first Maratha War arose from a clash among two aspirants for a vacant Peshwa.
Raghunath Rao sought British help for becoming the Peshwa, as he was facing opposition
from the Council of Regency headed by Nana Phadnavis. In March 1775 Raghunath Rao's
forces were defeated in Gujarat, and a combined British army from Madras and Bombay
arrived in his rescue. An inconclusive treaty of Purandar in 1776 offered a number of
concessions to the Company in return for its withdrawal of support for Raghunath Rao. But
the treaty was not ratified by the authorities at Bengal and war was resumed again in 1777.
Meanwhile the Maratha forces had regrouped under Nana Fadnis, Sindhia and Holkar and
inflicted a crushing defeat on the British at Wadgaon (1779). By 1781 he and the Bhonsle
family had formed a grand alliance with the nizam and Haidar Ali against the British. But the
inconclusive First Anglo-Maratha War ended in 1782 through the Treaty of Salbai
(Bandyopadhyay: 2004, 53). The treaty recognized Madhav Rao Narayan as the real
Peshwa. On the other hand, the British acquired control of Salsette and Bassein and also
established a foothold in the internal conflicts of Indian states (Pradhan: 2008, 16-17).

5.2.3.2: Second Anglo-Maratha War 1803-05

The second Anglo-Maratha war was erupted on the issue of British offer of „subsidiary
alliance‟ to the Marathas. The problem began in 1802 as the Peshwa Baji Rao II accepted
the British offer of subsidiary alliance by signing the Treaty of Bassein. According to this
treaty, the Peshwa had to pay a huge sum as subsidy. Besides, he agreed not to enter into

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any alliance with any other power without British consent. However, the Treaty of Bassein
was rejected by the Maratha chiefs which led to the second Anglo-Maratha War (1803-05).
Consequently, the treaties of subordination were imposed on a number of tributaries of the
Marathas. Besides, most of the territories controlled by Sindhia, including Delhi and Agra,
were taken over by the British. Moreover, the British acquired the right to be the final
arbiter in any disputes among the Maratha houses (Pradhan: 2008, 17).

5.2.3.3: Third Anglo-Maratha War 1817-19

The third and the final phase of the struggle set to began with the coming of Lord Hastings
as Governor-General in 1813. He initiated the new policy of "paramountcy", which privileged
the interests of the Company as a paramount power over those of other powers in India and
to protect such interests the Company could legitimately annex or threaten to annex the
territories of any Indian state. Peshwa Baji Rao II around this time made a desperate last
attempt to regain his independence from the British by rallying the Maratha chiefs. The
outcome of the third Anglo-Maratha was fatal to the Maratha. The British took complete
control over the peshwa's dominions and peshwaship itself was abolished. Significant parts
of the territories of Bhonsle and Holkar were also ceded to the Company, while they entered
into alliance of subordination. Moreover, irregular soldiers of Maratha- known as the
Pindaris, were thoroughly crushed (Bandyopadhyay: 2004, 54-55).

Image 5.10
Anglo-Maratha War

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Anglo-
Maratha_War#mediaviewer/File:Indian_Camp_Scene.jpg accessed on 4 June 2014

5.2.4 Mysore- Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan

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After the disintegration of the Vijayanagar Empire the state of Mysore emerged as an
important centre of power in south India. In 1761, Haidar Ali established his authority over
the Mysore state. Though, uneducated, he possessed a keen intellect and was a man of
great energy, daring and determination. He was also a brilliant commander and a shrewd
diplomat. His son, Tipu Sultan was also a great warrior and visionary. They recognized
importance of use of technology and training in military establishment and posed major
challenge in the British conquest (Chandra: 2009, 27-29). There were four wars that took
place between the British and Mysore State between 1767 and 1799, when Mysore was
finally taken over by the British.
Map 5.2
Area’s of Hyder’s Dominance

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HyderAliDominions1780max.jpg
accessed on 16 August 2013

5.2.4.1: First Anglo-Mysore War 1767-69

The First Anglo-Mysore occurred during 1767-69, when Haider Ali, with the support of the
Marathas and the Nizam of Hyderabad attacked the British near Madras and forced them to
sign an alliance treaty with Mysore. The treaty provided that they would support each other
in case of a third party attack (Pradhan: 2008, 16).

