Class –0 Introduction class (28/06/24)

SUMMARY

Modern Indian History Class 01

DISCUSSION OF SYLLABUS (10:04 AM)

 Advent of Europeans
 Europeans came via direct sea route by 1498 AD.
 The sea route to India was discovered by Vasco da Gama in 1498 AD which marked the beginning of
European exploration.
 Later Mughals and Decline of Mughals
 Rise of regional powers- Bengal, Hyderabad, Awadh, Mysore, Maratha, Punjab
 Successor states and Rebellious states
 Rise of British East India Company and its confrontation with regional powers.
 Revolt of 1857
 Freedom Struggle:
 1) Non- Violent movements
 i) Moderate Phase (1885- 1905)
 ii) Extremist Phase Swadeshi and Boycott movement (1905- 1915)
 iii) Home Rule movement (1916- 1918)
 iv) Beginning of Gandhian Phase
 a) Regional Intervention (1916- 1919)
 b) Rowlatt Satyagraha
 c) Non-cooperation Movement (1920-22)
 d) Civil Disobedience movement (1930-34)
 e) Individual Satyagraha
 f) Quit India movement
 2) Violent movements
 i) Revolutionary Nationalism Phase-1 (1905-1915)
 ii) Revolutionary Nationalism Phase-2 (1924-1934)
 iii) Revolutionary Nationalism Phase-3 (1942-47)
 S C Bose- Azad Hind Fauz (INA)
 Royal Indian Navy revolt
TOPIC OF THE NEXT CLASS- ADVENT OF EUROPEANS
SUMMARY

Modern Indian History Class 02 (29/06/24)

ADVENT OF EUROPEANS (08:39 AM)

 Adventure in the sea in the 15th century led to the establishment of the modern world.
 Many of the European countries were interested in finding a direct sea route to India.
 In this particular aspect, Portugal and Spain took the lead among European nations.
 The Portuguese were successful in finding a direct sea route to India.
 In 1498, Portuguese sailor Vasco Da Gama landed in Calicut which marked a new beginning in
Indian History.
 Many other European Nations followed in the footsteps of the Portuguese.
 Next to arrive in India were the Dutch, followed by the English, Danes and finally French.
 Since the arrival of the first Europeans and till India's independence in 1947, much water had flown
under the bridge.
 It also led to change in the discourse of Indian society and history. India transformed from a
Feudalistic, conservative and exclusive social system to a Capitalistic, progressive and inclusive social
system.
 This change was possible due to introspection based on self-assertion and external stimuli of ideas of
Europe.
 As such India got transformed from one man's rule to people's rule i.e. from monarchy to democracy.
ARRIVAL OF PORTUGUESE (09:20 AM)
 The Europeans' adventures to India and the eastern world were meant for God, Gold and Glory.
 Portuguese king Prince Henry the Navigator took the lead among Europeans and started to
patronise sea fairing activities.
 He took the permission of the Pope to start his endeavour as a symbol of Bull sculpture.
 The objective of this adventure was to earn a profit from the trade and also promote Christianity in
the Eastern world.
 During the tenure of King John II, a sailor named Bartholomew Diaz reached the Cape of Good
Hope.
 During the tenure of King Emmanuel, another sailor Vasco Da Gama started his journey towards
India in July 1497. He reached to a place called Malindi in today's Somalia where he got the
support of a Gujarati pilot Abdul Majeed.
 In May 1498, he reached to the coast of Calicut. He was given a grand reception by the Zamorin
ruler of Calicut whose name was Samuthiri.
 Vasco Da Gama stayed in Kerala for 3 months and purchased huge cargo from Kerala.
 Once he returned to Portugal, he sold commodities from Kerala for a profit of 60 times.
 In 1500, another Portuguese sailor Pedro Alveraz Cabral came to India but he fought with Arabs in
the Calicut area which ruined cordial relations with Calicut.
 He befriended the adversary of Calicut i.e. ruler of Cochin.
 After his return, once again Vasco Da Gama came back to India in 1501 and stayed till 1503.
 With the permission of the Cochin ruler, he created Fort Cochin and also created Portuguese
trading centres at Cochin and Cannanore
 In 1505, the Portuguese govt decided they would be sending their official envoys to India rather
than private sailors.
 Francisco-de-Almeida
 He was the first Portuguese Viceroy in India.
 Before starting his journey to India, he made a statement 'If Portuguese want to dominate the
Indian trade, they must create a strong naval force and dominate the Indian Ocean and Arabian
Sea rather than building forts and trading centres'.
 When he arrived in India, he initiated the Blue Water Policy. As per this policy, he created a strong
Naval Force to dominate Indian Ocean.
 But he had to fight with the alliance of Arabs with Calicut and the ruler of Gujarat.
 In the Battle of Chaul 1508, he was defeated but later in the battle of Diu of 1509, he was
victorious.
 Albuquerque
 He is regarded as the real founder of Portuguese power in India. He realised the dream of the Blue
Water Policy and created and created the strongest naval force in the Indian Ocean.
 He established his control on two strategic areas i.e. Strait of Malacca and Hormuz.
 After controlling these areas, he started an extension of the Bluewater policy i.e. Cartez System.
 Under this system, the ships of other countries were allowed to pass through the Indian Ocean
after giving a permit fee.
 He captured Goa from Bijapur Ruler in 1510 and later he also got the area of Bhatkal in North
Karnataka from Ruler of Vijay Nagar Krishna Deva Raya.
 He went on to create a port at Bhatkal.
Nino-Da-Cunha (10:10 am)
 He was the last important Portuguese Viceroy in India.
 During his tenure, Goa became the headquarters and capital of the Portuguese.
 Moreover, the area of Diu was captured from Gujarati Ruler Bahadur Shah at this time.
IMPACT OF PORTUGUESE IN INDIA (10:44 AM)
 The Portuguese were the first to introduce the printing press in India. In 1557, it was introduced
at Goa.
 They were the first Europeans who started writing about the medicinal usage of Indian herbs.
 They promoted Christianity in India in a very systematic manner. Many Jesuit orders came to
India for the propagation of Christianity for e.g. St. Xavier
 They introduced the Portuguese Iberian style of construction in India.
 They also introduced many new agricultural commodities like potatoes, chilly, and cashews.
 Cashews were mainly introduced for checking soil erosion and leaching of soil. It was also very
helpful in land reclamation from Sea.
 They also introduced the Sugarcane plantation and tobacco plantation.
 New varieties of coconut and pineapple were also introduced.
 They banned Sati Pratha in their controlled areas.
 They promoted matrimonial alliance with the Indian community
SOURCES FOR MODERN INDIAN HISTORY (11:15 AM)
 Themes in Indian History Part III - 12th New NCERT
 Struggle for Indian Independence
 Old NCERT
TOPIC OF THE NEXT CLASS- ADVENT OF EUROPEANS (TO CONTINUE)

SUMMARY

Modern Indian History Class 03 (01/07/24)

DUTCH EAST INDIA COMPANY (DEIC) (08:38 AM)

