Wars against East India Company
Battle of Plassey (1757)
Alivardi
Khan, the Nawab of Bengal died in 1756 and his grandson Siraj-ud-daula ascended
the throne of Bengal. The British taking advantage of the New Nawab’s weakness
and unpopularity seized power.
So,
Siraj -ud-daulah decided to teach them (British) a lesson by attacking over
their political settlement of Calcutta. The Nawab captured their factory at
Kasimbazar. On 20th June 1756, Fort William surrendered but Robert Clive
recovered Calcutta.
The Black Hole tragedy (1756)
There
was a small dungeon room in the Fort William in Calcutta, where troops of the
Nawab of Bengal Siraj-ud-daula, held 146 British Pris-oners of war for one
night.
Next
day morning, when the door was opened 123 of the prisoners found dead because
of suffocation.
On
9th February 1757, Treaty of Alinagar was signed, where by Siraj-ud-daulah
conceded practically all his claims.
British
then captured Chandranagore, the French settlement, on March 1757. The battle
of Plassey took place between the British East India Company and the Nawab of
Bengal and his French allies.
It
was fought on 23 June 1757. The English East India Company’s forces under
Robert Clive defeated the forces of Siraj-ud-daulah.
After
the collapse of Bengal, the company gained a huge amount of wealth from the
treasury of Bengal and used it to strengthen its military force. The beginning
of the British political sway over India may be traced from the Battle of
Plassey.
It
was the most decisive battle that marked the initiation of British rule in India
for the next two centuries.
Battle of Buxar (1764)
After
the Battle of Plassey in 1757, the company was granted undisputed right to have
free trade in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
It
received the place of 24 parganas in Bengal. Mir Jafar (1757 to 1760) the Nawab
of Bengal however fell into arrears and was forced to abdicate in favor of his
son in law, Mir Qasim.
Mir
Qasim ceded Burdwan, Midnapore and Chittagong. He shifted his capital from
Mursidabad to Monghyr.
Mir
Qasim soon revolted as he was angry with the British for misusing the destakes
(free duty passes). However, having been defeated by the British, he fled to
Awadh, where he formed a confederacy with Shuja-ud-daulah and Shah Alam.
The
Battle was fought on October 22, 1764 at Buxar, a “small fortified town” within
the territory of Bihar, located on the banks of the Ganges river about 130
kilometers west of Patna.
It
was a decisive victory for the British East India Company. Shuja–ud-daulah,
Shah Alam and Mir Qasim were defeated by General Hector Munro. Mir Jafar was
again placed on the throne.
On
Mir Jafar’s death, his son Nizam-ud- daulah was placed on the throne and signed
Allahabad Treaty on 20th February 1765 by which the Nawab had to disband most
of his army and to administer Bengal through a Deputy Subedar nominated by the
company.
Robert
Clive concluded two separate treaties with Shuja-ud-daula and Shah Alam II.
Dual System of government started in Bengal.
Carnatic wars
First Carnatic war (1746 - 48)
On
the outbreak of the Austrian war of succession in Europe the English and the
French were on opposite camps increased the hostility between these two forces.
The echo of this war was felt in India.
Battle of Adayar (1746)
The
First Carnatic War is remembered for the battle of Santhome (Madras) fought
between the French forces and the forces of Anwar-ud-din, the Nawab of
Carnatic, who appealed the British for help.
A
small French army under Captain Paradise defeated the strong Indian army under
Mahfuz Khan at Santhome on the banks of the River Adayar.
This
was the first occasion when the superiority of the well-trained and
well-equipped European army over the Indian army was proved beyond doubt.
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)
The
war was ended by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle which brought the Austrian War
of Succession to an end.
Under
the terms of this treaty, Madras was returned back to the English, and the
French, in turn, got their territories in North America.
Second Carnatic War (1749 - 54)
The
main cause of this war was the issue of succession in Carnatic and Hyderabad.
Anwaruddin Khan and Chanda Sahib were the two claimants to the throne of
Carnatic, whereas Nasir Jang and Muzaffar Jang were claimants to the throne of
Hyderabad.
The
French supported Chanda sahib and Muzaffar Jang, while the British supported
the other claimants with the objective of keeping their interest and influence
in the entire Deccan region.
The
war was ended by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle which brought the Austrian War
of Succession to an end.
Under
the terms of this treaty, Madras was returned back to the English, and the
French, in turn, got their territories in North America.
Second Carnatic War (1749 - 54)
The
main cause of this war was the issue of succession in Carnatic and Hyderabad.
Anwaruddin Khan and Chanda Sahib were the two claimants to the throne of
Carnatic, whereas Nasir Jang and Muzaffar Jang were claimants to the throne of
Hyderabad.