5.2.4.2: Second Anglo-Mysore War 1781-84

The Second Anglo-Mysore War broke out in 1781 when the British succeeded in subduing
Haider Ali by neutralising the Marathas and the Nizam. Haider Ali died in 1782 and was
succeeded by his son Tipu Sultan. Tipu Sultan continued the war and forced the British to
sign the Treaty of Mangalore which gave him a temporary respite. When Lord Cornwallis
became the Governor-General he managed to bring the Marathas and the Nizam on his side
(Pradhan: 2008, 16).

5.2.4.3: Third Anglo-Mysore War 1790-92

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The Third Anglo-Mysore War started when Tipu Sultan attacked Travancore State which was
allied to the British. The war continued from 1790 to 1792 in which Tipu ultimately
surrendered half of his territory to the British. Lord Wellesley hoped that Tipu would also
come under „subsidiary alliance‟ but he never agreed to that. Instead, he worked incessantly
to strengthen his forces for the inevitable struggle with the British. He entered into
negotiations for an alliance with Revolutionary France. He sent missions to Afghanistan,
Arabia and Turkey to forge an anti-British alliance (Chandra: 2009, 77-78).

5.2.4.4: Fourth Anglo-Mysore War 1799

The fourth and final Anglo-Mysore war erupted in 1799 when the British army made a
sudden attack while he was still waiting for French help. Though British victory was almost
clear, Tipu still refused to beg for peace on humiliating term and proudly declared that “it
was better to die like a soldier, than to live a miserable dependent on the infidels, in the list
of their pensioned rajas and nabobs”. He sacrificed his lfe on 4 May 1799 while defending
his capital Serigapatam (Chandra: 2009, 77-78). After his death, Tipu's dominions were
divided between the Nizam and the British. The British restored the Wodeyar dynasty, but
Mysore lost its independence and became a British dependency (Pradhan: 2008, 16).

Video 5.5
Tipu Sultan: Final Battle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRy4g-l9g9Y
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRy4g-l9g9Y accessed on 16 August
2013

5.3 British Expansion- Subsidiary Alliance and Doctrine of Lapse

Towards end of eighteenth century British relied on new tactics of „indirect rule‟. Initially the
system was introduced with the idea of „Paramountcy‟. Under this policy British did not took
over direct control on many states instead they made them subordinate to the imperial
authority. However, the policy was subjected to various ideological push and pulls,
responding to conservative pressure for disengagement, aggressive pleas for direct
annexation and pragmatic reasoning for indirect control. The evolution of the system
therefore underwent various ups and downs. Michael Fisher has identified three distinct
phases in the evolution of indirect rule in India until the end of the Company rule- The first
phase (1764-97) starts with the initial placement of the Company's Residents at the courts
of Murshidabad, Awadh and Hyderabad after the Battle of Buxar (1764); the second phase
(1798-1840), which was marked by aggressive expansionism, championed by Lord
Wellesley (1798-1805) and his policy of Subsidiary Alliance; and, third phase of direct
annexation, spearheaded by Lord Dalhousie's forward policies (for example, 'Doctrine of
Lapse'), which saw the takeover of a number of Indian states (Bandyopadhyay: 2004, 113-
15).

5.3.1 Subsidiary Alliance

The system of subsidiary alliance was introduced by Lord Wellesley who came as Governor-
General in 1798. „Under this system, the ruler of the allying Indian state was compelled to
accept the permanent posting of a British force within his territory and to pay a subsidy for
its maintenance‟. The stated reasons for this was protection of his territory but was, in fact,

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a form through which Indian ruler accepted dominance of the Company. Lord Wellesley
signed subsidiary treaties with number of Indian rulers such as- the Nizam of Hyderabad in
1798 and 1800, Nawab of Awadh in 1801, and Peshwa Baji Rao II in 1802 (Chandra: 2009,
74-80).

