India On The Eve of British Conquest - History For UPSC CSE PDF Download

5/12/24, 3:55 PM Spectrum Summary: India on the Eve of British Conquest - History for UPSC CSE PDF Download
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Spectrum Summary: India on the Eve of British Conquest
Table of contents
Challenges before the Mughals
Weak Rulers after Aurangzeb—An Internal Challenge
Causes of Decline of the Mughal Empire
Major Factors Which Contributed to Downfall
Do you know when Indian rulers lost a battle against the East India Company, they
used to pay the compensation amount in lakhs in the 1700s to the company?
Imagine the wealth our country had during that time which was eventually looted
by the British. In this EduRev document, you will read about the conditions that
prevailed when the Company entered India and how the great Mughal empire came
to decline and how weak was the administration during that period.
https://edurev.in/studytube/Spectrum-Summary-India-on-the-Eve-of-British-Conqu/0464d6e3-dc97-4a46-9b6e-a15fa7dd05ff_t 1/23
In the first half of the eighteenth century, the once-mighty Mughal Empire, which
had been the envy of its contemporaries for nearly two centuries, experienced a
significant decline.
The reign of Aurangzeb (1658-1707) is often cited as the starting point of this
decline. His policies, considered by many as misguided, weakened the stability of
the state. After Aurangzeb's death, the decline gained momentum due to wars of
succession and the rule of weak monarchs.
Muhammad Shah, who ruled for a lengthy period of 29 years (1719-1748), was
unable to revive the imperial fortunes. His incompetence as a ruler further
contributed to the challenges faced by the Mughal Empire during this period.
Challenges before the Mughals

➢ External Challenges
The northwestern borders had been neglected by the later Mughals and not much effort
was expended in protecting the border.
Nadir Shah's Invasion (1738-39):
Persian emperor Nadir Shah (or Nader Shah) attacked India.

Conquered Lahore and defeated the Mughal army at Karnal on February 13, 1739.
Muhammad Shah was captured, and Delhi was looted and devastated.
Peacock Throne and the Kohinoor diamond were among the treasures taken.
Approximately seventy crore rupees were collected from the official treasury and
rich nobles' safes.
Ahmad Shah Abdali's Invasions (1748-1767):
Ahmad Shah Abdali, elected successor of Nadir Shah, invaded India multiple times.
Mughals attempted to buy peace in 1751-52 by ceding Punjab to Abdali.
In 1757, Abdali captured Delhi, leaving an Afghan caretaker to oversee the Mughal
emperor.
Abdali recognized Alamgir II as the Mughal emperor and appointed Najib-ud-Daula
as Mir Bakhshi.
Najib-ud-Daula acted as the personal 'supreme agent’ of Abdali.
In 1761, Abdali defeated the Marathas in the Third Battle of Panipat.
Abdali's last invasion occurred in 1767.
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Weak Rulers after Aurangzeb—An Internal Challenge

Bahadur Shah I (1709-March 1712):
After a nearly two-year-long war of succession, the 63-year-old Prince
Muazzam, the eldest son of Aurangzeb, became the emperor, taking the title
Bahadur Shah. (He was later called Bahadur Shah I.)
He adopted a pacific policy with the Marathas, the Rajputs, and the Jats.
The Sikh leader Banda Bahadur attacked Muslims in Punjab, and Bahadur Shah I
took action against him.
Bahadur Shah I died in February 1712.
Jahandar Shah (March 1712-February 1713):
With the help of Zulfikar Khan, Jahandar Shah became the emperor, and Zulfikar
Khan was appointed prime minister.
Jahandar Shah abolished Jaziya.
Farrukhsiyar (1713-1719):
After killing Jahandar Shah with the help of Sayyid brothers—Abdulla Khan and
Hussain Ali (known as King Makers), Farrukhsiyar became the new emperor.
He followed a policy of religious tolerance by abolishing Jaziya and the
pilgrimage tax.
In 1717 AD, Farrukhsiyar issued a farman to the British granting them the right
to reside and trade in Bengal.
Rafi-ud-Darajat (February 28 to June 4, 1719):
He ruled for the shortest period among the Mughals.
Rafi-ud-Daula (June 6 to September 17, 1719):
The Sayyid brothers placed Rafi-ud-Daula with the title Shah Jahan II on the
throne. The new emperor was an opium addict.
Muhammad Shah (1719-48):
In 1724, Nizam-ul-Mulk became the wazir and founded the independent state of
Hyderabad.
In 1739, Nadir Shah defeated the Mughals in the Battle of Karnal.
Ahmad Shah (1748-1754):
Udham Bai, the 'Queen Mother,' given the title of Qibla-i-Alam.
Alamgir II (1754-1758):
Ahmed Shah Abdali, the Iranian invader, reached Delhi in January 1757.
During his reign, the Battle of Plassey was fought in June 1757.
Shahjahan III (1758-1759):

