Chapter 2 : The Expansion of British Rule in India

Hierarchy of Courts

- Supreme Court - High courts at Bombay, Madras and Calcutta - District and Registrar courts - Subordinate Courts (headed by Indian judges) the Code didn't apply to the princely states who had their own judicial system till the 1940's Indians were not allowed to rise to higher ranks in the judicial service.

Feature of Subsidiary Alliance

A british Official called the Resident had to saty in the ruler's court

Expansion of the Empire

After getting control over the country's richest province and not having any foreign rivals, The EEIC started a series of conquests throughout the entire subcontinent. They either directly annexed the territory or forced the local rulers to accept their authority through direct wars, by pensioning off rulers or by new policies like the doctrine of lapse and the subsidiary alliance.

Feature of Subsidiary Alliance

All non-English Foreigners had to be expelled from the court.

Result of Subsidiary Alliance

Among 1/3 of the British Territories were accounted for by signing such agreements e.g : Cochin, Jaipur, Travancore, Rajputana, Mysore, Hyderabad

Judicial Administration

Before the British came to India, the judicial administration was largely based on Shastras and Shariat Steps were taken by Lord Hastings and Lord Cornwallis to institute a proper Judicial Administration in India. In 1837, the Law Commission was set up under Thomas Macaulay which framed laws. The penal code was established in 1860 and the Criminal Procedure in 1862. The Rule of Law was established. This meant that the administration would be based on laws and not the kings wishes. Equality before law was also introduced. This meant that all people were to be treated equal before the law regardless their cate, creed or gender. But this wasn't the case in reality. The British always had a superior position under the law. Justice was an expensive process and the rich were able to get off lightly using dishonest means

FEIC factories

Chandernagore, Pondicherry, Karaikal, Yanam

Trade Wars.

England and France had been traditional rivals in Europe. their rivalry extended to the colonial possessions. at the heart of the frequent clashes between the 2 nations was the control of colonial possession. when Britain and France went to war over the Austrian war of succession, the effect was felt on colonial outposts like India. The anglo-french rivalry led to a series of wars called the anglo french war or the Carnatic wars which were fought in the Carnatic region in Tamil Nadu.

First EEIC Factory

In 1612, EEIC established its first factory at Surat, after receiving a farman from Jahangir.

The First Carnatic War (1744-48)

In 1742, England and France were in war in Europe. this conflict soon spread to India. while the french captured madras, the British mounted rule over Pondicherry. when the war ended, madras was restored back to the British. Sir Joseph Francois Dupleix, the governor general of the french territories in India, decided to adopt a more aggressive role in the local politics of the Carnatic. He used the resources of local rulers to oust the British.

The Bengal Famine (1770)

In 1770, Bengal was hit by a massive famine which killed almost 1.3 of the population.The EEIC was not organising any relief efforts for those who were affected, instead amassed a vast fortune for themselves. Thus they were called Nabobs

Cause of Battle Of Plassey

In 18 century - Bengal was one of the richest provinces with well-developed trade and commerce. In 1717, Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar gave permission to EEIC to import and export goods from Benagl without paying taxes. The company could use dastaks (passes) for its goods to exempt taxes. the company's local traders could take part in private trade, but weren't exempt from taxes. They started misusing this and issued it to private traders. this helped them to carry on trade without paying taxes to the Bengal Government. Alivardi Khan, the nawab of Bengal, was able to stop this misuse to a large extent. he was succeeded by his grand-son, Siraj-ud-daulah. He too tried to enforce taxes and stop the misuse. he even ordered the British and the French to stop fortifying territories in Bengal. While the French obeyed, the British refused to do so. This led to a decisive conflict between the EEIC and Bengal.

Anglo-Mysore War (1767-99)

In the last few decades of the 18th century the British had a series of wars with the rulers of Mysore-Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. while the initial conflicts led to a success to Mysore, Hyder Ali was eventually defeated by the British with the help of the nizam of Hyderabad. Tipu Sultan was very suspicious of the EEIC and waged 2 wars against them . But he was killed in the Battle of Seringapatam in 1799. Mysore was then places under a ruler who was forced to be loyal to the British

Doctrine of Lapse

Introduced by Lord Dalhousie (1844-1848). If the ruler of a Subsidiary state or state under british rule, died wihout a natural male heir, then his/her territory would pass on to the hands of the British e.g : Jhansi, Satara, Nagpur ew

Subsidiary Alliance

It was introduces by Governor General Lord Wellesley. It was successfully used to bring many small principalities under the British Control.

Police

Lord Cornwallis took up measures to create a police force in India. each district was placed under a Thana that was headed by a daroga. Kotwals and Chowkidars were also appointed in towns and villages. Th district superintendent supervised the administration of the police in that district Indians were not promoted to higher positions The police was infamous for their corruption and oppresion.

Other Modes of Expansion

Lord Dalhousie annexed Awadh with the excuse that it was being misgoverned by the Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. They forced the nizam of Hyderabad to cede Berar to the British. He also abolished the titles of Carnatic, Surat and Tanjore Thus, Th eBritish became the biggest political power in the subcontinent

Cause of Trade Wars

Lured by the legendary wealth of India, traders form different European nations came to India for the immense profits. The flourishing trade between the companies led to a competition between them often resulting in Wars and Conflicts.

Other EEIC Factories

Masulipatnam, Agra, Ahmdebad, Madras, Patna and Balasore

Battle of Buxar (1764)

Mir Qasim now sought shelter from Shuja-Ud-Daulah, the nawab of Awadh. The two decided to combine forces against the British along with the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II. They met the company's forces at the battle of Buxar in 1764. They were defeated by the British under Hector Hugh Munro. Shah Alam II went over to the British's Side. Mir Qasim escaped and spent the rest of his days as a wanderer. Shuja-Ud-Daulah escaped to Rolikhand and Awadh came under British Influence. Shah Alam II gave the British Rule the diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. The EEIC also received a huge war Indemnity of 50 lakh Rupees. Shuja-Ud-Daulah was given back Awadh, but it was under British Influence. He received very little pension and he only remained a titular head. Thus, the Battle of Buxar made the British, the undisputed rulers of Bengal

The Battle of Plassey (1757)

Nawab Siraj-ud-daulah captured Calcutta in 1756. the EEIC recaptured it in 1757 and drew a plan to overthrow the throne. Mir Jafar, the general of the nawab, offered his support to the English, who promised him the throne in return. 1n 1757, one of the turning points in Indian History took place. in the clash between the nawab's troops and the English, Siraj was betrayed by Mir Jafar, whose contingent was not a part of the battle. Though the nawab escaped, he was pursued and killed. Mir Jafar was made the King

Anglo-Maratha Wars (1775-1818)

The British and the Marathas fought a series of wars before the Maratha's could crumble. This was because of the disunity among the clans and their power struggles. The Peshwa or the head of the clan was also involved in the intrigues and factionalism. The factions sometimes used British help to overthrow others. The British interfered in the personal matters of their kingdom to their advantage. They dethroned the Peshwa and pensioned him off under Lord Warren Hastings ( governor-general 1775-85). his territory was annexed and the other clans signed the subsidiary Alliance

Dual Administration (1765-72

The British set up the dual administration system in Bengal in 1765. After receiving the diwan rights, the EEIC appointed Reza Khan to collect the revenue, however, they didn't take any responsibility of the administration of the territory. The nawabs were responsible for administration but couldn't get any access to the resources. This had a disastrous effect on the people as no one was taking care of their welfare

How did the EEIC get monopoly over trade in East ?

The Corporation received a royal charter in 1600 from Queen Elizabeth 1 to trade with the East. This gave them a monopoly over trade for a period of 15 years.

Calcutta

The EEIC received three villages of Bengal which they unified to make Calcutta

How was the English Trading factories run

The EEIC set up factories all under the command of a factor or a master merchant. It fortified Bombay, madras and Calcutta. The merchants stayed inside their forts and didn't mingle with the local people, except for business.

How did Portuguese lead the way

The Portuguese led the way in 1498 when Vasco Da Gama landed in Calicut.

The Second Carnatic War (1749-54)

The anglo french rivalry came to fore again, when the war of succession broke out in Hyderabad and Carnatic. The 2 companies supported opposing candidates in both regions Hyderabad : Nasir Jung (B), Muzaffar Jung (F) Carnatic : Chanda Sahib (F), Muhammed Ali (B) Initially the french succeeded in making Muzaffar Jung the nizam and Chanda Sahib the nawab. However, the British under Robert Clive, captured Arcot. Chanda sahib was captured and executed. he was promptly replaced by Muhammed Ali. The French suffered even more when Dupleix was called back to France and was replaced by Count De Lally. This was a huge blow to the french ambitions in India. However the still retained their position and protected the Nizam.

Outcome of Battle of Plassey

The battle of Plassey marked the beginning of British rule in India. the nawab was a mere puppet in the hands of the British and only retained his position as long as he enjoyed their favour. Mir Jafar gave the english a huge war compensation. The EEIC also levied heavy revenue demands on him. Mir Jafar soon realised that he wasn't able to keep up with the need of the BritIsh. Thus the British deposed him and replaced him with his son-in-law, Mir Qasim. Mir Qasim didn't prove to be as pliable as his father in law. He rearranged the army along European lines and improved the state administration. To check the misuse of dastaks, he abolished taxes on internal trade. this made the traders in the same line as the company officials and they isn't accept it. Mir Qasim was ousted in 1763 and Mir Jafar was placed on the throne once again. he signed a treaty with the english, which gave them the right to issue their own dastaks, free of duties and custom taxes

Other East India Companies

The dutch and the danish were also present in some parts of India. But they didn't have any significant political power and stuck to the role of traders.

Cause of trade wars

The english and french felt that they had to develop a monopoly over the trade in India to maximise their protests. This led to a rivalry between each other. Their rivalry culminated in a series of trade wars. the played local rulers against one another to extend their influence as far as possible.

Sir Thomas Roe

The first ship of EEIC set sail to India in 1601. During this time, a diplomatic mission led by Sir Thomas Roe was sent to the court of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir with an aim of securing permission to build trading ports at Surat and other places.

The French East India Company

The french followed the British. The FEIC was established in 1644.

Origin Of English East India Company

The origin can be traced to a group of merchants who formed a private corporation in 1598 to trade with the East.

The Third Carnatic War (1756-63)

The outbreak of the 7 years war led to a clash between the two nations again. this time it was not only in Carnatic, but it spread to Bengal as well. British forces under Robert Clive captured Chandernagore in 1757. the FEIC was facing a scarcity in finances. It faced defeat in the battle of Wandiwash in 1760. the following year, they lost Pondicherry as well. The war was ended by signing the treaty of Paris in 1763. This returned Chandernagore and Pondicherry to the French. And they could set up trading companies. but they were not allowed to fortify them or insert troops. The lived in India under British Rule. The British had overcome all the European enemies. all the credit went to Robert Clive

Feature of Subsidiary Alliance

The ruler was supposed to hand over the foreign affairs to the British, who in return gave them protection

The District Officials

The territories under British control were divided into districts which was the basic unit of administration. The three officials at district level were - Collector - collects revenue Magistrate - maintained law and order Judge - administered justice.

Civil Service

The various governor generals of India, undertook various measures to administer tBritish india more effectively. Lord Cornwallis created thr Indian Civil Service Lord Wellesley established the Fort Williams College in Calcutta to train civil servants. It was later replaced by the East India College in Haileybury, England. Initially, the civl servants were appointed by the Board of Directors of the EEIC. But from 1853 onwards, there was a competitive exam that selected the civil servants. Initially the exam was held in England, which made it difficult for the indians to appear for it. but later on it was held in India as well. The first Indian to pass was Satyendranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore's Brother. Indians were not allowed to compete for higher posts in the service

Administration of The Empire

The victory at Plassey and the access to the riches of Bengal brought EEIC to the scrutiny of the British Parliament. As a result, the British Government passed the Regulating Act of 1773 which gave more administrative control over the British territories in India. The EEIC could act on behalf of the British Parliament, but they were subject to civil, military and revenue matters. The government appointed a Governor General and 4 councillors who administer Bengal. However the Governor General had an undefined Role. Under Pitt's India act 1784, a board of control was established in England to supervise the EEIC's working and and to prevent the shareholder's in the company to interfere in the Governance in India. The board of control consisted of 6 members including the Secretary of state from the British cabinet

Anglo-Nepalese War (1814-16)

This war was fought because of the border tensions between Nepal and British India. When Nepal, extended their control to Kumaon and Garhwal in the east and Awadh in the west, the conflicts were inevitable. In the following conflicts, Nepal was defeated. Kumaon and Garhwal were annexed and many Gurkha soldiers were recruited in the army.

Difference between FEIC & EEIC

Unlike the EEIC, FEIC is largely dependent on government finances and was under strict government control.

military administration

When Warren Hastings was made governor general in 1773, his main task was to expand the army. He recruited soldiers not only from Bengal, but also from Awadh and Benares. For the next 75 years, this practice was continued and a large number of soldiers constituted to the Bengal army. As the army expanded, it was divided into presidency armies of Bengal, Madras and Bombay. The Indian Sepoys were well trained and disciplined. They were commanded by the British Officers and were loyal to their masters. The highest Rank of an Indian Sepoy is a Subedar.

Feature of Subsidiary Alliance

if any ruler was unable to do so, then she/he had to cede her/his territory to the British

How did EEIC get Bombay

in 1662, EEIC received the island of Bombay by King Charles II after he received it from the Portuguese as Dowry for marrying a Portuguese Princess

Why were the companies different.

in the 16-17 century, the companies were only trading enterprises. But by the 18 century, they got the support of their respective government. this gave them a great deal of freedom and political and military freedom. they empowered to declare wars, sign treaties and fortify territories. they used their powerful navies to collect toll prices from the ships. they set up huge armies which included of Indian sepoys as well as British officers.

Anglo-Sikh War (1845-1849)

the Sikhs under Maharaja Ranjith Singh emerged as a formidable power. Ranjith Singh maintained a friendly yet formidable attitude towards the British . They also had a well trained army. However Ranjith Sigh died in 1839 resulting in a civil war. The British took advantage of this and fought 2 wars with the British. The Sikhs were defeated and Punjab was absorbed into the British Empire.

Charter Act

the charter act passed by the British parliament renewed the EEIC's charter. based on the opposition of Britain itself, the act terminated the company's monopoly over India, and opened up the country for investments from private bodies. The charter act of 1833 ended EEIC's tea trade with China. The Govenor General in council added a new law member. The governor general was the first effective ruler of the British territories in India.

Feature of Subsidiary Alliance

the rulers had to keep a british official in his/her court and pay the British for the upkeep of troops