HISTORYMarch 9, 2018

India in 18th century

Decline of Mughal Empire

Aurangzeb died in 1707

Bahadur Shah emerged victorious

His original name was Muazzam.

Learned dignified tolerant

Attempted better ties with Rajput, Marathas, Sikhs, Bundelas & Jats

He adopted a liberal policy with the Rajputs. In 1709 C.E. He recognized Ajit Singh as the

Rana of Marwar.

Sahu the son of Shambaji who was imprisoned by Aurangzeb was released in 1707 C.E. by

Bhadhur Shah & granted him Sardesh Mukhi but not chauth.

Made peace with Guru Govind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru.

Banda Bahadur or Banda Bairagi, the greatest Sikh leader after Guru Govind Singh was

defeated by Bahadur Shah at Lohgarh & he reoccupied Sirhind in 1711 C.E.

Bahadur Shah(1707 C.E. – 1712 C.E.)

Period of ambitious nobles

Zulfiqar Khan supported him

He was a very weak ruler. He was dominated by his wife Lal Kunwar & the nobles of the

court.

His nephew Farukh Siyar with the cooperation of the Syed Brothers (Syed Abdullah Khan &

Syed Hussain Ali Khan) murdered Jahandar Shah & usurped the throne.

Jahandar Shah(1712 C.E – 1713 C.E)

The Syed Brothers were the real rulers during his reign. Syed Abdullah Khan was his PM &

Syed Ali Khan was his CiC.

The Jats under Churaman revolted against the Mughals during his reign.

Banda Bairagi was defeated & killed in 1716 C.E.

He issued a Farman granting the East India Company many trading privileges which is

considered to be the magna carta of the trade for Company in India. (1717 C.E.)

In 1719, the Syed brothers entered into an agreement with Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath which

granted Swarajya of Shivaji to Sahu and the right to collect Chauth and Sardeshmuki of 6

Mughal provinces in the Deccan.

The Syed brothers with the help of the Marathas killed Farruk Siyar.

Farukh Siyar(1713 C.E. – 1719 C.E.)

Muhammad Shah made emperor as 18 year old by Saiyyid brothers

But looked down as traitors

He with the help of few trusted nobles like Chin Qulich Khan & Sadat Khan killed the Syed

Brothers.Younger killed & elder defeated

His original name was Roshan Akhtar.

Chin Quli Khan adopted the title Nizam-ul-Mulk & became his wazir in 1722 C.E.

Nizam-ul-Mulk decided to move

Bengal acquired virtual independence

Sadat Khan & Daud Khan established themselves virtually as independent rulers in Oudh &

Rohilkhand respectively.

In 1739 C.E., the Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao-I invaded Delhi.

Niamat Khan (veena player), Feroz Khan were some of the prominent musicians in his court.

The emperor gave them the titles Sadarang & Adarang.

1739 C.E.: Nadir Shah the Persian invader invaded India. He defeated the Mughals in the

Battle of Karnal.

In 1748 C.E.,Abdali invaded India for the 1st time but was defeated in the battle of Manpur.

Muhammed Shah(1719 – 1748 C.E.)

He was a weak & incompetent ruler. He was fully dominated by the Queen Mother

Udham Bai & the eunuch superintendent of the Harem Javid Khan.

Ahmad Shah Abdali, plundered Punjab & Multan twice during his reign. Abdali then

captured Punjab & Sindh provinces & installed his men in charge of these provinces.

Initially Safdarjung was his Wazir, but was later removed & Imad-ul-Mulk was

made his Wazir.

Ahmad Shah(1748 – 1754 C.E.)

Imad-ul-Mulk killed Ahmad Shah & made Alamgir II as the new sultan.

He was a puppet in the hands of the Wazir Imad-ul-Mulk.

Ahmad Shah Abdali attacked India in 1756 C.E. He plundered & routed Delhi &

Mathura.

Imad-ul-Mulk killed the emperor & made Ali Gauhar the son of Alangir II to ascend

the throne.

Alamgir II (1748 – 1754 C.E.)

Ali Gauhar ascended the throne under the title Shah Alam II

He had to remain in exile from Delhi for 12 years till 1772 C.E.

He participated in the Battle of Buxar (1764 C.E.).

He became the 1st Mughal ruler to receive pension (Rs. 26 lacs) from the British.

The third battle of Panipat, 1761 C.E. was fought during the period.

Shah Alam supported by the British and escorted by the Maratha leader Mahadji

Scindia was assisted to annex the throne at Delhi.

Later Ghulam Kadir Rohella, the Afghan chief blinded Shah Alam II.

As a blind ruler, Shah Alam II signed the documents surrendering Delhi to the

Britishers in 1803 C.E.

SHAH ALAM II (1758 C.E – 1806 C.E)

He was king in name only.

He was treated as a pensioner of the East India Company.

Akbar II (1806 -1837 C.E.)

Bahadur Shah was the last Mughal King.

The British controlled almost the whole country. Bahadur Shah’s command did not

go beyond the walls of the Red fort.

He was a prolific poet and a Calligrapher. He wrote under the pen name Zafar.

Urdu poets like Mirza Ghalib, Zauk, Momin & Daagh were his contemporaries.

Bahadur Shah Zafar (1837 – 1857 C.E.)

Succession states like Hyderabad Awadh & Bengal

Others like Marathas Jats Afghans Punjab etc.