The
French supported Chanda sahib and Muzaffar Jang, while the British supported
the other claimants with the objective of keeping their interest and influence
in the entire Deccan region.
Battle of Ambur (1749)
Finally Dupleix, Chanda
Sahib and Muzaffar Jang formed a grand alliance and defeated and killed
Anwar-ud-din Khan, the Nawab of Carnatic, on 3 August 1749 in the Battle of
Ambur.
Muhammad Ali, the son of
Anwar-ud-din, fled to Trichinopoly (Trichirappalli). Chanda Sahib became the
Nawab of Carnatic and rewarded the French with the grant of 80 villages around
Pondicherry.
In the Deccan, too, the
French defeated and killed Nasir Jang and made Muzaffar Jang as the Nizam. The
new Nizam gave ample rewards to the French.
He appointed Dupleix as
the governor of all the territories in south of the river Krishna. Muzaffar
Jang was assassinated by his own people in 1751.
Salabat Jang, brother of
Nasir Jang was raised to the throne by Bussy. Salabat Jang granted the Northern
Circars excluding the Guntur District to the French. Dupleix’s power was at its
zenith by that time.
Battle
of Arcot (1751)
In the meantime, Dupleix
sent forces to besiege the fort of Trichy where Muhammad Ali had taken shelter.
Chanda Sahib also joined with the French in their efforts to besiege Trichy.
Robert Clive’s proposal
was accepted by the British governor, Saunders, and with only 200 English and
300 Indian soldiers, Clive was entrusted the task of capturing Arcot. His
attack proved successful.
Robert Clive defeated
the French at Arni and Kaveripak. With the assistance of Major General Stringer
Lawrence, Chanda Sahib was killed in Trichy.
Muhammad Ali was made
the Nawab of Arcot under British protection. The French Government recalled
Dupleix to Paris.
Treaty
of Pondicherry (1755)
Dupleix was succeeded by
Godeheu who agreed the treaty of Pondicherry. According to it, both the powers
agreed not to interfere in the internal affairs of the native states.
They were to retain
their old positions. New forts should not be built by either power. The treaty
made the British stronger.
The second Carnatic war
also proved inconclusive. The English proved their superiority on land by
appointing Mohammad Ali as the Nawab of Carnatic.
The French were still
very powerful in Hyderabad. However, the predominant position of the French in
the Deccan peninsula was definitely undermined in this war.
Third
Carnatic War (1756 - 63)
The outbreak of the
Seven Years’ War in Europe led to the third Carnatic war in India. By this
time, Robert Clive established the British power in Bengal by the Battle of
Plassey which provided them with the necessary finance for the third Carnatic
war.
Count de Lally was
deputed from France to conduct the war from the French side. He easily captured
Fort St. David. He ordered Bussy to come down to the Carnatic with his army, to
make a united effort to push the British out of the Carnatic.
Taking advantage of
Bussy’s departure, Robert Clive sent Colonel Forde from Bengal to occupy the
Northern Circars (parts of Andhra Pradesh and Odhisha).
Battle
of Wandiwash (1760)
The decisive battle of
the third Carnatic war was fought on January 22, 1760. The English army under
General Eyre Coote totally routed the French army under Lally.
Within a year the French
had lost all their possessions in India. Lally returned to France where he was
imprisoned and executed.
Treaty
of Paris (1763)
The Seven Years’ War was
concluded by the treaty of Paris. The French settlements including Pondicherry
were given back to the French. But they were forbidden from fortifying those
places. They were not allowed to gather armies. The French dominance in India
practically came to an end.
Mysore
and its Resistance to British Expansion
The state of Mysore rose
to prominence in the politics of South India under the leadership of Haider Ali
(1760-82).
He and his son Tipu
Sultan (1782-99) played a prominent role against the expansion of British
Empire in India. Both of them faced the English with undoubted courage.
In 1761, he became the
de facto ruler of Mysore. He also proved to be the most formidable enemy of the
English in India.
The
First Anglo-Mysore War (1767 - 69)
Causes
Haider Ali’s growing
power and his friendly relations with the French became a matter of concern for
the English East India Company.
The Marathas, the Nizam
and the English entered into a triple alliance against Haider Ali.
Course
The Nizam, with the help
of British troops under General Joseph Smith, invaded Mysore in 1767. Haider
Ali defeated English and captured Mangalore.
In March 1769, he
attacked Madras and forced the English to sign a treaty on 4 April 1769.
Treaty
of Madras (1769)
At the end of the war,
the Treaty of Madras was signed between Haider Ali and British East India
Company.
Both the parties
returned the conquered territories and promised to help each other in case of
any foreign attack on them.
