20 PRELIMS 2021 120 DAYS PLANNER QUICK REVISION MODULE - 2 HISTORY

Advent of Europeans ADVENT OF EUROPEANS

Introduction

But, the new sea route via the Cape of Good Hope was discovered by Vasco da Gama in 1498 and thereafter, many trading companies came to India and established their trading centres.The British East India Company was a Joint- Stock Company established in 1600, as the Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East Indies. During this time, other trading companies, established by the Portuguese, Dutch, French, and Danish were similarly expanding in the region.

The British Company gained footing in India in 1612 after Mughal emperor Jahangir granted the rights to establish a factory (a trading post) in Surat to Sir Thomas Roe, a representative diplomat of Queen Elizabeth Ist of England.

The factors responsible for advent of European powers in India were:

 Immense wealth of India  Heavy demand for Indian commodities like spices, calicoes, silk, various precious stones, porcelain, etc  European advancement in the fi eld of ship building and navigation in the 15th century.

The Portuguese

Pedro Alvarez Cabral arrived in 1500 and Vasco da Gama also made a second trip in 1502. They established trading stations at Calicut, Cannanore and Cochin. Later in 1509 Albuquerque was made the governor of the Portuguese territories in India. He introduced “the policy of imperialism”. In 1510, he captured Goa from the ruler of Bijapur. Thereafter, Goa became the capital of the Portuguese settlements in India. The successors of Albuquerque established Portuguese settlements at Daman, Salsette and Bombay on the west coast and at Santhome near Madras and Hugli in Bengal on the east coast.

However, the Portuguese power declined in India by the end of the sixteenth century. They lost all their possessions in India except Goa, Daman and Diu in the next century.

Causes of decline of Portuguese Power in India

Spain won Portugal in 1580 A.D. Phillip II of Spain neglected Portugese dominions in India. The Portuguese administration had become corrupt. The religious policy had backfi red. In the 17th century, the Dutch also expelled the Portuguese from most parts of India.

2 120 DAYS PLANNER IAS 2021 | DAY 20: HISTORY | www.10pointer.com The English

The English East India Company (also known as the East India Trading Company, and, after the Treaty of Union, the British East India Company) was formed by a group of merchants known as ‘Merchant Adventures’ in 1599. The Company was granted an English Royal Charter, under the name Governor and Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East Indies, by Elizabeth I on 31 December 1600. In 1608, the company decided to open a factory (the name given to a trading depot) at Surat

The English ambassador Captain Hawkins arrived at Jahangir’s Court to seek permission for trade with India. But initially it was turned down due to Portuguese intrigue. This convinced the English of the need to overcome Portuguese infl uence at the Mughal Court if they were to obtain any concessions from the Imperial Government. The Company achieved a major victory over the Portuguese in the Battle of Swally near Surat in 1612, where two English naval ships under Captain Best defeated a Portuguese naval squadron.

Captain Best succeeded in getting a royal farman by Jahangir permitting the English to build a factory in Surat, Cambaya, Ahmedabad and Goa in 1613.

The English were not satisfi ed with this concession and in 1615 their ambassador Sir Thomas Roe reached the Mughal Court. They also exerted pressure on the Mughal authorities by taking advantage of India’s naval weakness and harassing Indian traders and ship from the Red Sea and to Mecca.

Thus, combining entreaties with threats, Roe succeeded in getting an Imperial farman to trade establish factories in all parts of the Mughal Empire. Roe’s success further angered the Portuguese and a fi erce naval battle between the two countries began in 1620 which ended in English victory. Hostilities between the two came to an end in 1630.

In 1662 the Portuguese gave the Island of Bombay to King Charles II of England as dowry for marrying a Portuguese Princess. Eventually, the Portuguese lost all their possessions in India except Goa, Daman and Diu. The Company, benefi ting from the imperial patronage, soon expanded its commercial trading operations, eclipsing the Portuguese Estado da India, which had established bases in Goa, Chittagong and Bombay.

The Company created trading posts in Surat (where a factory was built in 1612), Madras (1639), Bombay (1668), and Calcutta (1690). In 1634, the Mughal emperor extended his hospitality to the English traders to the region of Bengal, and in 1717 completely waived customs duties for the trade. The company’s mainstay businesses were by then in cotton, silk, indigo dye, saltpetre and tea.

By a series of fi ve acts around 1670, King Charles II provisioned it with the rights to autonomous territorial acquisitions to mint money, to command fortresses and troops and form alliances, to make war and peace, and to exercise both civil and criminal jurisdiction over the acquired areas.