 In 1596, a Dutchman named Cornelius de Houtman visited the islands of Indonesia and the two
flourishing fort towns Batam and Batavia.
 After his return in March 1602, DEIC was created. They had an interest in both India and Indonesia
for the purpose of spice trade.
 On one hand, black pepper and cardamom were the native spices of India, on the other hand, clove,
Mace, Nutmeg were the native spices of Indonesia.
 It was the first multinational company in the world and also a very rich company.
 BY 1605 they arrived in India and created their first trading center and warehouse at Masulipatnam.
 Within a short span of time, they created their factories at places like Nagapattinam, Pulicat, Kasim
Bazar, Chinsura, Bimlipatnam, Agra, Decca, Cochin, Surat
 From 1623 onwards, an intense rivalry developed between DEIC and the British East India Company.
 In 1623, in the battle of Ambyona in Indonesia, the Dutch killed a handful of British which led to the
development of a fight. It continued for a very long duration i.e. 1667
 At this time there was there was a partial truce between the two companies. But from the early
decades of the 18th cen, intense competition started between Dutch, French and English in India.
 In one such event in 1759, the Dutch captured three ships of the British in the Bay of Bengal which
led to the Battle of Hooghly. In this battle, the Dutch were thoroughly defeated.
 After that, they started to wind up their operations from India. By 1823, they completely left India in
the favour of Indonesian Islands.
ENGLISH EAST INDIA COMPANY (EEIC)(9:08 AM)
 IN 1599, the East India Association of Merchant Adventures was created.
 This company is said to be the first venture capital company in the world.
 Over the period this company came to be known as the British East India Company.
 On 31st Dec 1600, Queen Elizabeth gave the Royal Charter to the Company to trade with Eastern
nations for a period of 15 years but in 1609, the charter was extended for an indefinite period till
further notice.
 The first British Envoy led by Sir William Hawkins came to Jehangir's court in 1608.
 Hawkins was given a respectable Mansan Position in the Mughal Court and at the same time
construction of the warehouse started at Surat and Masulipatnam.
 There was a huge influence of Portuguese in the Mughal court which often became an impediment
to British interest.
 In 1611, Hawkins returned back to Britain after not getting privileges in the Mughal Court.
 IN 1615, another British envoy led by Sir Thomas Roe visited Jehangir's court.
 At this time, with the support of Mughal empress Noorjahan, he got all the necessary permissions
which led to the creation of British trading centres at Ahmedabad, Agra and Barauch.
 In 1613, they created their warehouse at Hariharpur in eastern India.
 In 1639, the British got the village of Madras on lease from the ruler of Chandragiri.
 At this place, they created St Fort George Madras which went on to become the initial British
headquarters in India.
 In 1661, a matrimonial alliance happened between Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza with
British Prince Charles II
 The Portuguese transferred the island of Bombay to the British Crown as a dowry price.
 In 1668, Bombay was transferred to the British East India Company for a nominal price of 10 Pounds.
 Soon, Bombay became the commercial headquarters of the British.
 In 1655, Mughal Governor of Bengal Shah Shuja allowed the British to trade from Hooghly.
 In 1686, the British had a small fight with Mughal Officers in Hooghly. At this time, enraged
Aurangzeb snatched the privileges of the British from Bengal.
 In 1619, a British officer Job Charnock persuaded Aurangzeb to restore British privileges in Bengal.
 British privileges were restored in Bengal on 3000 rupees annual payment.
 In 1698, the British got three villages on lease i.e. Govindpur, Kalikata, and Sutanati. They clubbed
these three villages and created St Fort William Calcutta which became the capital of British India by
the end of the 18th century
 By the time Bahadur Shah came to power, he was already 65 years old. He was a learned man and he
had some good administrative skills.
 He tried to reverse the religious divisive policy of Aurangzeb
DANISH EIC (09:52 AM)
 It was created in 1616 as a chartered company to trade with the eastern nations and also to promote
Christianity.
 They created their trading centres at Tranquebar, Fredreik Nagar and the Serampore area of
Bengal.
 In 1799, a Danish officer William Reverend Carey founded a printing press at Serampore to publish
the Bible.
 By 1845, they sold their properties to the British and left India.
FRENCH EIC (10:02 AM)
 It was the last European company to arrive in India. It was created in 1664.
 They arrived in India in 1668 and started to create their trading centres in Surat - 1668,
Masulipatnam- 1669, Pondicherry- 1673, Chandernagore- 1690
 Soon Pondicherry became the headquarters of the French in India.
 As compared to the British EIC, the French EIC was not a private entity and it was controlled by their
government.
 This control became 100% from the year 1723.
 French Governor Joseph Dupleix started the strategy of interfering in the native politics of India.
 Very soon British also followed in the footsteps of the French and started to interfere in local politics.
 It led to the development of a very bitter fight between the British and the French which continued
for approximately 20 years. In this fight, the British thoroughly defeated the French which led to the
end of the colonial ambition of the French in India.
LATER MUGHALS (10:15 AM)
 Bahadur Shah (1707-12)
 After the death of Aurangzeb, a war of succession started among his sons in which Prince Muazzam
defeated and killed his brothers Azam and Kambaksh
 He ascended to the throne with the title of 'Bahadur Shah I'
 He took the following initiatives:
 He stopped the destruction of temples.
 He offered peace to Rajput, Jats and Bundelas
 He released Maratha Prince Shahu who was kept in Mughal captivity since 1689.
 He also offered a very high Mansab position to the last Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh but after the
death of Guru, the Sikh community rejected the peace offer and decided to continue their struggle
with the Mughals under the leadership of Banda Bahadur.
 Bahadur Shah was often referred to as Shah-e-Bekhabar or headless king because he lavishly granted
jagirs to many of his nobles not on the basis of merit.
 After his death, his sons were in a haste to grab power, they left his body unburied for over a month.
 Jahandar Shah
 He came to power with the support of the most powerful noble of the time Zulfiqar Khan who was
an Iranian noble.
 As a token of gratitude, Zulfiqar Khan was given the position of Wazir.
 Jahandar Shah was a degenerate person who completely indulged in physical pleasure
 As such power was concentrated in the hands of Zulfikar Khan who took all the decisions on behalf of
the emperor.
 He abolished the discriminatory Jizya tax. It was imposed on non-muslims and it was meant for their
protection.
 In some areas of the empire, the Izara system of taxation was implemented. Under this system, the
tax collection authority was chosen by the bidding process. The highest bidder was given the
authority of tax collection. No matter what, how much was collected by Izaredar he had to pay an
assured sum to the Mughal emperor. It turned out to be a highly exploitative system whereby
Ijaredar was collecting very high amounts of taxes so as to make a profit.
 At this time, it was agreed in principle that Maratha would be given the right to collect Chauth and
Sardeshmukhi of Deccan.
 Chauth was 1/4th of the total revenue collection of the Deccan.
 Sardeshmukhi- It was 10% additional levy on Chauth
 It was not implemented at the time of Jahandar Shah but during the tenure of the next emperor
Farrukh Siyar.
TOPIC OF THE NEXT CLASS- ADVENT OF EUROPEANS (TO CONTINUE)

SUMMARY

Modern Indian History Class 04 (02/07/2024)

LATER MUGHALS (CONTINUES) (08:40 AM)