The
Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780-84)
Causes
The English did not
fulfill the terms of the treaty of 1769, when Haider’s territories were
attacked in 1771 by Marathas, Haider did not get help from the British.
British captured Mahe, a
French settlement within Haider’s Jurisdiction. It led to the formation of an
alliance by Haider with the Nizam and Marathas against the English in 1779.
Course
In 1781, the British
General Sir Eyre Coote defeated Haider Ali at Porto Novo. The Mysore forces
suffered another defeat at Solinger.
Haider Ali died of
cancer during the course of the war. After the death of Haider Ali in 1782, his
son Tipu Sultan, continued the war against the English.
Tipu captured Brigadier
Mathews, the supreme commander of the British forces along with his soldiers in
1783. It was a serious loss to Tipu.
Treaty
of Mangalore (1784)
On 7th March 1784 the
treaty of Mangalore was signed between the two parties. Both agreed to return
the conquered territories and also the prisoners of war.
Thus, Warren Hastings
saved the newly-established British dominion from the wrath of powerful enemies
like Marathas and Haider Ali.
When the British lost
their colonies in America and elsewhere, Warren Hastings lost nothing in India.
Instead, he consolidated the British power in India.
The
Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790-92)
Causes
Tipu was trying to seek
alliance of foreign powers against the English and for that purpose he had sent
his ambassadors to France and Turkey.
Tipu attacked on
Travancore in 1789 whose ruler was an ally of the British.
The English, the Nizam
and the Marathas entered into a “Triple Alliance” against Mysore.
Course
Tipu fought alone which
continued for two years. It was fought in three phases. The attack of the
English under General Medows failed. Therefore, in December 1790, Cornwallis
himself took the command of the army.
Cornwallis captured all
the hill-forts which obstructed his advance towards Srirangapatam and reached
near its outer wall.
Tipu felt desperate and
opened negotiations with the English. Cornwallis agreed and the treaty of
Srirangapatnam was concluded in 1792.
Treaty
of Srirangapatnam (1792)
Tipu surrendered half of
his kingdom to the allies.
Tipu agreed to pay 3.6
crore of rupees to the English as war indemnity and surrendered two of his sons
as hostages to the English.
The English acquired
Malabar, Coorg, Dindigul and Baramahal(Coimbatore and Salem).
The
Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799)
Tipu Sultan did not
forget the humiliating treaty of Srirangapatnam imposed upon him by Cornwallis
in 1790.
Causes
Tipu sought alliance
with foreign powers against the English and sent ambassadors to Arabia, Turkey,
Afghanistan and the French.
Tipu was in
correspondence with Napoleon who invaded Egypt at that time.
The French officers came
to Srirangapatnam where they founded a Jacobin Club and planted the Tree of
Liberty.
Course
Wellesley declared war
against Tipu in 1799. The war was short and decisive. As planned, the Bombay
army under General Stuart invaded Mysore from the west.
The Madras army, which
was led by the Governor-General’s brother, Arthur Wellesley, forced Tipu to
retreat to his capital Srirangapatnam.
On 4th May 1799
Srirangapatnam was captured. Tipu fought bravely and was killed finally. Thus
ended the fourth Mysore War and the whole of Mysore lay prostrate before the
British.
Mysore
after the War
The English occupied
Kanara, Wynad, Coimbatore, Darapuram and Srirangapattinam.
Krishna Raja Odayar of
the former Hindu royal family was brought to the throne.
Tipu’s family was sent
to the fort of Vellore.
Anglo-Maratha
Wars
The Marathas managed to
overcome the crisis caused by their defeat at Panipat and after a decade
recovered their control over Delhi.
However the old Maratha
Confederacy controlled by the Peshwa had given way to five virtually
independent states.
Peshwa at Pune, Gaikwads
at Baroda, Bhonsle at Nagpur, Holkars at Indore, and Scindias at Gwalior.
The Peshwa’s government
was weakened by internal rivalries, and the other four leaders were often
hostile to one another.
Despite this, the
Marathas were still a formidable power. The internal conflict among the
Marathas was best utilized by the British in their expansionist policy.
The
First Anglo-Maratha War (1775-82)
Causes
In the case of the
Marathas, the first British intervention was at the time of dispute over
succession to the Peshwaship following the death of Narayan Rao.
After the death of
Narayan Rao, Raghunath Rao (Raghoba) became the Peshwa, but his authority was
challenged by a strong party at Poona under Nana Phadnavis.
The party recognised the
infant born posthumously to Narayan Rao’s wife, Ganga Bai, as the Peshwa and
set up a council of regency in his name. Having failed in his bid to capture
power, Raghunath Rao approached the British for help.
The Treaty of Surat
between the English and Raghunath Rao was concluded in 1775. However, the
majority of the Supreme British Council in Calcutta was opposed to the Surat
treaty, although Warren Hastings himself had no objection to ratifying the
treaty.
The council sent Colonel
Upton to Poona to negotiate a peace with the Poona regency. Accordingly, Upton
concluded the Treaty of Purandhar in 1776.
The treaty, however, did
not take effect due to opposition from the English government in Bombay.
Course
In 1781, Warren Hastings
dispatched British troops under Captain Popham. He defeated the Maratha chief,
Mahadaji Scindia, in a number of small battles and captured Gwalior.
Later on 17th May 1782,
the Treaty of Salbai was signed between Warren Hastings and Mahadaji Scindia.
Results
Raghunath Rao was
pensioned off and Madhav Rao II was accepted as the Peshwa.
Salsette was given to
the British.
The Treaty of Salbai
established the British influence in Indian politics. It provided the British
twenty years of peace with the Marathas.
The
internal affairs of the Marathas
The internal affairs of
the Marathas deteriorated further after the close of the first Maratha War.
Nana Fadnavis grew fond of power, jealous of Mahadaji Scindia and became progressively
inclined to seek the support of the English.
The young Peshwa,
Madhava Rao II, tried to improve the affairs but could not check the rivalry of
the Maratha chiefs.
Mahadaji Scindia died in
1794 and was succeeded by his grand nephew Daulat Rao Scindia. His death left
Nana Fadnavis supreme at Poona and the English to expand their influence in
north India.
Peshwa Madhav Rao II
committed suicide in 1795, and BajiRao II, worthless son of Raghunath Rao,
became the Peshwa.
The death of Nana
Phadnavis in 1800 gave the British an added advantage.
Jaswant Rao Holkar and
Daulat Rao Scindia were fighting against each other. The Peshwa supported
Scindia against Holkar.
The Peshwa and the
Scindia agreed to help each other.Holkar marched against the Peshwa. The combined
forces of Scindia and the Peshwa were utterly defeated in 1802 and captured the
city.
BajiRao II approached
Lord Wellesley, the then Governor-General of India, for help.
Lord Wellesley welcomed
the Peshwa and made him sign the Treaty of Bassein, in other words, the Treaty
of Subsidiary Alliance, accepting the status of a British subsidiary in 1802.
As an immediate to the
Treaty of Bassein, the British troops marched under the command of Arthur
Wellesely towards Poona and restored the Peshwa to his position.
The forces of Holkar
vanished from the Maratha capital.
The
Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803-05)
Causes
After accepted the
subsidiary alliance by the Peshwa, Daulat Rao Scindia and Raghoji Bhonsle
attempted to save Maratha's independence.
But the well prepared
and organised army of the English under Arthur Wellesely defeated the combined
armies of Scindia and Bhonsle at Assaye and Argaon.
Course
The English forced them
to conclude separate subsidiary treaties namely the Treaty of Deogaon and the
Treaty of Surji-Arjungaon respectively in 1803.
But, Yashwant Rao Holkar
(also called as Jaswant Rao Holkar) was yet undefeated. He had not participated
in the war so far. Holkar plundered the territory of Jaipur and, in 1804, the
English declared war against him.
Yashwant Rao Holkar made
an attempt to form a coalition of Indian rulers to fight against the British. But
his attempt proved unsuccessful.
The Marathas were
defeated, reduced to British vassalage and islolated from one another.
Results
The Maratha power was
gradually weakened.
The English East India
Company started becoming the paramount power in India.
The
Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-18)
Causes
The Third Anglo-Maratha
War was the final and decisive conflict between the British East India Company
and the Maratha Empire in India.
It began with an
invasion of the Maratha territory by British East India Company troops.
The troops were led by
the Governor General Hastings and he was supported by a force under General
Thomas Hislop.
Course
The Peshwa Baji Rao II's
forces, followed by those ofMudhoji II Bhonsle of Nagpur andMalhar Rao Holkar
III of Indore, rose against the British.
Daulat Rao Scindia of
Gwalior remained neutral. The Peshwa was defeated in the battles of Khadki and
Koregaon and several minor battles were fought by the Peshwa's forces to
prevent his capture.
Bhonsle was defeated in
the battle of Sitabaldi and Holkar in the battle of Mahidpur.
Results
The Maratha confederacy
was dissolved and Peshwaship was abolished.
Most of the territory of
Peshwa Baji Rao II was annexed and became part of the Bombay Presidency.
The defeat of the
Bhonsle and Holkar also resulted in the acquisition of the Maratha kingdoms of
Nagpur and Indore by the British.
The Baji Rao II, the
last Peshwa of Maratha was given an annual pension of 8 lakh rupees.