Shah Alam II (1759-1806):
His reign saw two decisive battles—the Third Battle of Panipat (1761) and the
Battle of Buxar (1764).
In the Treaty of Allahabad (August 1765), he was taken under the East India
Company’s protection and resided at Allahabad.
He issued a Farman granting the Company in perpetuity the Diwani (the right to
collect revenue) of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.
Akbar II (1806-37):
He gave the title of Raja to Ram Mohan Rai.
In 1835, the coins bearing the names of Mughal emperors were stopped.
Bahadur Shah II (1837-1857):
Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor.
Captured by the English and sent to Rangoon, where he died in 1862.
The Mughal Empire came to an end on November 1, 1858, with the declaration
of Queen Victoria.
Try yourself: During which Mughal rulers reign Battle of Plassey was fought?
a. Bahadur shah I
b. Muhammad Shah
c. Ahmad Shah
d. Alamgir II
View Solution
Also read: Spectrum Summary: Expansion & Consolidation of British Power in

India- 1
Causes of Decline of the Mughal Empire

Empire-related or Mughal-centric view sees the causes of the decline within the
structure and functioning of the empire itself.
Region related view finds the causes of the Mughal decline in the turmoil and
instability in the different parts of the empire.
Emperors who came after Aurangzeb proved to be incapable, weak and licentious
monarchs who hastened the process of disintegration of the empire and, finally,
its collapse.
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Major Factors Which Contributed to Downfall

➢ Shifting Allegiance of Zamindars
The zamindars were hereditary owners of their lands who enjoyed certain
privileges on a hereditary basis and were variously known as rais, rajas, Thakur,
khuts or Deshmukh.
They helped in the collection of revenue and local administration and increased
during Aurangzeb's reign.
➢ Jagirdari Crisis
Mughal rule has often been defined as “the rule of the nobility”.
Divisiveness among the nobility based on religion, homeland and tribe.
Mutual rivalry, jealousy and contest for power among the various groups during
the rule of the later Mughals and the absence of strong central leadership)
contributed to the decline of the empire.
➢ Rise of Regional Aspirations
The Rajput struggle against the empire and the growing ambition and power of
the Marathas, thus, adversely affected the Mughals.
➢ Economic and Administrative Problems
The expenditure of the state much exceeded its income.
➢ Rise of Regional States
Successor States- The Mughal provinces that turned into states after breaking
away from the empire. Awadh, Bengal and Hyderabad.
Independent Kingdoms- These states came into existence primarily due to the
destabilisation of the Mughal control over the provinces that is Mysore, Kerala
and the Rajput states.
The New States - These were the states set up by the rebels against the Mughal
empire, Maratha, the Sikh and the Jat states.
Try yourself: Who gave the title Raja to Rammohan rai?
a. Bahadur Shah II
b. Akbar II
c. Alamgir II
d. Shah Alam II
View Solution
➢ Hyderabad
The founder of the Asaf-Jah house of Hyderabad was Kilich Khan, popularly
known as Nizam-ul-Mulk.
The idea of an independent state in the Deccan is by Zulfikar Khan.
He killed Mubariz Khan in the Battle of Shakr-Kheda (1724). full-fledged viceroy
of the Deccan.
In 1725, he became the viceroy and conferred on himself the title of Asaf-Jah.
➢ Awadh
The founder of the independent principality of Awadh was Saadat Khan,

popularly known as Burhan-ul-Mulk.
Safdar Jang succeeded him as the Nawab of Awadh.
➢ Bengal
Murshid Kuli Khan was the founder of the independent state of Bengal.
Succeeded in 1727 by his son Shujaud- din. His successor, Sarfaraz Khan, was
killed in 1740 by Alivardi Khan, the deputy governor of Bihar at Gheria.
➢ The Rajputs
The Rajputs tried to re-establish their independence in the 18th century. This
forced the Mughal ruler Bahadur Shah I to march against Ajit Singh (1708), who
had allied with Jai Singh II and Durgadas Rathor. But the alliance was broken and
the situation was saved for the Mughals. At one time the Rajputs controlled the
entire territory extending from the south of Delhi up to the western coast.
➢ Mysore
This territory located at the junction of the Eastern and Western Ghats was ruled
by the Wodeyars.
Mysore state was brought under the rule of Haider Ali.
➢ Kerala
Martanda Varma established an independent state of Kerala with Travancore as