2 types of states

Nizam ul mulk Asaf Jah

Tolerant

1748 death issues with succession

Asaf Jahi dynasty

Hyderabad

Came under the Deccan thus under Nizam

Deputy governor known as Nawab of Carnatic

Made his office hereditary

Nawab Saadatullah Khan made his nephew dost Ali his successor without approval

of Nizam

Founder of Nawayath dynasty

Carnatic

Bengal

1700: Murshid Quli khan appointed diwan of Bengal

After Aurangzeb's death founded an independent kingdom

Succeeded by his son in law Shuja ud din

He died in 1739 & was succeeded by his son Sarfaraz Khan

1739: Ali Vardi khan revolts ,kills Nawab & becomes subedar of Bengal.

Tolerant appointed Hindus as revenue farmers

Didn’t build big army

Didn’t tackle corruption

Awadh

Saadat khan appointed governor in 1722

Bold energetic iron willed & tolerant

1739 dead by then virtually independent

Succeeded by his nephew Safdar Jang who became the Wazir of Mughals in 1748

Died in 1754

Prolonged peace resulted in growth of Awadhi culture

Mysore

Nominal part of Mughal empire

King Chikka Krishna Raj a puppet at the hands of 2 ministers

Hyder Ali

Modern arsenal in Dindigal

1761 established his authority

Complex but innovator

New calendar ,new coinage system new scales of weights & measures

French revolution: Planted a 'Tree of Liberty' at Seringapatam & he became a

member of a Jacobian Club.

Only one to understand threat of the English

Tried to establish modern navy

Mysore flourished & comparatively was better than others

Sent emissaries to Russia France Iran Turkey

Traded with China

Promoted trade with Russia & Arabia

Described as religious fanatic

His personal library contained books on such diverse subjects as religion, history,

military science, medicine, & mathematics.

Tipu Sultan

Calicut, Cochin , Chirakkal, Travancore

Martand Varma 1729-58

Defeated the Dutch: Battle of Colachel (1741), resulting in the complete eclipse of

Dutch power in Malabar.

Padmanabhaswamy temple recreated

By 1763 only Calicut, Cochin , Travancore

Rama Varma 1758-98

Malyalam literature

Sanskrit scholarship

Kerala

Rajput States

Raja Sawai Jai Singh Amber(1699-1743 rule)

Astronomer & Reformer

Man of Science & arts

Founded Jaipur: Made it a seat of science

Observatories in Ujjain, Jaipur, Delhi, Varanasi , Mathura

He drew up a set of tables, entitled Zij Muhammad Shahi, to enable people to make

astronomical observations.

Euclid's "Elements of Geometry", translated into Sanskrit & also several works on

trigonometry, & Napier's work on the construction & use of logarithms.

Law to reduce expenditure on daughter’s marriage

Wars, Battles and Treaties

Anglo-French Carnatic Wars

Why South?

Aurangzeb had stalled

But Nadir Shah showed the decay

West Marathas

Bengal Ali vardi Khan

South central power had disappeared & 1748 death of Nizam

Both English and French desired it

Anglo-French Carnatic Wars

Joseph Dupleix Robert Clive

Anglo-French Wars

War of Austrian Succession :1740-1748

France, Prussia, Spain, Bavaria,

Sicily, Naples, Genoa, SwedenBritain ,Habsburg, Hanover, Dutch

Republic, Saxony, Sardinia, Russia

First Carnatic War 1746-1748

Madras vs. Pondicherry

Treaty of Aix-la-Chappelle

Madras to be returned to British in exchange of Louisburg in North America to

France

Second Carnatic War 1748-1754

Civil Wars in Hyderabad and Carnatic on the issue of succession.

Carnatic Chanda sahib vs Anwaruddin the Nawab

Hyderabad Muzaffar Jang (grand son) vs Nasir Jang (son)

Anwaruddin killed but his son Muhammed Ali fled to Trichi

France was initially successful in both places

While French were in Trichi English attacked Arcot so French had to raise the siege.

Dupleix failure to capture Trichi along with his political ambitions & ruinous

expenses sealed his fate.

Treaty of Pondicherry – Dupleix returns to France( English demand)

Third Carnatic War 1757-1763

This war was an echo of seven year war in Europe & thus ended the short term

peace in India between the Europeans.

1761: Wandiwash English (Eyre Coote) defeat the French (de Lally)

1763 Treaty of Paris

Pondicherry & few other territories were returned to French but was never to be

fortified.

This sealed French ambitions in India.

Company had secured the Mughal Farman in 1717

Freedom to export or import without paying any taxes & the right to issue dastak or

passes for movement of such goods

Farman caused troubles between Nawab & the English

British occupation of Bengal

Battle of Plassey

1756: Alivardi died & was succeeded by his 23 year-old grandson, Siraj-ud-daulah.

Combination of a ferocious temper and a feeble understanding.

He was particularly suspicious of the large profits made by the European

companies in India ,asked them to trade on similar terms like Murshid’s times .

When the British and the French started improving their fortifications in

anticipation of another war between them, he immediately ordered them to stop

such activities as they had been done without permission. French agreed but not

the English.

When the British refused to cease their constructions, the Nawab led a detachment

of 3,000 men to surround the fort & factory of Cossimbazar & took several British

officials as prisoners, before moving to Calcutta.