 Farrukh Siyar
 He came to power with the support of Indian-origin nobles Sayyid brothers.
 In return, Abdulla Sayyid was given the position of wazir and Hasan Ali Khan was given the position of
Mir Bakshi (Commander-in-chief of the forces)
 They started to include a large number of people from the Indian community in the Mughal
Administration but they were not soft towards Sikh leader Banda Bahadur.
 Banda Bahadur was captured from Gurdas pur and he was executed in Delhi in 1716.
 Farrukh Siyar was also weak-minded and very prone to flattery. He was suffering from a disease and
searching for a cure.
 At this time, British EIC company's officer William Hamilton performed surgery on Farrukh Siyar who
after getting relieved from the suffering, granted royal Farman of 1717 to British EIC.
 Royal Farman of 1717
 The company was allowed to perform duty-free trade in Bihar, Bengal and Odisha.
 The company was given 38 villages on lease in Bengal.
 They were allowed to further fortify Calcutta.
 They were further allowed to mint their own coins from Bengal.
 Company employees were allowed to continue with private trade but they had to pay all the taxes
which meant private products were not exempted from taxes (It led to corruption in the company
whereby company's employees started to misuse royal dastaks for selling private products).
 Note- Many of these provisions were not accepted by the Bengal Governor. He opposed Farrukh
Siyar and went on to create a semi-independent state of Bengal in 1717
 Farrukh Siyar wanted to get rid of the Sayyid brothers and started to create a plan for their
elimination.
 When the Sayyid brothers figured it out, they enlisted the help of Maratha Peshwa Balaji
Vishwanath.
 They dethroned Farrukh Siyar and blinded and killed him.
 It led to the beginning of a reign of terror in the Mughal Court and the Sayyid brothers emerged as
kingmakers.
 In quick succession, Rafi Udaulah and Rafi Udarjat were appointed as the next Mughal emperors but
unfortunately, they did not survive.
 After which finally, Muhammad Shah was appointed the next emperor. He also wanted to get rid of
the Sayyid brothers. He enlisted the help of a very powerful noble of that time Asaf Jah.
 All the other noble groups supported Asaf Jah as such, and by 1722, both the brothers were
eliminated one by one.
 As a token of gratitude, Asaf Jah was given the position of Wazir. He wanted to reform the corrupt
Mughal administration but Mohammad Shah started to doubt his intention.
 It was the moment to restore Mughal glory but the Mughal emperor was not the man of the
moment.
 All the time he indulged in wine and women because of which he was popularly called as 'Rangeela'.
 It was during his tenure, the irreversible decline of the Mughal empire started.
 Frustrated, Asaf Jah resigned from the position of wazir and decided to pursue his own ambitions.
 In 1724, he defeated the governor of Deccan Mubariz Khan. He went on to create a semi-
independent state of Hyderabad.
 In 1739, Nadir Shah of Persia defeated the Mughal army in the Battle of Karnal.
 After this. he created his camp on the outskirts of Delhi.
 Later, he decided to take revenge for the killing of a handful of his soldiers, he entered the royal city
of Delhi and performed a terrible massacre.
 He also looted the prized possessions of the Mughals which included the peacock throne of Shah
Jahan in which the Kohinoor diamond was present.
 After the death of Nadir Shah, his successor Ahmed Shah Abdali started the invasion of India and in
between 1748, he invaded rural India 7 times
 Ahmed Shah (1748-54)
 During his tenure, Abdali invaded Mughal India 2 times and occupied Multan and Punjab from the
Mughals.
 Alamgir II (1754-59) (09:35 AM)
 During his tenure, Marathas overran Punjab expelled the agent of Abdali and occupied Lahore.
 Later, it became a major bone of contention between Maratha and Abdali which led to the 3rd battle
of Panipat in 1761.
 He came to power due to the support of Maratha leader Sadashiv Rao Bhau.
 Soon after his appointment, 3rd battle of Panipat broke out.
 After the defeat of the Marathas Abdali exiled the Mughal emperor from Delhi.
 Between 1761-71, Mughal administration was organised from Allahabad.
 Meanwhile, Delhi was administered by Rohillas who were agents of Abdali.
 IN 1764, the combined army of Mughal emperor, Bengal Nawab and Awadh Nawab were defeated in
the Battle of Buxar by British EIC.
 After this British were given revenue collection rights in Bihar, Bengal and Odisha.
 IN 1771, Maratha leader Mahadji Scindia overran Delhi and expelled Rohillas from Delhi. Once again
Mughal emperor Shah Alam II was reappointed in Delhi by Marathas.
 In 1788, all of a sudden in an expected way a Rohilla leader Ghulam Qadir entered into Royal Citi of
Delhi and looted it. He also subjected members of the Royal family to sexual crimes and finally, he
jumped onto the chest of the Mughal emperor and scooped out his eyes.
 After this event, Maratha leader Mahadji Scindia hunted down Ghulam Qadir and he was brutally
checked to death.
 The rule of the blind emperor continued till 1806.
 Akbar II
 He gave the title of Raja to the famous social reformer Ram Mohan Roy.
 During his tenure, BEIC stopped minting coins with the names of Mughal monarchs and they started
to release coins with the name of British Monarchs.
 They also replaced the official language of Mughal India from Persian to English.
 Bahadur Shah Zafar II
 He wrote beautiful Urdu poetry with the pen name Zafar.
 During his tenure, the mighty revolt of 1857 happened and he provided leadership to the revolt.
After the suppression of the revolt, he was tried by court-martial and was sent to Rangoon jail in
Myanmar where his death happened in 1861.
 On 1st November 1858, Governor General Canning read out a proclamation of Queen Victoria at a
darbar held at Allahabad. It formally ended Mughal rule from India and started the rule of the British
Crown.
MANSABDARI SYSTEM (10:45 AM)
 The Mansabdari system was initiated by Akbar.
 It is derived from the word 'Mansab' which means official position.
 It had two components which are as follows:
 Zat- It indicated the official rank of the Mansabdar in the hierarchy. Rank was indicated through
numerical value ranging from 500 to 5000 in nominal terms and there were exceptional ranks like
7000 and 11000.
 According to the rank a Mansabdar was paid salary. Salary was given in cash and land grants.
 Those who got cash salaries were called Naqadi Mansabdar and those who were granted land were
known as Jagirdari Mansabdar.
 There were two types of Jagir:
 a) Tankhah Jagir- It was given for a temporary period and it was not hereditary.
 b) Permanent Jagir was called Watan Jagir. It was hereditary in nature.
 Note- There was another popular land grant not related to Mansabdari i.e. Inam land grant. It was
given to the people associated with religious services like Maulavis and Ulemas.
 Sawar- It indicated the responsibility of a Mansabdar according to his rank.
 As per the rank, a Mansabdar needed to maintain a certain number of horses and soldiers in the
service of the Mughal Monarch. In other words, they were maintaining an army for the Mughal
Emperor and they would fight for him.
 There were few changes in the responsibility of the Mansabdars after the death of Akbar.
 During the period of Jahangir and Shah Jahan, the responsibility of maintaining horses and soldiers
doubled which is called as 'Du Aspah '
 At the time of Aurangzeb, it became Sih Aspah which means responsibility became 3 or more than 3
times.
TOPIC OF NEXT CLASS- CARNATIC WARS

SUMMARY

Modern Indian History Class 05 (08/07/2024)

DECLINE OF MUGHALS (08:40 AM)
 The seed of decline of Mughals was already implanted by Aurangzeb through his religious divisive
policy and faulty administrative policy.
 Although there was lesser visibility of decline during his time, after his death, the decline became
steep under the rule of incapable later Mughal emperors.
 Not only the Jagirdari crisis but also there were many causes which were also responsible for the
decline of the Mughals. The causes were of economic, political and socio-religious and Military
nature
 Political causes of decline
 Aurangzeb's expansionist policy in Deccan, Bijapur and Golconda sapped the vitality of the
Mughal empire as these wars were drawn for a very long time.
 Aurangzeb broke the clear line of Succession and after his death, the succession line was not
followed at all
 There was heavy political instability between 1707-19. In quick succession, six people were
appointed to the Mughal throne.
 The majority of the Later Mughal emperors were incapable and a good number of them didn't
have the character to rule as they were always indulged in physical pleasure.
 Because of the incapability of Mughal emperors, the power started to get concentrated in the
hands of Mughal Wazir.
 There were 4 important noble groups in Mughal courts i.e. Turkish, Persian, Afghans and
Hindustanis.
 All the groups started to compete with each other to grab the position of Wazir. It further led to
bitter factionalism in the Mughal Court.
 Some of the powerful nobles started to pursue their own ambitions and went on to create semi-
independent completely autonomous states for themselves. It led to the fragmentation of the
Mughals.
ECONOMIC CAUSES OF DECLINE (09:17 AM)
 At the core of the Mughal administration was the Mansabdari system.
 The vitality of the Mughal empire depended on the might of its Mansabdars and Jagirdars.
 Right from the beginning, Mughal territory was expanded because of the efficacy of its Mansabdar
and Jagirdars. Generally, the land of the Mughal Empire was divided into two categories i.e. royal
land (approx 20%) and granting land (approximately 80%)
 In the expansion of the Mughal empire, Jagirdars also had the benefit that more land would be
granted to them after the annexation of new territory.
 After the very long campaign of Deccan, Bijapur and Golconda, Aurangzeb had some success in
these areas but by this point in time, he emptied his treasury in the war effort. After the
annexation of these areas, Aurangzeb declared the majority of land in royal categories and lesser
land was available for Jagirdari.
 Moreover, Jagirs were highly asymmetrical and disproportionate. It led to intense competition
between the Jagirdars to get more Jagirs. They stopped cooperating with each other and also
started to fight it out.
 It completely destabilised Mughal Administration and this episode in Mughal history is popularly
known as the Jagirdari crisis.
 When Jagirdars tried to increase the rate of taxes on the subjects, it often led to a revolt from the
side of the public.
SOCIO-RELIGIOUS POLICIES (09:40 AM)
 The religious divisive policies of Aurangzeb were equally responsible for the decline.
 He instructed to destroy the majority of the temples of the Hindu and Jain faith. For e.g., he
destroyed Somnath temple, Kashi Vishwanath temple, Govind Dev temple and Keshav Ray temple
 He banned some of the popular festivals of that time such as Holi, Muhharam and Navroj.
 Rajputs were loyal associates of Mughals from the time of Akbar but the trust between Aurangzen
and Rajputs started to erode because of the treacherous nature of Aurangzeb.
 His policies led to the alienation of the majority of the people and they started to develop anti-
emotions for the Mughal rule.
MILITARY CAUSES (10:08 AM)
 In the 18th century India, many European powers were trying to consolidate their position in India.
Almost all the European powers had sophisticated weapons and they had superior methods of
fighting.
 On the other hand, later Mughal emperors did not upgrade as such when they were faced with
superior opponents like British, they proved to be highly inferior.
 Conclusion
 Once a highly powerful, productive and efficient Mughal Rule was in shambles after the faulty
administrative religious policies of Aurangzeb and the inefficient rule of later Mughals which led to
the complete fall of the Mughal empire from glory to ground.
AUTONOMOUS AND REBELLIOUS STATES (10:57 AM)
 Autonomous states
 These states were founded by the erstwhile nobility of the Mughals.
 They were semi-independent but completely autonomous states.
 Though they were free to make all their decisions, they had to respect the nominal leadership of
the Mughals.
 They were also supposed to pay annual tributes to the Mughal emperor from their collected
revenue.
 They kept minting coins in the name of the Mughal monarch and they also raised Friday prayers
in the name of the Mughal emperor.
 Examples- Bengal, Awadh and Hyderabad
 Rebellious states
 These states were not established by Muhal nobles but in fact, they were independent kingdoms
before.
 The advent of Aurangzeb captured some of their areas and brought them under his control but
after the death of Aurangzeb, the rulers of these areas became assertive and went on to reestablish
their complete independence and autonomy.
 They did not accept the nominal leadership of the Mughals, nor did they mint coins in his name.
 Moreover, they were not supposed to make any payment to the Mughal monarch.
 Examples- Maratha, Mysore and Punjab.
ANGLO-FRENCH RIVALRY (11:13 AM)
 Carnatic was the coromandal coast of India along with its hinterland.
 In 1690, Aurangzeb recognised the nawabship of Carnatic under the rulership of Zulfiqar Khan.
 For all the administrative and commercial transactions, Carnatic was kept under the control of the
Hyderabad Governor.
 In 1724, when Hyderabad became free from the Mughal control, automatically Carnatic also
became free from Hyderabad's control.
 By 1730, Carnatic Nawab Sadat Ullah Khan started to make his decisions without consulting the
Mughals. From this time, the Carnatic became a completely autonomous state.
 Around 1740, there was a crisis in the Carnatic court. At this time, French Governor Dupleix decided
to interfere in Carnatic policies so as to get more political mileage in Carnatic.
 Very soon, the British also started to follow in the footsteps of the French. It led to the
development of a bitter fight between them which is popularly called as Carnatic Wars.
TOPIC OF THE NEXT CLASS- CARNATIC WARS

SUMMARY

Modern Indian History Class 06 (10/07/24)

CARNATIC WARS (08:42 AM)

 1st Carnatic War
 By 1740, the Austrian War of Succession started in Europe after the death of King Charles VI of the
Habsburg Empire.
 Very soon France and Britain and their companies started to fight in India and North America.
 French Governor Dupleix attacked the British area of Madras
 British were caught unaware and they sought the help of Carnatic Nawab Mohhamad Ali Khan
Wallajah.
 French were well prepared and they defeated armies of British and Carnatic Nawab
 On the other hand, the French were defeated in North America and the British Captured their
territory.
 This war ended with the Treaty of Aix la Chapelle
 As per the treaty Madras was restored to Britain and North American territory of France was
restored.
 2nd Anglo-French War or Carnatic War
 In 1748, Nizam of Hyderabad Asaf Jah died. After his death, a war of succession started and the two
belligerents were Muzzafar Jung and Nasir Jung.
 French started to support the claims of Muzzafar Jung and Brotosh started to support Nasir Jung
 In the battle of Ambur French Killed the Carnatic Nawab Muhhammad Anwaruddin after which a war
of succession started in Caranatic between Chanda Sahib who was supported by the French and
Muhhammad Ali who was supported by British.
 At both the places i.e Hyderabad and Carnatic, the French were successful in installing their
candidates.
 When Chanda Sahib moved towards Trichona to fight with Muhammad Ali, Robert Clive along with
some of his soldiers entered Carnatic. Hearing the news, Chanda Sahib returned back to Arcot.
 It led to the defeat of Chanda Sahib and the French and also the killing of Chanda Sahib. It was the
first victory of the British against the French in India.
 This war ended with the Treaty of Pondicherry (1754).
 Though the French territory of Pondicherry was restored to them, it led to the recall of Dupleix from
India.
 3rd Carnatic War
 Seven-year war broke out between Britain and France all over the world to establish their imperial
hegemony.
 From 1758 onwards, both companies started to fight in India also started to fight in India also.
 The most decisive battle was fought in 1760 i.e. Battle of Wandiwash.
 The French army was under the leadership of Comte de Lally and the British Army was represented
by Sir Eyre Coote.
 In this war, France was defeated and they were also defeated in North America.
 This war ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1762. As per the treaty, the French were allowed to do
trade and commerce in India and also to retain their territories created prior to 1759 (they could not
retain Northern Sarkar which was gifted to them by Hyderabad Nizam)
 French had to accept the British Protectorate in India which completely winded up the imperial
ambitions of the French to create their colony in India
 Britain emerged as the sole colonial power in India.
REASONS FOR FAILURE OF FRENCH IN INDIA (09:41 AM)
 British EIC was a private entity where decision-making was very fast. On the other hand, French
EIC was a govt owned company where decision-making was not so fast.
 There was a lack of communication and delays in approvals in the French company.
 Recall of Dupleix was a mistake.
 The newly appointed French General Lally was highly arrogant and did not cooperate with his
armymen.
 On the other hand, the British company was under the central command of Sir Eyre Coote and
there was complete cooperation in the British Army
 By this point in time, the British Navy was much superior to the French Navy
 French faced financial difficulties in India, but the British had plenty of finance due to the Plassey
plunder.
SALIENT FEATURES OF BENGAL (09:52 AM)
 Timeline:
 Murshid Quli Khan (1727- 27)
 Sarfaraj (1727)
 Shujauddin (1727-39)
 Alivardi Khan (1739-56)
 War of Succession- 1756
 Shiraj-uddaulah (1756-57
 Battle of Plassey- 1757
 Mir Jafar (1757-60)
 Mir Qasim (1760-63)
 Battle of Buxar- 1764
 Under the able guidance of Murshid Quli Khan, Bengal went on to become the richest state of
Mughal India.
 The important aspects of Bengal are as follows:
 Very efficient revenue collection system- Murshid Quli Khan favoured the development of few
but powerful Zamindars rather than a large number of smaller Zamindars.
 The powerful Zamindars of Bengal were highly effective in revenue collection. At that time, 15
powerful zamindars were collecting more than 60% revenue of Bengal.
 Growing importance of merchant bankers in Bengal Politics
 The Merchant bankers of Bengal emerged as a very important supportive pillar of the Bengal
administration,
 They provided security at each and every level of transaction.
 Bengal was unique in the sense that its most important commodity came from the Merchant
Bankers family.
 The most important of them were Jagat Seths who had a very important say in Bengal politics.
 Note-
 The first and foremost personality of the Jagat Seth family was Hiranand Sahu who created a huge
income with the Salt Petre trade.
 His son Manick Chand was a close friend of Bengal Governor Murshid Quli Khan. In 1717 he
supported MQ Khan in the creation of a semi-independent and completely autonomous state of
Bengal.
 In return, Manick Chand got the minting rights of Bengal. He had complete control of the
circulation of money in Bengal.
 His son Fateh Chand was given the title of Jagat Seth by contemporary Mughal emperor
Muhammad Shah Rangeela. He was the richest individual in the contemporary world.
 Jagat Seth initiated the system of Hundi (Bill of Exchange) to release a higher amount of money.
 The lowest amount of Hundi started from 1 lakh and the highest amount of Hundi was Darsani
Hundi worth 2 crore rupees.
 It was a very popular saying in Bengal that if Jagat Seths collapsed in Bengal, the trade in Bengal
would also collapse
 Between 1730-60, there was heavy political turmoil in North India due to the invasions of Nadir
Shah and Abdali.
 Trade from the land route was badly affected due to political turmoil but at this time, Oceanic
trade started to thrive in Bengal bringing more wealth to Bengal.
 Bengal was naturally endowed with fertile soil. Further, during the regime of MQ Khan, many
initiatives were taken to increase the agricultural productivity in Bengal.
 Trade in Bengal was a win-win situation for all the stakeholders.
 Bengal had a favourable balance of trade for a very long duration.
 Export Volume from Bengal was very high and there was negligent import demand.
 This entire trade was performed in Bullion-like gold.
 It led to huge accumulation of gold in Bengal
 The European traders often made lucrative Peshkash or Nazrana to Bengal Nawab to get
permission to trade from Bengal.
TOPIC OF THE NEXT CLASS- BRITISH CONQUEST (TO CONTINUE)

