The Battle of Plassey (1757): The Beginning of British Political Power
- Context
- The British East India Company (EIC) initially traded under the declining Mughal Empire, competing with the French in Bengal.
- Conflict with Nawab of Bengal
- The Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula opposed British fortifications at Calcutta and attacked Fort William.
- Robert Clive’s Strategy
- Clive allied with Mir Jafar, a commander in the Nawab’s army, who betrayed his ruler during battle.
- Outcome
- British victory at Plassey (1757) secured Bengal, India’s richest province.
- Significance
- The EIC gained political control, access to vast revenues, and a base for expanding across India.
Definition
Robert Clive
- British commander who led victory at Plassey
Definition
Mir Jafar
- Indian general who supported the British in exchange for becoming Nawab.
Case study
The Battle of Plassey (1757)
Causes
- Competition between British and French traders for control of Bengal’s wealth.
- The EIC’s fortification of Calcutta without local approval.
- Rising tension with Siraj-ud-Daula, who viewed the British as a threat to sovereignty.
- British manipulation of local rivalries among Indian elites.
- Desire for economic dominance and secure trade privileges.
Consequences
- Bengal became a puppet state under Mir Jafar.
- The EIC gained the right to collect land revenue (diwani) after 1765.
- Massive transfer of wealth from Bengal to Britain.
- Sparked economic drain and decline of local industries.
- Marked the beginning of British territorial expansion in India.
Anglo-Mysore Wars (1767–1799): Resistance in the South
- Background
- The Kingdom of Mysore under Haider Ali and later Tipu Sultan emerged as a strong regional power.
- Conflict
- Mysore allied with France, threatening British interests in southern India.
- Four Wars (1767–1799)
- Series of conflicts between Mysore and the British East India Company.
- Death of Tipu Sultan
- Killed in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799) during the siege of Srirangapatna.
- Result
- Mysore’s fall removed the last major southern threat to British dominance.
Definition
Srirangapatna
- Mysore’s capital, captured by the British in 1799
Definition
Tipu Sultan
- Ruler of Mysore known as the “Tiger of Mysore,” famous for resisting British rule.
Case study
Tipu Sultan and the Anglo-Mysore Wars
Causes
- British ambition to dominate trade and territory in southern India.
- Mysore’s alliance with France, viewed as a threat by Britain.
- Disputes over trade monopolies and border control.
- Tipu Sultan’s modernization of the army using European technology.
- Mysore’s growing regional influence under Haider Ali and Tipu.
Consequences
- Tipu Sultan’s death (1799) ended organized southern resistance.
- Mysore placed under a British-controlled monarchy.
- British gained full control of southern trade routes.
- Demonstrated the military superiority of the East India Company.
- Marked the consolidation of British rule in southern India.
Anglo-Maratha Wars (1775–1818): The End of Indian Independence
- Maratha Confederacy
- Powerful Hindu warrior states ruled western and central India after the decline of the Mughals.
- First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–1782)
- Britain failed to impose control due to Maratha unity.
- Second War (1803–1805)
- Britain returned stronger under Lord Wellesley, forcing Marathas into subsidiary alliances.
- Third War (1817–1818)
- British crushed final Maratha resistance; Peshwa Baji Rao II was exiled.
- Result
- British dominance extended across India; the East India Company became India’s true ruler.
Definition
Peshwa
- Prime minister of the Maratha Confederacy.
Definition
Confederacy
- Alliance of semi-independent Maratha states
Common Mistake
- Mixing up wars: Mysore = Tipu Sultan; Marathas = western India; both resisted at different times.
- Overlooking diplomacy: The British used treaties and alliances as much as warfare.
- Ignoring economics: Battles were fought to secure trade and tax revenues, not just land.
Exam technique
- Chronological Clarity: Present events as a sequence — Plassey → Mysore → Marathas.
- Link Causes and Results: Show how each war increased British control.Name
- Key Leaders: Clive, Tipu Sultan, and Baji Rao II should always appear in essay answers.
Theory of Knowledge
- Can economic ambition justify political conquest?
- The East India Company’s rise blurs the line between trade and empire, showing how business interests can drive colonization.
Self review
- Examine the causes and consequences of the Battle of Plassey (1757).
- Assess the reasons for the failure of Mysore and Maratha resistance to British expansion.
- To what extent did economic motives drive the East India Company’s military conquests?