his capital. He extended the boundaries of his state from Kanyakumari to Cochin.
➢ The Jats
Churaman and Badan Singh succeeded in setting up the Jat state of Bharatpur.
But it was under Suraj Mal that Jat's power reached its zenith.
State included territories from Ganga in the east to Chambal in the south and
included the Subahs of Agra, Mathura, Meerut and Aligarh.
The Jat state suffered a decline after the death of Suraj Mai in 1763.
➢ The Sikhs
Guru Gobind Singh transformed the Sikhs into a militant sect in defence of their
religion and liberties.
Banda Bahadur, later assumed the leadership of the Sikhs in 1708.
12 misls or confederacies which exercised control over different parts of the

kingdom.
The credit for establishing a strong kingdom of Punjab goes to Ranjit Singh. He
was the son of Mahan Singh, the leader of the Sukarchakiya misl. Ranjit Singh
brought under control the area extending from the Sutlej to the Jhelum. He
conquered Lahore in 1799 and Amritsar in 1802.
In The Treaty of Amritsar with the British, Ranjit Singh acknowledged the British
right over the cis-Sutlej territories.
The Tripartite Treaty in 1838 with Shah Shuja and the English Company
whereby he agreed to provide passage to the British troops through Punjab to
place Shah Shuja on the throne of Kabul. Ranjit Singh died in 1839.
Try yourself: Which of the following state is not a successor of the Mughal empire?
a. Awadh
b. Mysore
c. Hyderabad
d. Bengal
View Solution
➢ The Marathas
Under the capable leadership of the Peshwas, the Marathas uprooted the Mughal
authority from Malwa and Gujarat and established their rule.
Ahmed Shah Abdali challenged their authority in the Third Battle of Panipat
(1761).
➢ Rohilakhand and Farukhabad
The states of Rohilakhand and the kingdom of the Bangash Pathans were a fallout
of the Afghan migration into India.
Ali Muhammad Khan set up the petty kingdom, Rohilakhand.
This was the area of the Himalayan foothills between Kumaon in the north and
the Ganga in the south.
Mohammad Khan Bangash, an Afghan, set up an independent kingdom to the east
of Delhi in the area around Farrukhabad.
➢ Nature and Limitations of Regional States
The polity that emerged in these states was regional in character and functional
with the collaborative support of the different local groups like the zamindars,
merchants, local nobles and chieftains.
The provincial rulers failed to develop a system based on sound financial,
administrative and military organisation.
The jagirdari crisis intensified as income from agriculture declined, and the
number of contenders for a share of the surplus multiplied.
➢ Socio-Economic Conditions
Agriculture- Though agriculture was technically backward, it was worked by the

hard labour of peasants.
Trade and Industry- India was known as a sink of precious metals.
(i) Items of Import From the Persian Gulf Region— pearls, raw silk, wool, dates,
dried fruits, and rose water; from Arabia—coffee, gold, drugs, and honey; from
China— tea, sugar, porcelain, and silk; from Tibet—gold, musk, and woollen cloth;
from Africa— ivory and drugs; from Europe— woollen cloth, copper, iron, lead and
paper. Items of Export Cotton textiles, raw silk and silk fabrics, hardware, indigo,
saltpetre opium, rice, wheat, sugar pepper and other spices, precious stones, and
drugs.
Important Centres of Textile Industry
(i) Dacca, Murshidabad, Patna, Surat, Ahmedabad, Broach, Chanderi, Burhanpur,
Jaunpur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Agra, Multan, Lahore, Masulipatnam, Aurangabad,
Chicacole, Vishakhapatnam, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Madurai, etc.; Kashmir was
a centre of woollen manufactures.
Shipbuilding Industry Maharashtra, the Andhra region and Bengal were the
leaders in shipbuilding. Indian shipping also flourished on the Kerala coast at
Calicut and Quilon. The Zamorin of Calicut used the Muslim Kunjali Marakkars.
Status of Education
(i) The Hindu and Muslim elementary schools were called pathshalas and
mastabas respectively. The education was confined to reading, writing, and
arithmetic.
(ii) Chatuspathis or Tools, as they were called in Bihar and Bengal, were the
centres of higher education. Some of the famous centres for Sanskrit education
were Kasi (Varanasi), Tirhut (Mithila), Nadia and Utkala. Madrasas were the
institutions of higher learning for Persian and Arabic. Azimabad (Patna) was a
famous centre for Persian education.
Try yourself: Who were involved in 3rd Battle of Panipat?
a. Maratha and Afghan army
b. Rajputana and Afghan army
c. Rana Pratap Singh and Maratha
d. Martha and Rajputana
View Solution
➢ Societal Setup
Many Castes, Many Sects

(i) The family system was primarily patriarchal, and caste was the central feature
of the social life of the Hindus.
(ii) The Sharif Muslims consisting of nobles, scholars, priests and army affairs
often looked down upon the ajlaf Muslims or the lower-class Muslims.
Position of Women in Society
(i) Upper-class women remained at home, and lower-class women worked in
fields and outside their homes supplementing the family income.
(ii) purdah, sati, child marriage, and polygamy did exist which hindered the
progress of women.
Menace of slavery
(i) Higher classes of Rajputs, Khatris and Kayastha kept women slaves for
domestic work.
➢ Development in Art, Architecture and Culture
At Lucknow, Asaf-ud-Daula built the bara Imambara in 1784.