The city was occupied on 16 June by Siraj’s force & the fort surrendered after a

brief siege on 20 June.

The prisoners who were captured at the siege of Calcutta were transferred by Siraj to

the care of the officers of his guard, who confined them to the common dungeon

of Fort William known as The Black Hole.

English took refuge in Fulta near the sea.

Robert Clive entered into agreement with

Mir Jafar (Mir Bakshi)

Continued

The other traitors of Battle of Plassey were as follows:

Jagat Seth: A Marwari Banker. After 9 years of the Battle of Plassey, the entire

family of Jagat Seth was beheaded by Mir Qasim.

Omi Chand or Amir Chand : He tried to get 5% from the treasure after Mir Jafar

becomes Nawab but was deceived by the British by fake treaty & this shock was

enough to plunge him into mental retardation. He survived for some 10 years & died

anonymously.

Manik Chand: officer in charge of Calcutta.

Rai Durlab: He was the treasurer of Nawab.

Ghaseti Beghum: The rich maternal aunt of Nawab.

Khadim Khan(commended large army)

Continued

The battle was merely a skirmish but in its results was one of the most decisive

battles of Indian history as it paved the way for the foundation of British rule.

Only Mir Madan & Mohan Lal fought

Nawab was put to death

Mir Jafar became a puppet in the hands of Clive who couldn’t satisfy the demands &

was forced to resign in 1760.

Battle of Plassey

Mir Kasim succeeded him but he too couldn’t satisfy

the growing demands.

Was an able & competent leader

Tried to check the misuse of dastak

Abolished all inland duties

He shifted his capital to Monghyr.

War broke with the company lost in a series of battle &

he fled to Oudh to organize a confederacy with Shuja

ud Daula Nawab of Oudh & shah Alam II.

The combined armies were defeated Mir Kasim fled

while the other 2 surrendered.

Battle of Buxar

Results of Battle of Buxar

Treaty of Allahabad was signed between the British and Shuja ud daula Nawab of

Oudh & Shah Alam II.

Shuja ud Daula was confirmed in his possessions on the following conditions:

Nawab surrendered Allahabad & Kara

Pay 50 lakh to company

forced to maintain English forces.

Shah Alam was taken into company’s protection

Was to reside in Allahabad.

Granted the company the diwani of Bengal Bihar & Odessa.

1763 Mir Jafar made the Nawab again

On his death his son Nizam ud Daulah made the Nawab

Robert Clive was appointed the 1st governor of Bengal & signed a new treaty

Disband it’s army & administer Bengal through a deputy Subedar who was

nominated by British

Continued

Dual System of administration

The dual government began wherein the administration of Bengal was carried out by 2

heads with the Nawab of Bengal being the nominal head & company as the dewan having

control over revenues as well as police and judicial powers.

It was introduced by Robert Clive.

The British East India Company obtained the actual power; where as the responsibility &

charge of administration was entrusted to the Nawab of Bengal.

Under this the British administration acquired both the functions of the Diwani or revenue &

Nizamat or civil administration of Bengal from 2 distinct sources, Diwani from the Mughal

emperor & Nizamat from the Nawab of Bengal.

Company was authorized to accumulate revenues of the Bengal province as the Diwan.

Moreover with the right to appoint the Deputy Subahdar, the British obtained the designation

to control the police and judicial powers or the Nizamat.

The difficulty was created by the fact that the servants of the Company did not undertake

duties as Diwan or Nizam in their own person.

The nominal head of the administration was Deputy Naib Mohammad Khan at Murshidabad

& Raja Shitab Rai at Patna.

Bengal

What made the East India Company prosperous and powerful?

What happened to the spice trade?

How did they get a monopoly?

Why was the Army of the EIC loyal?

What was the effect of Indian victories of EIC in England?

What was the impact on local economy and society?

Bengal

Why did the EIC win the Battle of Plassey?

Why did the Battle of Buxar occur?

The Anglo–Mysore Wars were a series of wars fought in India over the last 3 decades

of the 18th century between the Kingdom of Mysore & the British East India Company,

represented chiefly by the Madras Presidency.

The 4th war resulted in the overthrow of the house of Hyder Ali & Tipu, in 1799, & the

dismantlement of Mysore to the benefit of the British and their allies.

Anglo–Mysore Wars

Saw Hyder Ali gain some measure of success against the British

but suffer heavy defeats at the hands of the Marathas.

British wanted Northern circars on rent for connection between

madras & Bengal but Nizam rejected it so they got firman from

Mughal ruler

Hyder Ali's alliance with the Nizam of Hyderabad against the

British too was a failure owing to defeats of their combined

power against the British & later the spread of mutual suspicion

between the 2 Islamic powers.

Treaty of Madras in 1769

Support each other if attacked

Territories occupied were restored to each other.

First Anglo–Mysore War (1767–1769)

Witnessed bloodier battles with fortunes fluctuating between the contesting powers.

Repeating his earlier exploits, Hyder inflicted one defeat after another on the British

armies in the Carnatic & forced them to surrender in larger numbers.

Warren Hastings bribed Nizam by giving Guntur thus leading him to withdraw

In 1781 the Eyre Coote defeated Hyder Ali at Porto Novo and saved Madras.

Hyder died in 1782

Hyder & Tipu prevailed & this led to the last British-Indian treaty with an Indian

ruler on equal footing.

