EMERGENCE OF REGIONAL

POWERS : THE RISE OF

BENGAL, AWADH AND
HYDERABAD
 SUCCESSOR STATES
• By 1761, the mughal empire was an empire only in name .cas o m) its
weaknesses had enabled the local owners to assert their ail
gm
ar@
independence. Yet the symbolic authority of mughal ku emperor
m
i n od
continued. The new states did not challenge its ( v sa rule or authority and
v
nd
constantly sought its sanction to legitimize
n A natheir rule.
Sara
• The emergence of these states in 18 century represented a
e
thor
df
alis
transformation rather than collapse e rso
n of polity. It signified a
p
decentralization of power & enot
nt
is a power vacuum or political chaos.
m
ocu
• Bengal, Awadh & Hyderabad
Th
is d
were three successor states of mughal
empire, in the sense that they were founded by provincial mughal
governors who never formally severed their links with the centre but
virtually exercised autonomy in matters of execution at local level
 BENGAL
The province of Bengal gradually became independent of Mughal o m) control
. c
after Murshid Quli Khan became the governor in 1717. ail
gm
ar@
1. Efficient revenue administration: The foundation of od
kMurshid
u m Quli’s power
i n
was his successful revenue administration which ( v sa even in days of political
v
chaos made Bengal a revenue surplus area.AnaQuli nd made the revenue
collection system efficient. He encouraged Sara the development of a few
n
powerful zamindars at the expense of or
e d fsmaller zamindars. By the time of
lis
Quli’s death in 1727, fifteen largest s o na zamindars were responsible for half of
the revenue of the province. t is per
n
u me
2. The growing importanceis dofoc Merchants & Bankers: the constant pressure
on the zamindars to pay Th revenue on time brought powerful bankers into
great demand. They provided securities at every stage of the transaction
and enjoyed unprecedented patronage of governor, thus providing the
main supportive pillar of his power. The most signficant of whom was
Jagat Seth who eventually became the treasurer of the govt in 1730.
 ) m
3. Bengal and the role of trade: bengal always had a lucrative a i l. co trade and
g m
the political stability & increase in agricultural productivity
m a r@ during
u
Quli’s regime provided further impetus to such a v
od
k
intrading activities.
d(vs
an
• During the political turmoil of 18th century, r a n Antraffic through the overland
Sa
route partially declined but oceanic etrade df
o r thrived with the increasing
l i s
investment from european companies-
e r s on
a the Dutch, French & English.
t is p
• Bengal always enjoyed a ofavorable
c u men
balance of trade, with surplus
is d
bullion bought in by European
Th companies to buy bengali goods. On
the Indian side, this trade was dominated by merchants and they
enjoyed a cordial relation with state & bureaucracy.
Murshid Quli (1717-1727) was succeeded by his
grandson Sarfaraz Khan. However, Shujauddin Khan
(Quli’s son-in-law) ousted Sarfaraz Khan. Khan was
supported by the local zamindars, merchants and m)
o
Bankers ail. c
gm
m ar@
dku
vino
a
1739-40: the increasing influence of bankers and d (vs
n
traders became visible when in a coup in 1739, A na Sarfarz
n
ara
Khan , the newly appointed Nazim was foousted r S by his
e d
army commander Alivardi Khan with na
listhe help of banking
rs o
family of Jagat Seth and a fewspowerful
pe zamindars.
ti
en
um
doc
This
Alivardi Khan: it was his reign that marked a virtual
break with the Mughals. All major appointments were
now made without any reference to the emperor and
finally, the regular flow of revenue to Delhi was stopped.
 ALIVARDI KHAN & THE MARATHA
THREAT
o m)
• Maratha threat posed by continuous expansion reached Bengal, ail. c Bihar and
gm
Orissa. In 1751, under Alivardi Khan, they reached an magreement ar@ with
Maratha’s agreeing to pay Chauth (1/4 of tax collection) th
ino
dk
u
for bengal and
handing over Orissa to Maratha’s. d(v
sa v
a n
n An
r a
r Sa
fo
• Alivardi Khan died in 1756: bitter succession a l i sed war b/w his successor, the
n
young Siraj-ud-Daula and Ghaseti p ers Begum (Alivardi’s daughter) & Shaukat
o
Jung. This resulted in intenseentcourt is factionalism, as the mighty zamindars
m
& merchants felt threatened do by a young nawab.
c u
i s
Th

• This intense court factionalism destablized the administration of Bengal

and the advantage was taken by British East India Company which
acquired a foothold in Bengal politics through the Plassey conspiracy that
ended the rule of Siraj-ud-Daula.
 BATTLE OF PLASSEY: 1757
• 1690- Aurangzeb granted British rights for duty free trade . co in
m) Bengal for
ail
Rs 3000. r@
gm
a
kum
od
• 1717- Farukh Siyar granted the company the right sa vin to carry on duty-free
d(v
trade, to rent 38 villages around calcutta and n an use the royal mint.
r a nA
However, Murshid Quli refused to rentfor 38 Sa villages and grant minting
d
rights. a lise
on
p ers
• 1750’s- British were apprehensive nt is of French presence & victories in
u me
c
South India & English Tprivate
his
do trade suffered heavily in 1750’s as a
result of French competition in collusion with Asian merchants.
• 1755- English began renovating their fortifications in Calcutta without
the Nawab’s permission & in utter defiance of his authority began to
offer protection to fugitives from his court.
• 1756- Siraj-ud-Daula became nawab, took over the british factory in
Kasimbazar. This was followed by Siraj’s attack on calcutta o m) & its
. c
ail
capture on 20th june 1756. @
gm
mar
ku
• This precipitated a crisis, Robert Clive now arrived a v ino
d
with a strong army
(v s
from Madras. A dissatisfied faction within ANawab na
nd Siraj’s court
n
consisting of merchant bankers, powerful Sara bankers like Jagat Seth
or
df
sided with the British. na
lise

erso
• 1757- Battle of Plassey: Siraj is p
en defeated by Clive (the war was only a
t
u m
skirmish) as the military d oc
commander of Siraj, i.e Mir Jafar effected a
is
Th
coup-de-eat with the support of Jagat Seth brothers.
 CONSEQUENCES OF BATTLE OF
PLASSEY
o m)
. c
ail
gm
1. The plassey battle paved way for British rule in Bengal
um
& India. ar@
k
od
a vin
2. The war boosted British prestige- in a single d stroke raised them to
(v s
n an
status of major contender for Indian empire.
a r a nA
S
for
3. Revenue from Bengal enabled the l i sed
British to build a strong army.
n a
erso
is p
4. Plassey Plunder: 2,75,000mpound en
t immediate war indemnity was to be
c u
paid to the british. h i s do
T

a. b/w 1757-1760, the company received 22.5 million rupees from mir jafar.
b. Prior to plassey, trade with bengal was financed from bullion imported
from Europe. After Plassey, bullion was exported from Bengal to China &
other parts of India for trade purposes.
BATTLE OF BUXAR (1764) AND TREATY
OF ALLAHABAD (1765)
o m)
. c
ail
• 1763- Shah Alam 2 (Mughal emperor), Sujha-ud-Daula (Awadh), r @
gm Mir Kasim
a
planned to form a grand alliance to fight against British.
dk
um
v ino
• 1764- Battle of Buxar: an 18th century Indian Army n d(v
a
s with its segmentary
a
social organization was in serious disadvantages a n An against a technically
a r
efficient English army with a unified command. for
S
e d
• 1765- Treaty of Allahabad: Shah Alam n alis 2 was treated with respect after the
o
ers
defeat and the nominal rule of mughal nt
is p continued. In return, the British were
e
granted oc
um
is d
• Diwani rights (revenueThcollecting rights) for Bengal, Bihar & Orissa
• British resident was posted at Murshidabad who became the real locus of
power in Bengal province by 1772
• In Awadh, Shuja-ud-daula paid five million rupees to the company. A
british resident was posted in his court & the company was granted duty free
trading rights in Awadh.
 CHAPTER SUMMARY
Causes of Battle of Plassey m)
. co
• Assertive nawab who threatened privileges of East India Company ail
gm
ar@
• Anglo-French Rivalry od
k um
a vin
• Defiance of the nawab’s authority d(v s
nan
• Defection of Merchant Bankers who felt threatened
ra nA
by the young Nawab
Sa
for
ed
alisn
e rso
Significance of Battle
t is
of
p Plassey & Battle of Buxar
en
• Raised British Prestige doc
um
his
• Plassey Plunder-Boost toT the finances of East India Company
• Enabled them to build a strong army
• Treaty of Allahabad: granted them revenue collecting rights.