Scene 1

Scene 2

By 18 th  century the  Mughal  kingdom started disintegrating into number of small independent kingdoms. These kingdoms wanted to promote their own interest . Their internal conflict encouraged the European powers to take advantage and establish their  territorial rule in India.

Scene 3

Bengal was one of the richest province. The EEIC had been allowed duty free trade by  Mughal  Emperor in 1717. The right was misused by the company -officials. They started trading privately , without paying duty. They made huge profits by buying cheap goods and selling them in higher prices.

Scene 4

Nawab    Aliwardi  Khan , faced huge revenue losses. He was the last powerful  Nawab  of Bengal. After is death he was succeeded by his grand son  Siraj-ud-Daulah  . The British began to fortify Fort William, Calcutta.

Scene 5

Siraj-ud-Daulah  asked the British to immediately stop fortifying and pay revenue. He wanted to check the gross misuse of free passes and  dastaks  that exempted company’s goods from taxes. He refused to give further trade concessions and privileges to the EEIC which it had been demanding. Siraj-ud-Daulh  marched with an army of 30,000 soldiers and laid siege to Calcutta. He captured the company’s officials , disarmed their soldiers and blocked its ships. He placed Calcutta under  Manik   Chand  and returned to  Murshidabad .

Scene 6

Scene 7

Robert Clive was sent from Madras to recapture Calcutta. He conspired with Mir-  Jafar , the commander in chief of  Siraj -  ud -  Daulah . EEIC was able to win over the merchants such as  Jagat  Seth and Omi  Chand  of  Siraj  – ud  – Daulah’s  court in their side. They defeated  Nawab   Siraj-ud-Daulah  in the battle of  Plassey  in 1757.

Scene 8

Mir  Jafar  was made the puppet  Nawab  of Bengal. He granted the  zamindari  of 24 districts of Bengal. All the French settlement in Bengal were surrendered to the English. The rich provinces of Bengal made the financial condition strong of EEIC. The British monopolised the Trade in Bengal and gradually ousted the French and Dutch. The company continued to make heavy monetary demands which the  Nawab  was unable to meet. The English deposed Mir  Jafar  and Mir  Qasim  was made the  Nawab  of Bengal.

Scene 9

Mir  Qasim   tried to consolidate his power and free himself. He dismissed all the  Mir  Jafar’s  officials who were close to company. He invited European mercenaries to train his soldiers . He abolished taxes on internal trade and gave equal opportunities to English and Indians. He tried to check the misuse of trade privileges of the British.

Scene 10

The British were alarmed and  decided to remove Mir  Qasim He was defeated by British and flee to  Awadh . He formed alliances with  Shuja-ud-Daula ,  Nawab  of  Awadh  and Shah  Alam  II of Delhi. In 1764 their combined army met the English forces.

Scene 11

The results of the Battle of  Buxar - Mir  Quasim ,  Shuja-ud-Daula  & Shah  AlamII  were defeated and EEIC became the real master of Bengal. Mir  Qasim  was expelled from Bengal and Mir  Jafar  was reinstalled. Nawab  of  Awadh  had to pay a  warindemnity  of 50  lakhs . He got back his kingdom but British controlled it. EEIC  got the  Diwani  rights  of Bihar, Bengal & Orissa.  The Battle of  Buxar  displayed the superior  military  power of the English.

Scene 12

The Treaty of  Allahabbad (1765) The  Mughal  emperor granted the  Diwani   Rights of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa to EEIC. In return he was given an annual tribute of 26  lakhs .

From Trade to Territory

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