The Dutch

In 1602, by a charter of the Dutch parliament the Dutch East India Company was formed with powers to make wars, concluded treaties, acquire territories and build fortresses. The Dutch set up factories at Masulipatanam (1605), Pulicat (1610), Surat (1616), Bimilipatam (1641), Karikal (1645), Chinsura (1653), Kasimbazar, Baranagore, Patna, Balasore, Negapatam (all in 1658) andCochin (1663).

In the 17th century, they supplanted the Portuguese as the most dominant power in European trade with the East, including India. After 60-70 years of rivalry with the English, the Dutch power in India began to decline by the beginning of the 18th century. Their fi nal collapse came with their defeat by the English in the battle of Bedera in 1759.

www.10pointer.com 120 DAYS PLANNER IAS 2021 | DAY 20: HISTORY | 3 The Danes

Denmark also established trade settlements in India and their settlement at Tranquebar was founded in1620. Another important Danish settlement in India was Serampore in Bengal. Serampore was their headquarters in India.

The Danes failed to strengthen themselves in India and they sold all their settlement in India to the British in 1845.

The French

The French East India Company was formed by Colbert under state patronage in 1664. The fi rst French factory was established at Surat by Francois Caron in 1668. Later Maracara set up factory at Masulipatnam in 1669. The French power in India declined between 1706 and 1720 which led to the reconstitution of the Company in 1720.

The French power in India was revived under Lenoir and Dumas (governors) between 1720 and 1742.They occupied Mahe in the Malabar, Yanam in Coromandal (both in 1725) and Karikal in Tamil Nadu (1739). The arrival of Dupleix as French governor in India in 1742 saw the beginning of Anglo French confl ict (Carnatic wars) resulting in their fi nal defeat in India.

Causes for the French Failure in India

 French Government: The French Government in the 17th century and for the major part of the eighteenth (till we reach the French Revolution in 1789) was a personal despotism. The policy of the Government was determined by the whims of the monarch.  French Company: There was an inherent weakness in the very nature of the organisation of the French Company. It was a Government sponsored enterprise fi nanced by the King in major part. Naturally, the Company did not enjoy autonomy, nor did it represent the interest of the French nation. While the English East India Company was an asset to the British Government, for the Government even received loans from it, the French East India Company was a liability to the home government.  Seats of Power in India: Although the French strength in respect of their seats of power was substantial it was by no means equal to that of their prospective rivals, the English.  Naval Strength: The lack of naval strength of the French compared to that of the English was one of the decisive factors for the failure of the French in India.  Policy of Conquest in Place of Commerce: In their bid for territorial expansion in India the French forgot that they were primarily merchants. The English, however, never forgot that they were primarily a trading body.  Lack of Enthusiasm and Enterprise: The French did not demonstrate kind of enthusiasm in trade unlike English and naturally they did not fi nd trading profi table, which realisation in its turn made them more indolent and less enterprising in matters of trade.  Lack of Financial Support: The English Company by its trade could not only pay its way in India, loan out funds to the British Treasury but could also meet the military expenses of war. The French did not, rather could make the trade pay their expenses.  Personal Incompetence: It cannot be denied that the failure of the French was largely determined by personalities than by circumstances. Hopeless incompetence of the French general such as Law, D’Ache, Lally etc. sealed the fate of the French in India.

Contest for Trade Monopoly in India

The prosperity that the offi cers of the company enjoyed allowed them to return to Britain and establish sprawling estates and businesses, and to obtain political power. The Company developed a lobby in the English parliament.

4 120 DAYS PLANNER IAS 2021 | DAY 20: HISTORY | www.10pointer.com By an act passed in 1698, a new “parallel” East India Company (offi cially titled the English Company Trading to the East Indies) was fl oated under a state-backed indemnity of £2 million. The powerful stockholders of the old company quickly subscribed a sum of £315,000 in the new concern, and dominated the new body. The two companies wrestled with each other for some time, both in England and in India, for a dominant share of the trade. It quickly became evident that, in practice, the original Company faced scarcely any measurable competition.

The companies merged in 1708, by a tripartite indenture involving both companies and the state. The amalgamated company became the United Company of Merchants of England Trading to the East Indies.In the following decades there was a constant see-saw battle between the Company lobby and the Parliament.

The Company sought a permanent establishment, while the Parliament was not willing to grant greater autonomy and so relinquish the opportunity to exploit the Company’s profi ts. In 1712, another act renewed the status of the Company. By 1720, 15% of British imports were from India, almost all passing through the Company, which reasserted the infl uence of the Company lobby. The license was prolonged till 1766 by yet another act in 1730.

Bengal

During the short period of eight years (1757 to 1765) three nawabs, Siraj-ud-Daula, Mir Jafar and Mir Qasim ruled over Bengal but they failed to uphold the sovereignty of the nawab and ultimately the reign of control passed into the hands of the British.