Treaty of Mangalore, at which both sides agreed to restore the other's lands to

the status quo ante bellum.

Thus no tangible benefits.

Second Anglo–Mysore War (1780–1784)

Tipu an ally of France, invaded the nearby state of

Travancore, which was a British ally.

Lord Cornwallis, had succeeded through shrewd diplomacy

in isolating him by winning over the Marathas, the Nizam, &

the rulers of Travancore and Coorg.

A resounding defeat for Mysore.

The war ended after the siege of Seringapatam and the

signing of the Treaty of Seringapatam, according to which

Tipu had to surrender half of his kingdom to the Company.

Paid 330 lakhs of rupees as indemnity.

Third Anglo–Mysore War (1789–92)

Saw the defeat of Tipu and further reductions in Mysorean territory.

Mysore's alliance with the French was seen as a threat to the Company.

Nizam & the Marathas launched an invasion from the north.

The British won a decisive victory at the Battle of Seringapatam in 1799.

Tipu was killed. Much of the remaining Mysorean territory was annexed

by the British, the Nizam & the Marathas.

The remaining core, around Mysore & Seringapatam, was restored to the

Indian prince belonging to the Wodeyar dynasty.

An important result was the complete elimination of the French threat

to British supremacy in India.

Mysorean rockets

Fourth Anglo–Mysore War (1799)

The Rise and Fall of the Maratha Power

Most important challenger to the decaying Mughal power.

Number of brilliant commanders

Lacked unity

Lacked the outlook & programme which were necessary for founding an all-India

empire.

They did however succeed in waging continuous war against the Mughal Empire,

till they destroyed it.

Marathas

Shahu, grandson of Shivaji, had been a prisoner of Aurangzeb since 1689.

Was released in 1707

Soon a civil war broke out between Shahu at Satara & his aunt Tara Bai at

Kolhapur who had carried out an anti-Mughal struggle since 1700 in the name of

her son Shivaji II after the death of her husband .

Arising out of the conflict between Shahu & his rival, a new system of Maratha

government was evolved under the leadership of Balaji Vishwanath, the Peshwa

(1713-1818 C.E.) of King Shahu.

With this change began the period of Peshwa domination in Maratha history in

which the Maratha state was transformed into an empire.

He and his son Baji Rao I made the Peshwa the functional head of the Marathas.

Evolution of Peshwaship

Balaji Vishwanath started his career as a small revenue official. He played a crucial

role in the victory of Sahu over Tarabai in the battle of Khed in 1707 C.E.

After Sahu’s (1707-48 CE) coronation as Chatrapathi at Satara, Balaji was made his

Sena Karte (organizer of forces)

In 1713 C.E., he was raised to the post of Peshwa, this marked the domination of

Peshwa supremacy in Maratha politics.

He was the first Maratha official to reach Delhi & involve in the internal matters of

the Mughal rulers.

He secured the release of Sahu’s mother.

In 1719 C.E., he got certain rights from Farruk Siyar.

He initiated the northward extension of Maratha kingdom, which was taken further

by his son Baji Rao.

Balaji Vishwanath (1713-1720 C.E.)

Succeeded by his 20-year old son Baji Rao I.

The Maratha power reached its zenith under him.

Bold & brilliant commander & an ambitious & clever statesman.

Described as "the greatest exponent of guerrilla tactics after Shivaji.

He preached the ideal of Hindu Padpad Shahi (All India Hindu Empire). He said that the

Maratha flag will fly from Attock to Cuttack (river Krishna).

He initiated a system of confederacy among the Maratha chiefs – under this system, each

Maratha chief was assigned a territory which would be administered autonomously. As a

result, many Maratha families like Gaekwad of Baroda, the Bhonsles of Nagpur ,Holkars of

Indore, Sindhias of Gwalior & the Peshwas of Poona became prominent.

He defeated the Nizam of Hyderabad in the battle of Bhopal.

1737-38 C.E., he attacked Delhi & defeated the Mughal forces. Muhammed Shah signed the

treaty of Sironj, which gave Marathas complete sovereignty over the whole of Malwa & the

entire territory between Narmada & Chambal.

1739 C.E: He defeated the Portuguese & occupied the parts of Salsette & Bassein.

The marriage of Baji Rao I with Mastani a Muslim princess created lot of trouble.

Baji Rao I(1720-1740 C.E.)

His18-year old son Balaji Baji Rao (Nana Saheb) was new Peshwa .

He continued with the policy of northward expansion.

He was as able as his father though less energetic.

Shahu died in 1749 & by his will left all management of state affairs in the

Peshwa's hands.

The office of the Peshwa had already become hereditary & the Peshwa was the de

facto ruler of the state.

The deed also required the peshwas to protect the high-esteem for the descendants of

Tara bai.

Balaji Baji Rao, imprisoned Ram Raja (1749-77 C.E.) after the death of Sahu in

1748 C.E. This imprisonment virtually seized the Maratha monarchy as a symbol of

political authority & made Peshwas as the centre of political authority.

Now he became the official, head of the administration and, as a symbol of this

fact, shifted the government to Poona, his headquarters.

Balaji Baji Rao (1740-1761 C.E.)

Threat : Ahmad Shah Abdali

Peshwa dispatched a powerful army under the nominal command of his minor son

Vishwas Rao, the actual command being in the hands of his cousin Sadashiv Rao

Bhau.

Contingent of European style infantry & artillery commanded by Ibrahim Khan

Gardi.

Balaji Baji Rao, though conquered lot of territories, lacked his father’s diplomatic

skills.

He had cultivated animosity of all neighbouring rulers.

Marathas under Balaji Baji Rao became everybody’s enemy & nobody’s friend.

They had attacked everyone including Rajputs, Jats, Bengal & Orissa.

The Marathas now tried to find allies among the northern powers. They had to

fight their enemies all alone, except for the weak support of Imad-ul-Mulk

Senior Maratha commanders constantly bickered with each other.

14 January 1761

The Peshwa's son, Sadashiv Rao Bhau & numerous other Maratha commanders

perished on the battle field as did nearly 28,000 soldiers.

Those who fled were pursued by the Afghan cavalry & robbed & plundered by the

Jats, Ahirs, & Gujars of the Panipat region.

The Peshwa, who was marching north to render help, was stunned by the tragic

news. Already seriously ill, his end was hastened & he died in June 1761.

This Battle did not decide who was to rule India but rather who was not.

Battle of Panipat

The third battle of Panipat was fought in 1761. Why were so many empire-

shaking battles fought at Panipat?2014

India in 1761

The 17 year old Madhav Rao became the Peshwa in 1761.

He was a talented soldier & statesman.

Within short period of 11 years, he restored the lost fortunes of the Maratha

Empire.

In 1771, the Marathas brought back to Delhi Emperor Shah Alam, who

now became their pensioner.

Died 1772

Aftermath

First of 3 Anglo-Maratha wars fought between the Company and Maratha Empire.

The war began with the Treaty of Surat & ended with the Treaty of Salbai.

After the death of Madhav Rao Peshwa, his brother Narayanrao became Peshwa.

However, Raghunathrao, their uncle, had his nephew assassinated in a palace

conspiracy & declared him as Peshwa, although he was not the legal heir.

Narayanrao's widow, Gangabai, gave birth to a posthumous son, who was legal heir

to the throne. The newborn infant was named 'Sawai' Madhavrao (Sawai means

"One & a Quarter").

12 Maratha chiefs, led by Nana Phadnavis directed an effort to name the infant as

the new Peshwa & rule under him as regents.

First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–1782)

Raghunathrao, unwilling to give up his position of power, sought help from

the British at Bombay & signed the Treaty of Surat .

But the British Calcutta Council condemned the Treaty, sending Colonel Upton

to Pune to annul it & make a new treaty with the regency. The Treaty of

Purandhar (1776) annulled that treaty, Raghunathrao was pensioned and his cause

abandoned, but the revenues of districts were retained by the British.

Treaty of Salbai: After the British defeat, Warren Hastings through Mahadji

Sindhia proposed a new treaty between the Peshwa and the British that would

recognize the young Madhavrao as the Peshwa & grant Raghunathrao a pension.

It also guaranteed peace between the two sides for 20 years, thus ending the war.

Moreover, the Treaty enabled the British to exert pressure on Mysore as the

Marathas promised to help them in recovering their territories from Hyder

Continued

He organized a powerful army with the help of French officers & established control

over Emperor Shah Alam in 1784.

From the Emperor he secured the appointment of Peshwa as the Emperor's Deputy

(Naib-i-Munaib) on the condition that Mahadji would act on behalf of the Peshwa.

But he spent his energies in intriguing against Nana Phadnis

& Holkars of Indore.

Died in 1794.

Mahadji Sindhia, Tukoji Holkar, Ahilya Bai Holkar,

Peshwa Madhav Rao & Nana Phadnis, the man who

had kept the Maratha confederacy together for the last

30 years, all were dead by the year 1800.

Mahadji Sindhia

Sawai Madhav Rao died in 1795

Succeeded by the worthless Baji Rao II, son of Raghunath Rao.

Marathas were the only major Indian power left outside the sphere of British control.

The British had by now decided to put an end to the Maratha challenge.

Wellesley now turned his attention towards them & began aggressive interference

in their internal affairs.

British divided, the warring Maratha sardars through clever diplomacy & then

overpowered them in separate battles during the second Maratha War.

Second Anglo-Maratha War

In October 1802, Peshwa Baji Rao II & Sindhias were defeated by Yashwantrao

Holkar, at the Battle of Poona.

Peshwa fled to British protection & in December concluded the Treaty of

Bassein with the Company ceding territory for the maintenance of a subsidiary force

& agreeing to treaty with no other power.

This act on the part of the Peshwa, their nominal overlord, horrified and disgusted

the Maratha chieftains; in particular, the Sindhias & the Bhonsles contested the

agreement.

On December 17 1803, Raghoji II Bhonsle signed the Treaty of Deogaon with the

British after the Battle of Adagaon/Argaon .

On 30 December 1803, Daulat Scindia signed the Treaty of Surji-Anjangaon

Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–1805)

Wellesley turned to Holkar, but Yeshwant Rao Holkar proved more than a match for

the British.

He began hostilities with the British by securing the alliance of the Raja of

Bharatpur.

Using traditional Maratha tactics of mobile warfare & in alliance with the Jats, he

fought British armies to a standstill

Moreover, overcoming his age-old antagonism to the Holkar family, Sindhia

began to think of joining hands with Holkar.

