Topic 2.history
Topic 2.history
Topic 2.history
The East India Company had the unusual distinction of ruling an entire country. On 31 December 1600, a group
of merchants formed East India Company and got permission from Queen Elizabeth I on all trade with the East
Indies. The Company's ships first arrived in India, at the port of Surat, in 1608. Sir Thomas Roe reached the court
of the Mughal Emperor, Jahangir, as an ambassador of King James I in 1612, and gained for the British the right
to establish a factory at Surat. Gradually the British threatened the Portuguese and over the years they saw a
massive expansion of their trading operations in India. Numerous trading posts were established along the east
and west coasts of India, and considerable English communities developed around the three presidency towns of
Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras.
There was enormous wealth in the subcontinent. Trade and profit were the real motives that East India Company
(EIC) was looking at. Indian goods including spices, silk, yarn, cloth, cotton and goods of metalworkers were very
demanding in the European markets. British factories needed raw materials while British merchants needed big
markets like India to sell their industrial products. Cotton was the main raw material for the textile industries in
Britain. EIC made huge profits and the company flourished very rapidly. By 1620, the company operated about
40 ships for trade with India. The company was having a very profitable future in trade with India. Indian soldiers
at very cheap wages were available to protect their trade and profits. Therefore it was trade and high profit that
allowed the EIC to keep on coming India which was later also known as the Golden Sparrow on account of its
natural resources and wealth. It was found that 10 % of the income of British government was obtained from
taxes on trade with India.
S.M Burk (famous historian) believed that one of the most important reasons for British arrival was the spreading
of Christianity .Churches and Chapels were established all over India and Christian missionaries also came with
their arrival. The company also wanted to westernize the Indians. The British believed that western culture is
superior and must be spread in the world. They thought themselves the most civilized nation of the world.
Another reason which provoked Britain to come towards India was the Russian expansion in
Central Asia. It worried the British so much that they also had to make moves to secure Afghanistan. Although
the British first major adventure in Afghanistan failed miserably, but later on the British assumed full and proper
control of whole of India.
East India Company had no political motives at first. It came to India primarily for trade. But the decline of
Mughal Empire and the demolition of Maratha Power in 1761 by Ahmad Shah Abdali prepared the gateway for
the British to take over India. Lack of a strong central government attracted the British attention for interfering
with Indian political affairs. By that time, they had already got the skills of dealing with Indian rulers and
merchants. Now they started thinking about establishing British Raj in the subcontinent.
SUMMARY:
• Permission
• Trade/Profit
• Spread Christianity
• Political supremacy/westernization
• Blue water policy/new sea routes
• Fear of Russian expansion/warm water policy
• Monopoly of Dutch and Portuguese in far East
The British were almost completely successful in taking control of lands in the S.C between 1750 and 1856. The
British had come to India for trade and to increase and ensure their trade they found it necessary to have political
control of lands in the sub-continent. The first opportunity came in 1757 when battle of Plassey took place. In
this battle the forces of the East India Company under Robert Clive met the army of Siraj-ud-Doula, the Nawabs
of Bengal. Clive had 800 Europeans and 2200 Indians whereas Siraj-ud-doula in his camp at Plassey was said to
have about 50,000 men with a train of heavy artillery. Unfortunately Mir Jafar, met with Clive, and the greater
number of the Nawabs soldiers were bribed to throw away their weapons, surrender prematurely, and even
turn their arms against their own army.
Siraj-ud-Doula was defeated. Battle of Plassey marked the first major military success for British East India
Company.
The British wanted full control of south India to ensure their spice trade. Lord Wellesley became the Governor
General of India in 1798. Tipu Sultan tried to secure an alliance with the French against the English in India.
Wellesley questioned Tipu’s relationship with the French and attacked Mysore in 1799. The fourth Anglo-Mysore
War was of short duration and decisive and ended with Tipu’s death on May 4, 1799 who was killed fighting to
save his capital.
Besides that Marathas were also defeated and Maratha power destroyed by British in several wars during 1817-
1818. Holkar's forces were moved to Mahidpur December 21, 1817 and Baji Rao II, who was trying to
consolidate Marathas, finally surrendered in June 1818. British under Hasting abolished the position of Peshwa
and Marathas were limited to the small kingdom of Satara. This ended the mighty Maratha power.
Punjab was the next target. Ranjit Singh had signed a perpetual friendship in 1809 but after his death in 1839,
the rival chiefs argued themselves over who should be a king. This provided an opportunity to British and they
provoked Sikhs. Eventually sher singh attacked British possessions south of River Sutlej and the War began.
British remained victorious, Gulab Singh Dogra, a chief who helped the British were given Kashmir as a reward.