Sawai Jai Singh built the pink city of Jaipur and five astronomical observatories at
Delhi, Jaipur, Benares, Mathura and Ujjain. He also prepared a set of time-tables
called Jij Muhammad-shahi, to help the people in the study of astronomy.
In the south, in Kerala, the Padmanabhapuram Palace, is famous for its
architecture and mural paintings.
Kanchan Nambiar was a noted Malayalam poet.
The Tamil language was enriched by sittar poetry. Thayumanavar (1706-44), one
of the best exponents of sittar poetry, protested against the abuses of temple
rule and the caste system.
Heer Ranjha, the romantic epic in Punjabi literature, was composed by Waris
Shah. In Sindhi literature, Shah Abdul Latif composed Risalo, a collection of
poems.
As said in the previous document on how the company benefited by wars between
different kingdoms. This document might have cleared your doubts and questions.
In the next EduRev document, you will read about major events and treaties on
how the company got control over Bengal region and what different administrative
and economic changes were introduced.
Try yourself: What was one of the major causes of the decline of the Mughal
Empire?
a. Weak administration and incompetent rulers
b. External invasions by Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali
c. Shifting allegiance of the zamindars
d. Rise of regional aspirations and regional states
View Solution
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FAQs on Spectrum Summary: India on the Eve of British Conquest
1. What were the challenges faced by the Mughals before the weak rulers after
Aurangzeb?
Ans. The Mughals faced several challenges before the weak rulers after Aurangzeb. These
challenges included external invasions by the Marathas, Sikhs, and Persians, as well as
internal revolts by the Rajputs, Jats, and Sikhs. The empire also suffered from economic
instability, administrative inefficiency, and the decline of central authority.
2. How did weak rulers after Aurangzeb contribute to the downfall of the
Mughal Empire?
3. What were the major factors that led to the downfall of the Mughal Empire?
4. How did the decline of central authority affect the Mughal Empire on the eve
of British conquest?
5. What was the state of India on the eve of British conquest?
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5/12/24, 3:55 PM Spectrum Summary: India on the Eve of British Conquest - History for UPSC CSE PDF Download

Spectrum Summary: India on the Eve of British Conquest

Challenges before the Mughals

Weak Rulers after Aurangzeb—An Internal Challenge

Causes of Decline of the Mughal Empire

Major Factors Which Contributed to Downfall

Challenges before the Mughals

was expended in protecting the border.

Nadir Shah's Invasion (1738-39):

Persian emperor Nadir Shah (or Nader Shah) attacked India.

Ahmad Shah Abdali's Invasions (1748-1767):

Weak Rulers after Aurangzeb—An Internal Challenge

Shahjahan III (1758-1759):

Also read: Spectrum Summary: Expansion & Consolidation of British Power in

Causes of Decline of the Mughal Empire

Claim Offer (/Subscription?utm_source=top_banner_ad&utm_medium=edurev_website

Major Factors Which Contributed to Downfall

➢ Rise of Regional Aspirations

➢ Economic and Administrative Problems

The expenditure of the state much exceeded its income.

➢ Rise of Regional States

Try yourself: Who gave the title Raja to Rammohan rai?

The founder of the independent principality of Awadh was Saadat Khan,

Martanda Varma established an independent state of Kerala with Travancore as

12 misls or confederacies which exercised control over different parts of the

➢ Rohilakhand and Farukhabad

➢ Nature and Limitations of Regional States

Agriculture- Though agriculture was technically backward, it was worked by the

Try yourself: Who were involved in 3rd Battle of Panipat?

a. Maratha and Afghan army

b. Rajputana and Afghan army

c. Rana Pratap Singh and Maratha

d. Martha and Rajputana

Many Castes, Many Sects

➢ Development in Art, Architecture and Culture

At Lucknow, Asaf-ud-Daula built the bara Imambara in 1784.

a. Weak administration and incompetent rulers

b. External invasions by Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali

c. Shifting allegiance of the zamindars

d. Rise of regional aspirations and regional states

History for UPSC CSE

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FAQs on Spectrum Summary: India on the Eve of British Conquest

5. What was the state of India on the eve of British conquest?

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