On the other hand, shareholders of Company discovered that policy of expansion

through war had increased debt from £ 17 million in 1797 to £ 31 million in 1806.

Moreover, Britain's finances were getting exhausted at a time when Napoleon was

once again becoming a major threat in Europe.

Continued

Bhonsle and Sindhia became subsidiary allies of the Company.

Again the blind Emperor of India became a pensioner of the Company.

The Peshwa became a disgruntled puppet in their hands.

By the Treaty of Rajghat in 1805, Holkar got back most of his territories.

Directors of the Company felt that time had come to check further expansion, to put an end

to ruinous expenditure.

Wellesley was therefore recalled from India

Wellesley's expansionist policy had been checked near the end.

East India Company became the paramount power in India.

Result

Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1818)

Last bid by Marathas to overthrow the British

The lead in organizing a united front of the Maratha chiefs was taken by the Peshwa

who was smarting under the rigid control exercised by the British Resident.

However, once again the Marathas failed to evolve a concerted & well-thought out

plan of action.

Peshwa attacked the British Residency at Poona in November 1817. Appa Sahib of

Nagpur attacked the Residency at Nagpur & Madhav Rao Holkar made

preparations for war.

Kingdom of Satara was founded and given to the descendant of Shivaji who ruled it as a

complete dependent of the British.

Lord Hastings compelled Sindhia to accept British suzerainty, and defeated the armies of the

Peshwa, Bhonsle & Holkar

Holkar & Bhonsle accepted subsidiary forces.

Peshwa was dethroned and pensioned off at Bithur near Kanpur

Maratha confederacy dissolved and peshwaship abolished.

All the Maratha chiefs had to cede to the Company large tracts of their territories.

The Rajputana states had been dominated for several decades by Sindhia & Holkar.

After the downfall of the Marathas, they lacked the energy to reassert their independence

& readily accepted British supremacy.

Result

By 1818, the entire Indian sub-continent except Punjab & Sindh had been brought under

British control.

Part of it was ruled directly by the British & the rest by a host of Indian rulers over whom the

British exercised paramount power.

These states had virtually no armed forces of their own, nor did they have any independent

foreign relations.

They paid heavily for the British forces stationed in their territories to control them.

They were autonomous in their internal affairs, but even in this respect they

acknowledged British authority wielded through a Resident.

They were on perpetual probation.

On the other hand, the British were now free to 'reach out to the natural frontiers of

India.'

Continued

The doctrine was introduced by Lord Wellesley.

Early in his governorship Wellesley adopted a policy of non-intervention in

the princely states, but he later adopted the policy of forming subsidiary alliances.

This policy was to play a major role in British expansion in India.

Subsidiary Alliance

Lord Wellesley (1798-1805)

Main principles :

An Indian ruler entering into a subsidiary alliance with the British had to accept British forces

within his territory & also agree to pay for their maintenance.

The ruler would accept a British Resident in his state.

The Indian ruler would not enter into any further alliance with any other power, nor would he

declare war against any power without the permission of the British.

The ruler would not employ any Europeans other than the British, and if he were already

doing so, he would dismiss them.

In case of conflict with other state, he would agree to resolution decided upon by the British.

The ruler would acknowledge the East India Company as the paramount power in India.

In return for the ruler accepting its conditions, the Company undertook to protect the state

from external dangers and internal disorders.

If the Indian rulers failed to make the payments required by the alliance, then part of their

territory was to be taken away as a penalty.

Wellesley made the Nawab & Nizams subsidiary allies by signing almost 100 such treaties.

Initially Wellesley compelled the friendly rulers to accept this alliance.

The policy of subsidiary alliance was 1st used by Wellesley in dealing with the Nizam.

Wellesley neutralized the Nizam by getting him to sign the Subsidiary alliance to replace his

French detachments.

He also forbade Nizam to correspond with the Marathas without British consent.

As the Nawab was a French protégé, he had appointed many Frenchmen at his court, but after

this treaty, he was forced to dismiss the French employees.

Marathas in Deccan had not entered into any kind of treaty, but still they were neutralized by

Wellesley by a promise of share in the spoils of Tipu. After that only Wellesley demanded

submission of Tipu & followed an invasion.

Subsidiary Alliance System by Lord Wellesley

In summary, the system of Subsidiary Alliance could be any of the following:

The company lent its army in place of the Cash

Company kept the armies near the border of the Protectorate and collected cash.

Company kept the army inside the border for protection and collected cash.

Company kept its army inside the border of army and got some territories.

The last among the above given 4 types was dangerous.

It was Nawab of Oudh that entered into this kind of arrangement in 1801 (Treaty of

Lucknow) & ceded half of Awadh to the Company & also agreed to disband his

troops in favor of a hugely expensive, British-run army.

After this, the British were able to use Oudh's vast treasuries, repeatedly digging into

them for loans at reduced rates. They also got revenues from running Oudh's armed

forces.

Last, but not least, the subsidiary alliance made Oudh a "buffer state", which gave

strategic advantage to the British.

Timeline of British-Indian subsidiary alliances

1798 – Hyderabad

1799 – Mysore

1799 – Tanjore

1801 – Awadh

1802 – Peshwa

1803 – Scindia

1803 - Gaekwad

Founded at the end of the 15th century by Guru Nanak, the religion spread among

the Jat peasantry & other lower castes of the Punjab.