SUMMARY

Modern Indian History Class 07 (11/07/24)

OVERVIEW OF THE PREVIOUS CLASS (08:43 AM)

ALIVARDI KHAN (1739-56) (08:45 AM)
 He was an equally good administrator like Murshid Quli Khan but he was not a strong military
commander.
 During his tenure, militarily the most powerful were Marathas.
 From 1745 onwards, under the leadership of Maratha Peshwas, the Balaji Bajirao raid of Odisha
started.
 In 1751, Alivardi Khan signed an agreement with Maratha whereby they handed over Odisha to
Marathas and also assured 1.25 lakh rupees annual payment.
 After the death of Alivardi Khan war of succession started between his daughter Ghasiti Begum and
Grandson Sirajuddaullah.
 Many of the influential people of the Bengal court for example Jagat Seth supported Ghasiti
Begum but finally, Siraj ud daullah came to power.
SIRAJ UD DAULLAH (1756-57) (08:55 AM)
 When Siraj came to power, he decided that he would not bow down to the diktats of Jagat Seth.
 At this time, Jagat Seth was pressurizing Siraj Ud Daullah to the monopoly of trade in Bengal to the
British East India Company.
 At the same point in time, the French EIC also demanded a monopoly of trade.
 Young Siraj decided that he would not give the monopoly of trade to anyone and Bengal would
remain an open competitive economy rather than a closed economy.
 It was not liked by Jagat Seths and the British who started to hatch a conspiracy against Siraj ud
daullah.
FACTORS LEADING TO PLASSEY WAR (09:17 AM)
 The British supported Ghasiti Begum in the war of succession.
 When Siraj came to power, the French made a Peshkash to Siraj, but the British EIC did not.
 Siraj ud Daullah declared Krishna Das a fugitive but the British gave him asylum in Fort William
Calcutta.
 On the pretext of an Anglo-French fight in Bengal, the British started to mount guns on the walls of
Fort William, Calcutta.
 When Siraj ud Daullah asked them to remove guns they refused.
 Seeing his authority flouted, Siraj ud Daullah decided to teach a lesson to the British.
 Siraj started his march towards Calcutta.
 Listening to this news, a large number of British officers fled from Fort William.
 Once Siraj reached Fort William he ordered all the inmates of Fort William to be kept in a small cell.
 One British witness Zephaniah Holwell -wrote about this incident where he wrote that 146 people
were stuck in a small room with dimensions 18,14 and 10 feet.
 The next morning i.e. 21st of June 1746, when the door was opened, only 21 people survived and
the rest of them died of suffocation.
 (Indian historians don't agree with the numbers given by Holwell, according to them the room only
had 70-75 people).
 Holwell called this incident a Black hole tragedy and blamed it on Siraj Ud Daullah.
 After some point in time, Robert Clive arrived from Madras with a bigger British force which led to
the Treaty of Alinagar in February 1757.
TREATY OF ALINAGAR (09:41 AM)
 As per the treaty he restored all the privileges of the British in Calcutta and also compensated them
for their loss.
 Robert Clive was not satisfied and for his greed, sky was the limit.
 He started to create a web of Intrigue in Bengal court whereby he started to bribe important
officials of Bengal court of which the most important was Mir Zafar (Commander in Chief of Bengal
forces)
BATTLE OF PLASSEY (09:43 AM)
 The British EIC Army started marching towards Murshidabad as such Siraj ud Daullah also started
his march and both armies met at Plassey.
 Soon after the beginning of the War, very heavy rain washed away the powder of Siraj ud Daullah
but Robert Clive was able to save his Gun powder by covering it.
 Mir Zafar affected a coup that led to the easy capture of Siraj ud Daullah and later on he was
executed by the son of Mir Zafar.
 After the death of Siraj ud Daullah, the British sponsored Mir Zafar as a new Nawab of Bengal.
CONSEQUENCES OF PLASSEY BATTLE (09:53 AM)
 1)It increased the prestige of the British in a single stroke.
 2)It paved the way for the rise of British EIC in India.
 3)The British were immediately paid 2,75,000 pounds as war indemnity price.
 4)Mir Zafar granted them zamindari right of 24 pargana.
 5)In between 1757-60, Mir Zafar further paid 22.5 million rupees to the British.
MIR ZAFAR (1757-60) (09:58 AM)
 Very soon Mir Zafar realised that it was difficult to rule when the British were interfering at a
greater level.
 He decided alternative option for the British.
 He started negotiating with Dutch EIC but the British figured it out and defeated the Dutch in the
Battle of Bedara (1759).
 In 1760, They removed Mir Zafar and appointed Mir Qasim as the next Nawab of Bengal.
 After coming to power, Mir Qasim gave Zamindari rights of Midnapore, Chittagong, and Bardwan to
the British.
 He also paid 29 lakhs rupees in bribes to the British.
 Very soon he also figured out that it was difficult to rule in Bengal with British interference.
 To reduce British intervention, he shifted his capital from Murshidabad to Munger.
 He also abolished all inland duties so as to bring Indian traders on equal footing with the British
traders.
 His move was opposed by British EIC which led to three successive fights.
 Finally in 1763, Mir Qasim fled to Awadh to seek the help of Awadh Nawab.
BATTLE OF BUXAR,1764 (10:11 AM)
 Mir Qasim forged the grand alliance of Bengal forces, Awadh forces of Suja ud Daullah and the
Mughal Army of Shah Alam II.
 The Grand Alliance army had a strength of 70,000 soldiers but there were many segmentary
divisions in their Army and they did not operate under a central command.
 On the other hand, the British Army was just 1/10th of the grand alliance but they were highly
organized and under the central leadership of Captain Munro.
 EIC army was also laced with sophisticated weapons as a result they thoroughly defeated the
grand alliance and this war ended with the Treaty of Allahabad,1765.
TREATY OF ALLAHABAD,1765
 1)The Mughal emperor was treated with respect, and he was assured 26 lakhs rupees annual
payment.
 2)In return he gave diwani rights or revenue collection rights of Bihar, Bengal, and Odisha to the
British.
 3)He exiled Mir Qasim from Bengal.
 4)Awadh ruler Suja ud Daullah paid 5 million rupees to the British as a war damage price and he
also became an alliance partner to the British.
 5)It initiated a dual system of administration in Bengal whereby the Diwani function was given to
the British and the Nizamat function (Civil administration) to the British-controlled Nawab of
Bengal.
REGIONAL POWER OF MYSORE (10:46 AM)
 After the fall of Vijaynagar, It began completely independent state under the Wodeyar dynasty but
later Aurangzeb captured some of their areas.
 After the death of Aurangzeb, the Wodeyars reestablished their complete independence under the
leadership of Krishnaraja Wodeyar.
 Later in the 1730s, two ministers of Mysore i.e. Nanjaraja and Devaraja usurped power from
Krishnaraja and started to rule Mysore.
HAIDER ALI
 Started his career as a petty soldier in the Mysore Army.
 Though he was uneducated, he was a highly intelligent and visionary person.
 Due to his capacity and capability, he rose to the position of commander in chief of Mysore forces.
 Later in 1761, He removed Nanjaraj and Devraj from power and became ruler of Mysore.
SALIENT ASPECTS OF MYSORE (10:54 PM)
 Haider Ali was very much convinced that in the 18th century, the power to rule came from the
sophisticated modern Army.
 With the help of French officials, he created a modern arsenal at Dindigul.
 He also introduced the Western method of training in his Army.
 He organized his army through the Risala system (Unit system).
 Under this system, the Army was divided into many units known as Risala.
 Each of the Risala had an equal number of soldiers, horses, and weapons.
 Each of the Risala also had a commander directly appointed by Haider Ali.
 Moreover, there was a clear chain of command between the rulers and the soldiers.
 Mysore had a very effective revenue collection system.
 Before imposing the taxes, Land was surveyed and classified according to fertility.
 Taxes were collected by salaried officials and only in cash.
 Very often the revenue policy of Mysore is referred to as Military Fiscalism which means more than
50% of their revenue was allocated to the Army.
 Both Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan focused on Agriculture.
 They created new irrigation channels and tanks and also repaired old irrigation systems.
 They promoted agriculture manufacturing like the textile Industry and sericulture.
 They created many trade, missions to sell the manufactured goods of Mysore in countries like
Afghanistan, Turkey, and France.
 They started a very cordial relationship with France and often gave favorable treatment to French
EIC in India.
The topic for the next class: Discussion on Maratha.

Modern Indian History Class 08 (12/07/24)

REASONS FOR THE OUTBREAK OF WAR BETWEEN MYSORE AND ITS NEIGHBOURS (08:41 AM)
 Within a short span of time, Mysore's boundary stretched from the Krishna River in the north to the
Malabar coast in the south-west.
 Haider Ali unilaterally tried to change the status of the buffer zone and subjugated the local chiefs
like Poligars and Deshmukhs.
 All his neighbors opposed it and it also brought him into confrontation with his neighbours.
 The Francophile (brotherly treatment to France ) policy of Mysore was not liked by the British and
it led to the development of an emnity between EIC & Mysore.
 In 1785, Tipu Sultan came up with an instruction whereby he banned the trade of black pepper and
Cardamom from his ports.
 Moreover, in 1788, he completely banned trade with British EIC.
 Both Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan aspired to create a bigger Islamic kingdom in south India with a
desire to control Maratha politics.
1st ANGLO MYSORE WAR (1767-69)
 Maratha attacked Mysore due to a territorial dispute.
 Very soon Nizam of Hyderabad and the British also joined the war from the side of the Maratha.
 Looking at a bigger opposition Haider Ali offered peace to Maratha and Nizam and he was
successful in detaching them from the war.
 The British did not agree to the talk in the beginning and Haider Ali attacked Madras and captured
Madras.
 Finally British surrendered and were persuaded to the treaty.
 As per the treaty of Madras, Madras was restored to the British and the British promised Haider Ali
that in future wars with the neighbors, we would help.
 Note: In 1771, Marathas once again attacked Mysore due to the Non-resolution of the territorial
dispute.
 Haider Ali expected the help of the British but they did not turn up.
 Now Haider Ali realised, the French were more trustworthy and the British could never be trusted.
2nd ANGLO MYSORE WAR 1780-84 (09:07 AM)
 During the American War of Independence, Haider Ali started to support French forces and they
also gave them refuge at Mahe port.
 British EIC objected to it and attacked Mahe.
 It led to the beginning of 2nd war.
 Initially, Haider Ali was going strong but later in 1782, his death happened due to some injuries.
 But the battle was carried forward by his son Tipu Sultan.
 Tipu had an initial victory against the British in the Battle of Pollilur.
 In this fight, he used unique Mysorian rockets but later British were also able to hold ground and
the war ended with an inconclusive treaty of Mangalore.
 As per the treaty both sides exchanged prisoners and also captured territories.
3RD ANGLO MYSORE WAR,1790-92
 The Dutch were selling their properties at Jallikottal and Cannanore to the Travancore ruler.
 Tipu Sultan warned Travancore not to go ahead with the purchase.
 But the Travancore ruler did not pay any heed, and Tipu sultan attacked Travancore.
 Immediately after the war broke out, the British, Maratha, and Nizam entered into the war from the
side of the Travancore.
 It led to the crushing defeat of Tipu Sultan and the war ended with the Treaty of Seringapatnam.
 As per the treaty, Tipu lost half of his territory including areas like Malabar, Dindigul, and
Baramahal.
 He was also supposed to pay 3.3 cr rupees as war indemnity.
TIPU SULTAN -A GREAT FIGHTER (09:30 AM)
 He was a bold and courageous ruler and hated British rule.
 He always wanted a violent overthrow of the British from India.
 He was a supporter of the French Revolution and also a member of a Jacobian club in France.
 To display his support for the French Revolution he planted a tree of liberty in his capital
Seringapatnam.
 He also started a new system of Calendar in line with the French system.
 He was successful in establishing a very cordial relationship with Afghanistan, France, and Turkey.
 It is said that he also donated to Shringeri Shardhapeetham for its restoration.
4th ANGLO MYSORE WAR,1799 (09:38 AM)
 Newly appointed British governor general Wellesley charged Tipu Sultan with planning and
plotting against the British.
 He gave the offer to Tipu join the subsidiary alliance system but he refused by saying "I would
better die like a soldier than a miserable dependent on the infidels in the list of their pensioned
Rajas and Nawabs"
 One of the Mysore officers Mir Sadik betrayed Tipu and provided all the essential information of
the Mysore Army to the British.
 In April 1799 war broke out and ended within 40 days.
 Tipu died defending his capital Seringpatnam.
 After his death the old Wodeyar dynasty was reinstated on Mysores' throne but under the
Subsidiary Alliance system.
MARATHA EMPIRE (09:51 PM)
TIMELINE
 Chatrapati shivaji Maharaj (1674-80)
 Chatrapati Sambhaji (1680-89)
 Chatrapati Rajaram (1689-1700)
 Tarabai (Regent of Minor son shivaji II) {1700-1707}
 Release of Sahu from Mughal captivity in 1707.

ASHTAPRADHAN SYSTEM OF MARATHA

ADMINISTRATION
 It was initiated by Chatrapati Shivaji in 1674.

POST DESCRIPTION

PESHWA PRIME MINISTER

WAQIA NAVIS INTERIOR MINISTER

MAZUMDAR FINANCE MINISTER

SHRUNAVIS SECRETARY

CORRESPONDANCE
SUMANT OR DABIR
MINISTER

SAR-I-NAUBAT COMMANDER IN CHIEF

NYAYDHEESH CHIEF JUSTICE

PANDITRAO RELIGIOUS MINISTER

 Moropant Pingley was the first Peshwa-Appointed by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
 After the release of Sahu, a fight started between him and Tarabai for holding the Maratha power.
 This Fight continued till 1713 and finally, it was resolved by Balaji Vishwanath.
 Not only he solved the dispute but also secured for himself the position of Peshwa with renewed
power.
BALAJI VISHWANATH (1713-1720) (10:54 AM)
 He was the first Peshwa with renewed power with his diplomatic tactics he became the
administrative head of the Maratha empire and Chattrapati became the symbolic head.
 He also made the house of Peshwa hereditary in nature.
 He secured the Mughal order which recognised the right of Chauth and Sardeshmukhi of Deccan to
Maratha.
 He consolidated the Maratha confederacy through the Saranjani system.
SARANJANI SYSTEM (11:04 AM)
 It is derived from the word Saranjam which means temporary land grant.
 It was initiated by Chatrapati Raja Ram as a measure to seek the military support and loyalty of
important Maratha Sardars.
 Later Balaji Vishwanath turned this temporary land grant in Saranjam into a permanent land grant
for Watan.
It led to the emergence of five important Maratha houses:

Peshwa Poona

Scindia Gwalior

Holkar Indore

Bhonsle Nagpur

Gaekwad Baroda
BAJIRAO -1 (11:15 AM)
 He is regarded as a great exponent of guerrilla warfare after Shivaji.
 He is often termed as fighting Peshwa and in his entire military career of 20 years, he never faced
any defeat.
 At one time he gave a statement let us strike on the withering tree (Later Mughal) and the branches
will fall off by themselves. Let us establish Hindu Padpadshahi.
 It is he who picked Scindias and Holkars to play vital role in the Maratha politics.
 He never faced any defeat and his biggest achievement was the defeat of Hyderabad Nizam.
 As per the treaty of Bhopal, Malwa was transferred to Maratha.
 He also helped the Rajput ruler of Bundelkhand, Raja Chatrasal against Muhammad Bangarh.
 Impressed by his support, Chatrasal offered the hand of his daughter Mastani to Bajirao.
The topic for the next class: Continuation of Discussion on Maratha and Punjab.
SUMMARY

Modern Indian History Class 09 (15/07/24)

PESHWA BALAJI BAJIRAO (1740-61) (08:46 AM)

 After the death of Baji Rao I, Nana Saheb became the next Peshwa with the title of Balaji Baji Rao
 He was the most powerful of all Peshwas.
 After the death of Chatrapati Sahu in 1749 as per the Sangola agreement Peshwa became symbolic
head also and all the powers of Chatrapati were transferred to him. He became the de facto ruler of
the Maratha area.
 He invaded Bengal, Bihar and Odisha many a time which led to an agreement between him and
Alivardi Khan of Bengal. As per the agreement, Odisha was transferred to Maratha. It is said by his
time, Maratha territory reached its climax and it extended from Cuttack to Attock.
 Marathas also overran Punjab, expelled agents of Abdali and occupied Lahore.
 It became a major bone of contention between Abdali and Maratha which led to the Third Battle of
Panipat (1761).
THIRD BATTLE OF PANIPAT (1761) (09:00 AM)
 Marathas were the most powerful people in India militarily.
 They had the capacity to create an all-India empire but hardly there was any intention.
 Their policy rarely went beyond the collection of Chauth and Sardeshmukhi.
 It is only in the areas of Malwa, Gujarat and Khandesh, they put some sort of administration,
otherwise, there was no semblance of administration in Odisha and Punjab.
 As such these areas were open to invasion and exactly a similar thing happened in 1761 i.e.
invasion of Abdali.
 Maratha forces were led by Sada Shiv Rao Bhau and it included important leaders like Vishwas Rao
and Peshwa's son Shamsher Bahadur.
 On the other hand, Abdali was supported by Rohillas and Awadh ruler Shuja Uddaulah.
 Since the battle was happening on plain ground, guerilla warfare advantage of the Maratha would
not function.
 On the other hand, Abdali brought swivel guns and lightweight canons which could be easily
operated from the camels.
 Abdali targeted the road inter-connecting Delhi to Panipat which led to a near starvation situation in
the Maratha camp.
 Marathas were defeated which led to the death of near about 60,000 people.
 The majority of the casualties were from the Maratha side.
 In this battle, all the important Maratha leaders sacrificed their lives.
 When the news of defeat was broken to Peshwa, he also died because of Shock.
 This war eliminated Marathas as the probable ruler of India and further facilitated the British East
India Company to grow its roots in India.
 Peshwa Madhav Rao
 Marathas restored their fortunes and stabilised Maratha politics.
 Marathas were highly industrious people and the restoration of fortunes happened under the able
guidance of Peshwa Madhav Rao and the two administrators Mahadji Scindia and Nana Padnis.
 At this time, a new initiative started i.e. appointment of 12 administrators popularly known as 'Barah
Bhai'
 They enjoyed a very important power i.e. they can remove Peshwa if they are not satisfied with his
work.
 After the death of Madhav Rao, Narayan Rao was appointed the next Peshwa.
 But very soon he was assassinated by his uncle Raghunath Rao. Raghunath Rao declared himself to
be the Peshwa but the 12 administrators removed him from power and appointed a minor son of
Narayan Rao i.e. Sawai Madhav Rao as the next Peshwa.
 He was Peshwa under the regency of Nana Fadnis
 Frustuated Raghunath Rao fled to Surat and signed a secret treaty of Surat with British EIC.
 As per the treaty, he promised the British the area of Bassein if he got the position of Peshwa.
1ST ANGLO- MARATHA WAR (1775-82) (10:00 AM)
 When Nana Phadnis granted a port to French forces on the western coast, the British replied by
sending their force towards Puna.
 After the initiation of the war, Nana Fadnis pursued the British for the treaty of Purandhar but
Britain did not agree.
 Maratha forces were led by Mahadji Scindia who thoroughly defeated the British in the Battle of
Wadegaon
 In 1780, Bengal Governor General, Warren Hastings entered into war and defeated Mahadji Scindia
at few places.
 In 1782, this war ended with the Treaty of Salbai:-
 Marathas retained Bassein and the British retained Bharuch and Salsai.
 Marathas promised the British that in a future war with Mysore, they would support the British.
 British recognised sovereign claims of Mahadji Scindia in the west of river Yamuna.
 British agreed to remove their protection to Raghunath Rao
 The Treaty of Salbai resulted in 20 years of relative peace between the Maratha and the British.
 In 1795, Peshwa Sawai Madhav Rao committed Suicide due to the high-handedness of Nana Fadnis.
 It led to the appointment of Bajirao II as the next Peshwa
BAJI RAO II (1795-1809) (10:25 PM)
 He was also under the control of Nana Fadnis but after the death of Nana Fadnis, he was free from
any control and started to take his decisions
 At this time, Holkars decided not to support Peshwa but Scindias supported.
 In this situation, Peshwa Baji Rao II performed cold cold-blooded murder of Vithoji Rao Holkar which
led to an attack of Yashwant Rao Holkar on Puna.
 Terrified Peshwa fled to Bombay and signed the Treaty of Bassein for the subsidiary alliance with the
British.
SUBSIDIARY ALLIANCE SYSTEM (10:49 AM)
 In 1798, Richard Wellesley initiated the newly formulated Subsidiary Alliance Policy.
 The terms and conditions are as follows:
 Native Powers entering into an alliance will have to accept British force in their territory and they will
also have to pay the maintenance cost of the British Army. If in some year they are not able to make
the payment then a certain portion of their territory will be chipped off as payment.
 Native Powers entering into an alliance can not forge an alliance with any other power without the
permission of Britain and they can not declare war against any other power without British
Permission.
 Native power can not employ any other European power.
 A British resident was to be posted in the native court to look after the terms of the treaty.
 In return British promised that they would safeguard native territory from any external or internal
danger.
2ND ANGLO- MARATHA WAR (11:11 AM)
 Scindias did not accept the subsidiary alliance system which led to the beginning of the Second
Anglo-Maratha War.
 Holkars were expelled from Puna and a fierce fight started between the Scindias and the British.
 Scindias fought bravely in Batlle of Haswari and Assaye but unfortunately, they were defeated.
 As such they had to accept the Subsidiary Alliance system, but Holkars were not brought under the
Subsidiary Alliance.
3RD ANGLO- MARATHA WAR (1817-19) (11:18 AM)
 Peshwa Baji Rao II realised that he had committed a mistake by signing the Subsidiary Alliance with
the British. He wanted to restore Maratha Sovereignty
 He tried to rally all the Maratha Sardars with him.
 Holkars came forward to support Peshwa and to fight with the British. But in the war, Marathas were
defeated and this war also solved the problem of Pindaris which always created a Chaotic situation in
the war.
 After the defeat Peshwaship was abolished and Peshwas dominion was included into the company's
territory.
 Moreover, Peshwa was given the area of Sattara and a British pension.
TPOIC OF THE NEXT CLASS- BRITISH CONQUEST OF PUNJAB
SUMMARY

Modern Indian History Class 10 (16/07/24)

ANGLO- SIKH WARS (09:40 AM)

 The area of Punjab is identified with 5 rivers and land of Sikh Gurus.
 Initially, there was a tradition of appointment of spiritual gurus but later after the death of the 10th
guru, Guru Gobind Singh's appointment of spiritual guru stopped and Banda Bahadur was the first
political appointee in 1707.
 After the execution of Banda Bahadur in 1716, the land of Punjab started to get fragmented.
 It led to the emergence of 13 confederacies known as 'Misl', out of which 12 were Sikh nature and 1
was Muslim nature Misl.
 Sukerchakia was the most powerful Misl and it was headed by Ranjeet Singh in the 1790s
 Ranjeet Singh persuaded all the 12 misls to create a combined modern and strong state of Punjab
 By the end of the century, he was able to achieve it and he became Maharaja of Punjab.
 Maharaja Ranjeet Singh went on to create one of the strongest armies in Asia.
 It was created by enlisting the help of 4 British officers- Ventura, Allard, Court and Gardiner
 Maharaja was an ambitious ruler and wanted to expand his territory in the cis Satluj area.
 At this point in time, local chiefs of the cis Satluj area persuaded the British to intervene.
 Due to British pursuit, the Friendship Treaty of Amritsar was signed between Maharaja and BEIC in
1809
 As per the treaty British recognised the SOvereign claim of Maharaja in trans Satluj area and
maharaja recognised cis Satluj as British Protectorate
 British also promised that they will not interfere in Punjab Politics.
 The terms of the treaty were respected till the lifetime of Maharaja i.e. 1839. After his death, the
British slowly started to interfere in Punjab POlitics.
 Moreover, there was a quick succession of rulers in Punjab. Within a few years, 4 rulers were
appointed- Khadak Singh, Navnihal Singh, Sher Singh, and Dhuleep Singh.
 Dhuleep Singh was a minor and at this time power was exercised by queen mother Rani Jindan.
 During her tenure, the British started to interfere and provoke Khalsa Army.
 1st Anglo- Sikh war (1845-46)
 On the pretext of building a bridge, the British brought huge force on the banks of river Satluj.
 It was a clear provocation to the Khalsa Army which led to the beginning of the first war.
 Punjab army was thoroughly defeated and it ended with the Treaty of Lahore.
 As per the treaty, half the area of the Punjab kingdom (Sindh) was taken away by the British
 The size of the Khalsa army was also reduced to half.
 Rani Jindan was supposed to make a payment of 1 crore rupee as war indemnity to the British.
 When Rani failed to make the payment, the British sold Kashmir to Gulab Singh for 75 lakh rupees
 A British resident was posted in Punjab Court and he started to interfere in the administration of
Punjab.
 He removed the governor of Multan, Mulraj which led to the revolt of Mulraj.
 Very soon, this revolt was joined by the Khalsa army which led to the beginning of the second
Anglo-Sikh War (1848-49)
 The most decisive battle in this war was the Battle of Chillianwallah
 Though Punjab army displayed brave efforts, but It could not defeat British.
 After the defeat of Punjab army, Punjab was completely annexed into company's dominion it came
under British rule.
ADMINISTRATION OF BRITISH EIC (09:31 AM)
 Background of the company
 In India, the company had 3 presidencies i.e. Bombay, Bengal and Madras.
 They were absolute governments in themselves completely independent of each other but
individually all the presidencies were responsible to the highest decision-making body of the
company i.e. 24 Court of Directors (COD).
 These directors were appointed on an annual basis by the shareholders of the company.
Shareholders of the company were also known as Court of Proprietors.
 The Court of Directors created many committees to look after the administration of presidencies in
India
 Each of the Presidency was headed by a president who was also known as the Governor.
 The governor-in-council was the highest decision-making body in the Presidencies and every
decision was taken with the majority vote of the council.
 Regulating Act of 1773
 Background- Dual system of administration in Bengal
 The people of Bengal were reeling under pressure. Moreover, the great famine of 1770 nearly
swiped away 1/3rd the population of Bengal
 The people of Bengal were in a helpless situation and they did not know what to do.
 Despite the difficulties, the people of Bengal were not given relief in payment of taxes.
 There was a very high level of competition in the company due to private trade
 British parliament appointed a committee to look into corruption in company
 This company reported that company employees have acquired so much corrupt wealth that they
can be better called as Nawabs of London. At this time, the British crown maintained that they
would not remain a mute spectator when the people of Bengal were reeling under pressure.
 In 1772, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy and it applied for a one million pound loan in
British Parliament.
 Parliament grabbed this opportunity to look into accounts of the company and regulate its affairs.
 Provisions of the Act
 Governor of Bengal was now designated as Governor General of Bengal. He was made
responsible for all the territories of company in India
 To assist Governor General , the Governor General executive council was created with 4
executive members (total 5)
 Each and every decision was to be taken with majority vote.
 It called for the creation of a Supreme Court at Calcutta as such in 1774 Supreme Court was
established with one Chief Justice and 3 other judges.
 It banned private trade.
 It prohibited the company's employees from taking any gift or presents from the natives of India
 Company employees were supposed to give a detailed statement regarding their properties and
wealth acquired in India.
 Drawbacks of the act
 There was nothing in the act that was in the favour of the people of Bengal.
 Governor General was rendered powerless in his own executive council as very often the four
executive councillors blocked the majority of the decisions of Warren Hastings.
 Corruption in the company continued as there was no inground mechanism to check to check
corruption. There were issues with the clear demarcation of the judicial powers of chief justice and
governor-general.
 Note- The Amending Act of 1781 corrected the anomaly of judicial powers and it placed the
Governor General's judicial powers above that of the Chief Justice.
PITTS INDIA ACT (10:50 AM)
 From the Governor General(GG) Executive Council, one member was removed. It was thought that
if Gov. General gets the support of one executive member then with his casting vote, he can
implement his decision.
 It created a six-member Board of Control in Britain.
 BOC was headed by the British Cabinet Minister Secretary of State.
 BOC was supposed to look into the civil, military and revenue affairs of the company which were
administered by the Court of Directors.
 It led to the beginning of the joint rule of the British Crown and BEIC.
 The company was asked to clearly distinguish and maintain commercial and political accounts of
the company
 One of the provisions was to forbid the policy of intervention in the native affairs of Indian
kingdoms.
 Drawbacks of the act
 Still, GG was not able to implement his decision due to blockage by 3 executive members.
 Private trade did not stop and so as corruption. A nebulas nexus developed between COD and BOC.
 The Policy of non-intervention was seldom followed, in fact after 1790, the company adopted a
much aggressive attitude of intervention.
THE TOPIC OF THE NEXT CLASS- ACTS TO CONTROL BRITISH EAST INDIA COMPANY'S ACTIVITIES
(TO CONTINUE)