Image 5.11
Lord Wellesley

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Richard_Wellesley_2.JPG accessed on 19

July 2013

5.3.2 Doctrine of Lapse

Lord Dalhousie came to India as the Governor-General in 1848. He pursued policy of

annexation through the „Doctrine of Lapse‟. Under this doctrine, „when the ruler of a
protected state died without a natural heir, his state was not to pass to an adopted heir,
instead, it was to be annexed by the British authorities‟. Many states including Satara in
1848 and Nagpur and Jhansi in 1854, were annexed by applying this doctrine. In fact he

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intended to bring out all territories under the control of the Company and declared that “the
extinction of all native states of India is just a question of time” (Chandra: 2009, 84-85).

Video 5.6
Policies of the East India Company to become a colonial rule in
India
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkuzyLtw1O4
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkuzyLtw1O4 accessed on 18 August
2013

5.4 End of Company Rule

The British East India Company which was established in 1600 and initially came to India
with the exclusive trade purposes took advantage of Indian conditions and started its
territorial expansion beginning from 1757 and it was continued for next hundred years.
However, in 1857 a popular upsurge occurred in India against British and the First War of
India‟s Independence forced imperial power to rethink on its strategy. Subsequently, British
made significant changes with regards to their consolidation of power. An act was passed in
1958 in the British parliament which transferred the power to govern from the East India
Company to the British Crown. Thus the company rule virtually came to an end and India
became direct colony of the Crown.

Video 5.7
Expansion of East India Company in the 18th century
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d-41ZxgRt4
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d-41ZxgRt4 accessed on 18 August
2013

Summary
 The story of British conquest to India begins with the foundation of the British East
India Company in 1600.

 The East India Company‟s first voyage to India departed in 1601 in the command of
Sir James Lancaster.

 The Company formally started trading in India from 1613 and in due course of time
Calcutta, Bombay and Madras emerged as three major centres of its activities.

 However, the East India Company didn‟t have a smooth passage to India and had to
face other European powers as well as indigenous kingdoms to establish their trade
monopoly as well as political expansion in India.

 The Portuguese were the first European power to enter into the arena of Indian trade
and dominated throughout the sixteenth century. But by the middle of seventeenth

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 century Portuguese lost their interest in the Indian trade and were confined only in
Goa, Daman, Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

 The Dutch were another major European power in India. British reached to an
agreement with them in 1667 and by 1695 the Dutch were finally expelled from
India by the British.

 The third European power that competed with the British was France and both were
arch rival for about a century. Finally, the British established their supremacy.

 After eliminating all three major European rivals from India, the British East India
Company embarked on an territorial expansion.

 The battle of Plassey (1757) was of immense historical importance and marked the
beginning of political supremacy of the English East India Company in India.

 Battle of Buxar (1764) firmly established the British as masters of Bengal, Bihar and
Orissa and placed Awadh at their mercy.

 The Sikhs built up a powerful state in Punjab in the eighteenth century. There were
two major wars between the Company and Sikhs before the signing the document of
annexation by Maharaja Dalip Singh on 29 March 1849.

 There were three major wars between the East India Company and Marathas. Third
Anglo-Maratha war was erupted in 1817 and war ended with establishment of the
British control over the peshwa's dominions and abolishion of peshwaship.

 In the later part of the seventeenth century Mysore emerged as an important centre
of power in south India. Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan posed major challenge in the
British conquest. There were four wars that took place between the British and
Mysore State between 1767 and 1799, when Mysore was finally taken over by the
British.

 The consolidation of British power was done with the establishment of „direct‟ as well
as „indirect rule‟. While the device of the „subsidiary alliance‟ was used to gain
indirect control, through „doctrine of lapse‟ the company intended to establish direct
control.

 In 1958, rule of the East India Company came to an end and India became direct
colony of the Crown.