The transformation of the Sikhs into a militant, fighting community was begun by

Guru Hargobind (1606-1645).

It was, however, under the leadership of Guru Gobind Singh (1664-1708) that they

became a political and military force.

From 1699 onwards, Guru Gobind Singh waged constant war against Aurangzeb.

After Aurangzeb's death Guru Gobind Singh joined Bahadur Shah's camp as a

noble of the rank of 5000 zat & 5000 sawar & accompanied him to the Deccan

where he was treacherously murdered by one of his Pathan employees.

The Sikhs

Rallied the Sikh peasants of the Punjab & carried on a vigorous though unequal

struggle against the Mughal army.

Was captured in 1715 & put to death.

The invasions of Nadir Shah & Ahmad Shah Abdali

With the withdrawal of Abdali from Punjab, they began to fill the political vacuum.

Between 1765 and 1800 they brought the Punjab & Jammu under their control.

12 misls or confederacies which operated in different parts of the province.

Banda Bahadur

Sukerchakia Misl

A strong and courageous soldier, an efficient administrator, & a skillful diplomat.

He soon brought all Sikh chiefs west of the Sutlej under his control and established his own

kingdom in the Punjab.

He captured Lahore in 1799 & Amritsar in 1802. Later, he conquered Kashmir, Peshawar &

Multan.

Treaty of perpetual friendship with English in 1809

Built up an army along European line with the help of European instructors.

It is said that he possessed the second best army in Asia.

He set up modern foundries to manufacture cannon at Lahore & employed Muslim gunners

to man them.

Ranjit Singh

Ranjit Singh died in June 1839

Followed by political instability & rapid changes of government.

Kingdom saw beginning of process of disintegration when Kharak Singh, his eldest

son & his only son Naunihal Singh (grandson of Ranjit Singh) were killed in 1840.

Then Sher Singh, another son of Ranjit Singh was successful with help of the Sikh

army in proclaiming himself Maharaja in 1841 but he too was assassinated in 1843.

In September 1843 Duleep Singh, youngest son of Maharaja was proclaimed the

king with Rani Jindan as regent & Hira Singh as Wazir (who was murdered later).

Selfish & corrupt leaders came to the front.

Ultimately, power fell into the hands of the brave & patriotic but utterly indiscipline

army.

Conquest of the Punjab

First Anglo-Sikh War

The corrupt chiefs & officials found that the army would sooner or later

deprive them of their power, position, and possessions. They conceived the idea

of saving themselves by embroiling the army in a war with the British.

The PM Raja Lal Singh & the Commander-in-Chief Tej Singh, were secretly

corresponding with the enemy.

The danger from the foreigner united the Hindus, the Muslims & the Sikhs.

War between the two was thus declared on 13 December 1845.

The Punjab Army was forced to concede defeat

Sir Henry Lawrence was appointed at the Lahore Darbar to control the policies

Dalip Singh, was recognized as Raja

Jullandur Doab was added to the British territory

Limited the Sikh army to a specified number

Later, on 16 December 1846, another treaty was signed giving the British

Resident at Lahore full authority over all matters in every department of the state.

Moreover, the British were permitted to station their troops in any part of the

state, From now on the British Resident became the real ruler of the Punjab.

The British imposed a heavy war indemnity

Treaty of Lahore (1846)

First major conflict during the period of Lord Dalhousie

After the treaty of Lahore, Rani Jindan realized the true intentions of the English.

The major causes for this war were :

The Sikh Sardars were discontent with the British control over Punjab,

The Sikh army wanted to avenge their humiliation in the first war

The treatment of Rani Jindan when she was removed from Lahore to Shekhupura

on charges of conspiracy against the British Resident.

The immediate cause for the English Company’s invasion was the revolt of Mulraj,

the Governor of Multan.

In March 1849 Dalhousie annexed Punjab under the Treaty of Lahore and

pensioned off Dalip Singh to England along with his mother Rani Jindan.

Therefore, Punjab became a British province.

Although Patiala & some other small states retained their rulers after recognizing

sovereignty of the British.

The Kohinoor diamond was also taken from him.

Second Anglo Sikh war 1848-49

Growing Anglo Russian rivalry in Europe and Asia

British feared Russia might attack India through Afghanistan or Persia.

To counter it British decided to increase its influence in Afghanistan and Persia.

It felt this policy could be success fully pursued only if Sindh was brought under

British control.

The commercial possibilities of the river Sindh were an additional attraction.

The roads and rivers of Sindh were opened to British trade by a treaty in 1832.

The chiefs, known as Amirs, were made to sign a Subsidiary Treaty in 1839.

In spite of previous assurances that its territorial integrity would be respected,

Sindh was annexed in 1843 after a brief campaign by Sir Charles Napier

Conquest of Sindh

Dalhousie and the Policy of Annexation (1848-1856)

His belief that British administration was far superior to the corrupt & oppressive

administration of the native rulers

British exports to the native states of India were suffering because of the

maladministration of these states by their Indian rulers

Dalhousie also refused to recognize the titles of many ex-rulers or to pay their

pensions

Thus, the titles of the Nawabs of Carnatic & of Surat & the Raja of Tanjore

were extinguished

Similarly, after the death of the ex-Peshwa Baji Rao II, Dalhousie refused to

extend his pay or pension to his adopted son, Nana Saheb.

