4 England and India Before the Raj: From Commercial to Military Power

India in the Time of Clive

Mughal DeclineCarnatic Wars

Bengal

Greatest extent of Mughal Empire

1724 Hyderabad governor breaks with Mughals

Maratha Confederacy (Empire)

• Grandson of rebel Shivaji, revives Maratha push for independence

• Power granted to hereditary family of chief ministers who become the real leaders after 1749

Marathas in 1750

A Weak Mughal Empire

• 1735 Marathas control Malwa and Gujirat

• 1737 Marathas defeat Mughal army at Battle of Delhi

– Sack Delhi

1739 Persian invasion

• Nader Shah defeats larger Mughal armies in battles at Khyber Pass and Karnal

• Mughal emperor, Muhammad Shah is captured

• Persian troops plunder and sack Delhi

Sack of Delhi

• Muhammad Shah sues for peace

– Territory is returned

– Peacock throne, symbol of empire, is taken

Replacement for Peacock Throne ~1850

Carnatic Wars

• Indian conflict between Arcot and Hyderabad (Nizam)

• British forts at Madras and Cuddalore

War of the Austrian Succession

1740 Begun in Europe and involved multiple powers

1742 Britain joins, largely in defense of Hanover

English and French East India Companies discuss non-aggression

First Carnatic War

• François Dupleix French governor-general at Pondicherry

1745 Royal Navy squadron captured some French merchant ships; fights inconclusive battle with French EIC fleet

French Siege of Madras, 1746

Surrender of Madras, Swebach 1769-1823

Sepoys

• 1677 EIC uses natives as auxiliaries and support

• 1744 French recruit and train a native troop battalion

• Effective use in the capture of Madras

Styche Hall, Birthplace of Robert Clive, (after 1760)

Robert Clive

• Terrible youth

• 1744 Clerk in Madras

• 1746 Captured after French takeover of Madras

Clive’s Escape

• Escapes from French captiivty, disguised as an Indian

• Travels to Fort St. David, Cuddalore

• Participates in its defense

Madras

• Dupleix wants to turn Madras over to Nawabof Carnatic while his naval commander wants to give it to EIC for ransom

• Nawab attacks and is defeated by the French

Battle of Cuddalore

1746 Force under Nawab of Carnatic repulses French attack on Fort St. David, Madras

1748 French attack Cuddalore is defeated by Major Stringer Lawrence

1748 Royal Navy fleet carrying army troops fails in siege of Pondicherry

Stringer Lawrence, Gainsborough

Siege of Pondicherry ends with Treaty of Aix-La-Chapelle

Stringer Lawrence

Becomes first commander of combined army of East India Company

“Father of the Indian Army”

Some Commanders-in-Chief

• Robert Clive (1756-1760)

• Eyre Coote (1761-1763)

– Came to India with the 39th

Regiment of Foot

• Hector Munro (1764-1765)

• Clive (1765-1767)

Robert Clive (1725-1774)

Second Carnatic War(1749-1754)• Indian conflict between

Arcot (Carnatic) and Hyderabad (Nizam)

• British forts at Madras and Cuddalore

• British and French support for local rulers

Second Carnatic War

Hyderabad Carnatic

1748

Death of Nizam-al-MulkGrandson, Muzaffar Jang (F)Son, Nasir Jang (B)

Nawab Anwar-ud-Dinkilled at AmbarChanda Sahib (F)Mohammad Ali (B)

1750

Nasir Jang defeated at Pondicherry

Mohammad Ali defeated at Gingee

1751

Siege of Arcot, and other British victories

1753

Failed French siege of Trinchinopoly

1755

Peace: French get Northern CircarsMohammad Ali recognized as Nawab of Carnatic

Attack on Arcot

Third Carnatic War

Part of Seven Years War

– Maritime conflicts between Britain and France; Britain and Spain

– Conflicts over colonies

– Defense of Hanover

Madras

1758 Siege by French Navy of Madras

1759 Relieved by British Navy

1760 British counterattack

– Capture of Wandiwash

1761 Siege and capture of Ponidcherry

1760 Wandiwash

India in the Time of Clive

EIC and Calcutta 1690

Given revenue control of three villages

Collector

• Judicial powers

– Revenue cases

– Civil cases

– Criminal cases

– Appeals of civil cases and capital punishment to Nawabof Bengal

Calcutta 1717

• William Hamilton cures Mughal Emperor

• Award of a firman for Orissa, Bihar, Bengal– Freedom from customs for yearly payment of

3,000 rupees; Issue dastaks or passes of tax-exemption

– Assistance in establishing other factories

– Prevention of molestation by local officials

– Right to mint coins

– Right to add other villages to holdings

1756 Bengal

• Siraj ud-Daulah becomes nawab

• Issues– Fears stemming from British conduct in

Carnatic

– Company abuse of dustaks (free-trade passes)

– Harboring enemies of the nawab

– Expansion of fortifications at Calcutta (and French expansion at Chandernagore)

1756 Calcutta

• British refuse demand of Siraj

• Fort William, Calcutta attacked and overrun

• Retaliation

1757 Chandernagore

English

– Bengal regiment (250)

– Madras and Bombay detachments (~400)

– European artillery (150)

– Sepoys (1,500)

– Royal naval force with 39th foot

• French

– European infantry (146)

– Local militia (~300)

– Sepoys (~300)

1757 Capture of Chandnigore Dominic Serres, 1771, RMG

Road to Plassey

• Recovery of Calcutta

• Peace Treaty after Recovery

– Confirmation of 1717 rights

– Dustaks for Bengal, Bihar and Orissa

– Compensation for losses

– Right of fortification

– Mint

Video History of British India

Professor Lal. Lecture 6 excerpt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzGmwtwqJbA

India in the Time of Clive