Exercises
5.1 Write a note on the European challengers to the East India Company?
5.2 „The British faced stiff challenges to consolidate their power in India‟. Illustrate this
statement.
5.3 Analyze British-French rivalry for trade and political expansion in India.
5.4 Write an essay on the expansion of British and Indian powers.

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5.5 „Battle of Plassey‟ and „battle of Buxar‟ marked the beginning of British imperialism in
India. Explain.
5.6 Write short notes on-
a. Subsidiary Alliance System
b. Doctrine of Lapse
c. Tipu Sultan
d. Anglo-Sikh Wars

Glossary
Carnatic Wars: The Carnatic Wars were a series of military conflicts between the French
East India Company and the British East India Company. Three Carnatic Wars were fought
between 1744 and 1763. As a result of these wars, the British East India Company
established its dominance over its major European rival the French East India Company.
Farman: Farman was a royal order of the Mughal Emperor. It was a supreme order of the
kingdom bearing the seal of the emperor and issued directly by him.
Limited Liability Corporation: A limited liability corporation (LLC) is a hybrid entity that
combines the characteristics of a corporation and sole proprietorship. A LLC is not taxed as
a corporation instead, all profits and losses are „passed through‟ the business to each
stakeholder.
Paramountcy: Paramountcy was a system of „indirect rule‟ introduced by the British. Under
this system the Indian states were left with „domestic sovereignty‟, while sovereignty
beyond their territories was with the Company as the superior imperial power.
Treaty of Bassein: It was a pact signed by the British East India Company and Maratha
peshwa Baji Rao II in 1802. By this treaty Baji Rao II became a subsidiary ally of the
Company.

References

1. Works Cited
Bandyopadhyay S. (2004), From Plassey to Partition- A History of Modern
India New Delhi: Orient Longman.
Chandra B. (2009), History of Modern India New Delhi: Orient Blackswan
Nehru J. (1946), The Discovery of India Delhi: Oxford University Press (6th
Impression, 1994)
Pradhan R.C. (2008), Raj to Sawaraj New Delhi: Macmillan India Ltd.

2. Suggested Readings
Chandra, B. (1989), India’s Struggle for Independence 1857-1947. New
Delhi: Penguin Books.
Chopra et al. (2005), A Comprehensive History of India Vol. 3. New Delhi:
Sterling
Metcalf T. (1995), Ideologies of the Raj. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.

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 Sharma J.S. (1970), India since the Advent of the British. New Delhi: S.
Chand and Company
3. Web Links

5.1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:A_View_of_Chinsura_the_Dutch_settlement_
in_Bengal.jpg
5.2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dutch-pagoda-Pulicat.jpg
5.3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:French_India_postage_stamps.jpg
5.4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Anglo-
Maratha_War#mediaviewer/File:British_Indian_Empire_1909_Imperial_Gazet
teer_of_India.jpg
5.5 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HyderAliDominions1780max.jpg
5.6 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Richard_Wellesley_2.JPG
5.7 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sir_Thomas_Smythe.jpg
5.8 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lancaster
5.9 http://pib.nic.in/feature/feyr98/fe0898/f1808986.html
5.10 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Clive.jpg
5.11 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/72/Battle_of_Buxar_-
Crown_and_company-_Arthur_Edward_Mainwaring_pg_144.jpg
5.12 http://www.biography.com/people/vasco-da-gama-9305736
5.13 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shivaji#mediaviewer/File:Shivaji_british_meusiu
m.jpg
5.14 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Anglo-
Maratha_War#mediaviewer/File:Indian_Camp_Scene.jpg
5.15 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Anglo-
Sikh_War#mediaviewer/File:British_troops_crossing_the_Sutlej_(Punjab)_in_
boats._10_February_1846.jpg
5.16 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranjit_Singh#mediaviewer/File:Maharaj_Ranjit_
Singh.jpg
5.17 http://www.theeastindiacompany.com/
5.18 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TkNDMkp84g
5.19 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cXkHT46Twc
5.20 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d-41ZxgRt4
5.21 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkuzyLtw1O4
5.22 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwgF2-C83hc
5.23 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRy4g-l9g9Y

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