In 1849, after a revolt against British, Punjab, NWFP were annexed and became part of British Empire on 30
March 1849.Hyderabad, Deccan, Oudh and the local Nawabs had been forced to sign treaties with EIC; this gave
their external affairs to Britain.
SUMMARY:
Indian Successes/Company failure Indian Failures/British successes
Power of Marathas Strength of British army
Early successes of Tipu Sultan Eventual failure of Siraj, Qasim, Tipu, Marathas,
Ranjit Singh Conquests of British against Amirs in Sindh and
Sikhs in Punjab
The East India Company Act 1784, also known as Pitt's India Act, was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain
intended to address the shortcomings of the Regulating Act of 1773 by bringing the East India Company's rule
in India under the control of the British Government. Named for the British Prime Minister William Pitt, the act
provided for the appointment of a board of control and provided for a joint government of British India by the
company and the crown with the government holding the ultimate authority.
LORD WELLESLEY:
Lord Wellesley remained Governor General of India from 1798 to 1805. During his tenure, the Fourth and last
Anglo-Mysore war was fought and Tipu was killed in this war. The Second Anglo Maratha war also happened in
which Bhonsle, Scindia and Holkar were defeated. Wellesley followed the policy of “subsidiary alliance”, which
INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION:
The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in the period from about 1760 to
sometime between 1820 and 1840. This transition included going from hand production methods to machines,
new chemical manufacturing and iron production processes, the increasing use of steam power, the
development of machine tools and the rise of the system. Textiles were the dominant industry of the Industrial
Revolution in terms of employment, value of output and capital invested; the textile industry was also the first
to use modern production methods.
What was the East India Company? (4) June 2010, Q.1.a
Question No.12: Why did EIC become involved in the Indian S.C during the 17th Century? (7)November 2010 Q.1 b
Question No.13: how successful were the British attempts to take control of lands in the S.C between 1750 and 1856?
(14) November 2010 Q.1 c
Question No.14: Explain why Britain was so successful in extending its control of the S.C between 1750 and 1850.
(7) June 2011, Q.1 b
Question No.15: In 1756 the French encouraged the nawab of Bengal, siraj ud daula to attack east India Company’s base at Calcutta. He
captured the city but was unable to keep control of it. Robert Clive decided to go to the city with a force of soldiers to retake it. This led to
the battle of plassey.
Describe the battle of plassey. (4) June 2012, Q.1 a
Question No.16: How successful was Indian resistance to British attempts to take control of Lands in the
Sub-Continent between 1750 and 1850? Explain your answer. (14) November 2012 Q.1c
Question No.17: Why was Britain successful in maintaining its control of the sub-continent in the years 1750 to 1850?
Question No.19: Was the Industrial Revolution in Britain the most important reason why the British were able to take control of India
between 1750 and 1850? Explain your answer. [14] November 2013 Q.1 c
Question No. 20: Explain why the East India Company became involved in the sub-continent during the seventeenth century.
[7] June 2014 Q.1 b
Question No.21: At first the East India Company had a neutral point of view towards religion in India. However, with the
work of missionaries in the sub-continent, the Christian faith of British people living in India was strengthened. As a result people became
more intolerant of Indian traditions and behaviour and the British began to impose changes on the way Indians lived, which caused
resentment and anxiety.
A painting of a British official of the British East India Company riding in an Indian procession in 1825.
(5) June.2015 Q.1 b
QUESTION NO. 24:-
Why were the British able to take control of India by 1850? (7) June.2015 Q.1 c
QUESTION NO. 27:- Explain the appeal of India to the East India Company during the early seventeenth century
Why Robert Clive was appointed the first governor of Bengal? (7) June.2017 Q.2 b
SOURCE A
Fort William, Calcutta, 1756
On the evening of 20 June, some 64 prisoners including two women and several wounded soldier were marched at sword point to the
filthy dungeon at Fort William. This was a little cell, measuring 18 feet by 14 feet 10 inches, designed for no more than three petty
criminals. The heat at this time of year was suffocating. Prisoners trampled on each other to get nearer one of the two tiny windows or
to the small amount of water they had been left. Their guards mocked them as the prisoners gasped for air and pleaded for mer cy. At 6
am the next morning, when the door was opened, dead bodies were piled up inside.
Adapted from an essay in History Today, 2006
Study the sources (Insert) carefully and then answer the questions which follow.
(a) According to Source A, why did many people die at Fort William in 1756? [3]
SOURCE B
Famine in the subcontinent
(B) What can we learn from Source B about famine in the subcontinent during British control? [5]
According to SOURCE A,
Why Queen Victoria was made an empress of India? (3) Oct Nov. 2020 Q. 1 a (3) and b(5)
In 1877, Queen Victoria proclaimed as Empress of India. India was already under crown control after 1858, but
this title was a gesture to link the monarchy with the empire further and bind India more closely to Britain.
SOURCE B: