Class 8 History Chapter 2
Class 8 History Chapter 2
(i) In 1600 royal charter granted to East India Company granting the sole
right to trade with the East
(ii) East India Company bought goods at a cheap price and sold them at
higher price in Europe
(iii) Cotton and silk produced in India had a big market in Europe.
(i) In 1651, the first English factory was set up on the banks of river Hugli
(ii) Aurangzeb issued a farman granting the company the right to trade duty
free.
(iii) The company tried to press for more concessions and manipulate
existing privileges.
(i) After the death of Aurangzeb, the Bengal Nawabs asserted their power
and autonomy.
(i) On 23rd June 1757, Battle of Plassey was fought and was the first major
victory of English in India.
(ii) Alivardi Khan died in 1756 and Sirajuddaulah became the Nawab of
Bengal.
(iii) In 1757, Robert Clive led the Company's army against Sirajuddulah at
Plassey.
(iv) Main reason for defeat of the Nawab was that the forces led by Mir Jafar,
one of Sirajuddaulah's commanders, never fought the battle.
(v) Mir Jafar was promised by Clive to be made Nawab after crushing
Sirajuddaulah.
(i) After the defeat at Plassey, Sirajuddaulah was assassinated and Mir Jafar
was made the Nawab.
(iii) In 1764, the battle of Buxar was fought between Britishers and Mir
Qasim.
(iv) In 1765, the Mughal emperor appointed the company as the Diwan of the
provinces of Bengal.
(i) The process of annexation of Indian states by the East India Company
from 1757 to 1857 brought forth some key aspects like the company rarely
launched a direct military attack on as unknown territory.
(ii) After battle of Buxar, the company appointed residents in Indian states.
(iv) The Nawab of Awadh and the Nizam of Hyderabad were forced to cede
territories and accept the subsidiary alliances.
(iii) Four wars were fought between Britishers and Mysore and were known as
the Anglo-Mysore wars (1767-1769, 1780-84, 1790-92 and 1799).
(iv) In 1799, the Britishers won the battle of Seringapatam against Mysore.
(i) After the defeat in the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761, they were
divided into many states under different chiefs ( sardars ) belonging
to dynasties such as Sindhia, Holkar, Gaikwad and Bhonsle.
(ii) Anglo-Marathas war were fought between these and the company.
→ The first war that ended in 1782 with the Treaty of Salbai, there was no
clear victor.
→ The Second Anglo- Maratha War (1803-05) resulting in the British gaining
Orissa and the territories north of the Yamuna river including Agra and Delhi.
(i) Under Lord Hastings (Governor- General from 1813 to 1823) a new
policy of “paramountcy” was initiated which claimed its power was
greater than that of Indian states.
→ It declared that if an Indian ruler died without a male heir his kingdom
would “lapse”, that is, become part of Company territory.
→ Satara in 1848
→ Sambalpur in 1850
→ Udaipur in 1852
→ Nagpur in 1853
→ Jhansi in 1854
→ Awadh in 1856
→ Bengal
→ Madras
→ Bombay.
• Each was ruled by a Governor and the supreme head of the administration
was the Governor-General.
• In Civil courts, Maulvis and Hindu pandits interpreted Indian laws for the
European district collectors.
• The criminal courts were still under a qazi and a mufti but under the
supervision of the collectors.
• The collector main job was to collect revenue and taxes and maintain law
and order in his district with the help of judges, police officers and darogas.
• From the 1820s, the cavalry requirements of the Company’s army declined
because the British empire was fighting in Burma, Afghanistan and Egypt
where soldiers were armed with muskets and matchlocks.
• The soldiers were given European-style training and were subjected to drill
and discipline.
Conclusion:
• By 1857 the Company came to exercise direct rule over about 63 percent
of the territory and 78 percent of the population of the Indian subcontinent.