Doctrine of lapse

Was an annexation policy purportedly devised by Lord Dalhousie.

According to the Doctrine, any princely state or territory under the direct influence

(paramountcy) of the British East India Company, as a vassal state under the British

Subsidiary System, would automatically be annexed if the ruler was either

"manifestly incompetent or died without a direct heir".

The latter supplanted the long-established right of an Indian sovereign without an

heir to choose a successor.

In addition, the British decided whether potential rulers were competent enough.

At the time of its adoption, the Company had absolute imperial administrative

jurisdiction over many regions spread over the subcontinent.

The company took over the princely states of Satara (1848) , Jaitpur, &

Sambalpur (1849), Nagpur and Jhansi (1854) , Tanjore & Arcot (1855), Udaipur

& Awadh (1856) using this doctrine.

The Doctrine of was a naked violation of all cannons of national justice to deny the

legitimate rights to India rulers and to grab their territories.

The armies of the annexed states were largely disbanded.

The Company added about 4 million pounds sterling to its annual revenue by use of

this doctrine.

Dalhousie applied the Doctrine of Lapse vigorously for annexing Indian princely

states, but the policy was not solely of his invention.

The Court of Directors of the East India Company had articulated this early in 1834.

As per their policy they annexed Mandavi in 1839, Kolaba & Jalaun in 1840

& Surat in 1842.

Doctrine of Lapse before Dalhousie

India of the 18th century failed to make progress economically, socially, or culturally

India of those days was also a land of contrasts.

Even so, the life of the Indian masses was by and large better at this time than it was

after over 100 years of British rule at the end of the 19th century

Constant warfare & disruption of law and order in many areas during the 18th century

harmed the country's internal trade & disrupted its foreign trade to some extent and in

some directions.

Political factors which hurt trade also adversely affected urban industries. Many

prosperous cities, centres of flourishing industry, were sacked & devastated. Delhi was

plundered by Nadir Shah; Lahore, Delhi & Mathura by Abdali; Agra by the Jats; Surat

& other cities of Gujarat & the Deccan by Maratha chiefs; Sarhind by the Sikhs, & so

on.

Social and Economic Conditions of the People

Indian artisans still enjoyed fame all the world over for their skill.

India was still a large-scale manufacturer of cotton & silk fabrics, sugar, jute,

dyestuffs, mineral & metallic products like arms, metal wares & saltpetre & oils.

The important centres of textile industry were Dacca ,Murshidabad, Patna, Surat,

Ahmedabad, Broach , Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh, Burhanpur in Maharashtra,

Jaunpur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Agra , Multan & Lahore, Masulipatam, Aurangabad,

Chicacole & Vishakhapatnam in Andhra, Bangalore, & Coimbatore & Madurai.

Kashmir was a centre of woollen manufactures.

Ship-building industry flourished in Maharashtra, Andhra & Bengal.

India: Land of extensive manufactures

Education was defective.

It was traditional and out of touch with the rapid developments in the West.

The knowledge which it imparted was confined to literature, law, religion,

philosophy, & logic, & excluded the study of physical & natural sciences, technology,

& geography.

Among the Hindus, higher education was based on Sanskrit learning & was mostly

confined to Brahmins.

Persian education being based on the official language of the time was equally

popular among Hindus & Muslims.

Teachers enjoyed high prestige in the community.

Girls were seldom given education, though some women of the higher classes were

an exception.

Education

Caste was the central feature of the social life of the Hindus.

Muslims were no less divided

The family system : patriarchal

Women possessed little individuality of their own.

Ahilya Bai 1766 to 1796.

Purdah was common mostly among the higher classes in the North

Marriages were arranged

Men were permitted to have more than one wife, but except for the well-off, they

normally had only one .

Early marriage

Raja Sawai Jai Singh of Amber & the Maratha General Prashuram Bhau tried to

promote widow remarriage but failed.

Patdam : Maratha tax on widow remarriage

Social Life

Many of the painters of the Mughal school migrated to provincial courts & flourished

at Hyderabad, Lucknow, Kashmir, & Patna.

At the same time new schools of painting were born and achieved distinction

The paintings of Kangra & Rajput schools revealed new vitality and taste.

In the field of architecture, the Imambara of Lucknow reveals proficiency in

technique but a decadence in architectural taste.

On the other hand, city of Jaipur and its buildings are example of continuing vigour.

Music continued to develop and flourish in the 18th century. Significant progress was

made in this field in the reign of Muhammad Shah.

Spread of Urdu language and the growth of Urdu poetry.

Urdu gradually became the medium of social intercourse among the upper classes in

north . It produced brilliant poets like Mir, Sauda. Nazir, and Mirza Ghalib.

Cultural Life

Revival of Malayalam literature

Padmanabhan Palace with its remarkable architecture & mural paintings was also

reconstructed

Main weakness of Indian culture lay in the field of science

Struggle for power and wealth, economic decline, social backwardness & cultural

stagnation had harmful impact on the morals of a section of the Indian people.

Friendly relations between Hindus & Muslims were a very healthy feature

The ways of life of the upper class Hindus & Muslims converged much more than

the ways of life of upper class & lower class Hindus or of upper class & lower class

Muslims

Marathas supported Moinuddin Chisti & Raja of Tanjore supported shrine of Shahul

Hamid of Nagore.

Continued