The Company secured valuable privileges in 1717 under a royal farman by the Mughal Emperor, which had granted the Company the freedom to export and import their goods in Bengal without paying taxes and the right to issue passes or dastaks for the movement of such goods. The Company’s servants were also permitted to trade but were not covered by this farman. They were required to pay the same taxes as Indian merchants.

This farman was a perpetual source of confl ict between the Company and the Nawabs of Bengal. First it meant loss of revenue to the Bengal Government. Secondly, the power to issue dastaks for the Company’s goods was misused by its servants to evade taxes on their private trade. All the Nawabs of Bengal, from Murshid Quli Khan to Alivardi Khan, had objected to the English interpretation of the farman of 1717. They compelled the Company to pay lump sums to their treasury, and fi rmly suppressed the misuse of dastaks.

Other factors like the repeated defi ance of the nawab’s authority along with sheltering the off enders of the nawab were the acts on the part of the English Company which provoked the nawab. The breaking point came when, without taking the Nawab’s permission, the Company began to fortify Calcutta in expectation of the coming struggle with the French, who were stationed at this time at Chandernagore.

Siraj-ud-Daula’s prevented the English from fortifying Fort William. However the English refused to stop the new fortifi cation which prompted the Nawab to attack their factory at Kasim Bazar. The British retaliation started with hatching a conspiracy against the nawab in alliance with his Mir Bakshi Mir Jafar, Manik Chand, the Offi cer-in-Charge of Calcutta, Amirchand, a rich merchant, Jagat Seth, the biggest banker of Bengal, and Khadim Khan, who commanded a large number of the Nawab’s troops and Rai Durlabh. Robert Clive marched towards Plassey on 23rd June, 1757; which was near the Nawab’s capital of Murshidabad. English victory in the battle of Plassey (23 June, 1757) was pre-decided. It was not the superiority of the military power but the conspiracy that helped the English in winning the battle.

As agreed earlier, Mir Jafar, the Commander-in-chief of Siraj-ud-daula did not take up arms against the English army and on the other hand the Nawab’s soldiers fl ed from the battlefi eld.

Mir Jafar, the commander-in-chief of the Nawab was awarded the Nawabship by Clive for his support to the English. Mir Jafar responded to this favour by paying a sum of One Crore and Seventy Seven lakhs to the Company and large sums to the Company offi cers as bribe.

www.10pointer.com 120 DAYS PLANNER IAS 2021 | DAY 20: HISTORY | 5 Mir Jafar was deposed in 1760 and Mir Qasim was placed on the throne by the British. The new Nawab assigned English the district of Burdawan, Midnapore and Chittagong for the expenses of the British army which was to help him. The Nawab succeeded in establishing a better system of administration. But he came into confl ict with the British in Bengal on the question of a privilege, i.e., duty free private trade of the Company.

Mir Qasim’s proposed plan about equal trade duties for British and Indian traders was turned down by the British Council at Calcutta. Mir Qasim, in this circumstances, remitted all duties on Indians and the British alike for two years. This measure deprived the British private traders of the privileged position they had created for themselves, they could not compete with Indian traders on equal terms.

The Nawab’s attempts to reorganize the army and shifting of capital from Murshidabad to Munger were also taken as unforgivable off ences by the Company. The war broke out between Mir Kasim and the Company in 1763. Mir Qasim escaped to Oudh to organise a confederacy with Shuja-ud-daula, the Nawab of Oudh and the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II in a fi nal bid to oust the English from Bengal.

The combined armies of the three powers fought the battle of Buxar with English army commanded by Major Munro on October 22, 1764. With a decisive victory at Buxar, the British army overran Awadh.

Battle of Buxar

Lord Clive, then British Governor in Calcutta, also concluded treaty of Allahabad with the Shuja-ud- Daula, Nawab of Awadh, who was to pay fi fty lakhs of rupees for the expenses of the war and was given back his dominions.

He entered into defensive alliance with the Company. Awadh became for the British a buff er state. The British gave emperor Shah Alam II possession of Kara and Allahabad, while he granted them the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa in return for a regular annual payment of twenty-six lakhs of rupees.

.The Battle of Buxar made the English virtually the masters of Bengal as it also proved their military superiority and unchallenged power. The Company acquired Diwani functions from Emperor Shah Alam II (12th August 1765) and Nizamat functions from Subedar of Bengal.

This arrangement was known as Dual Government wherein the administration of Bengal was carried out by two heads with the Nawab of Bengal being the nominal head and the Company, as the Diwan controlled the revenue as well as police and judicial powers.

The Treaty of Allahabad (1765)

Robert Clive concluded two important treties at Allahabad in August 1765–one with the Nawab of Avadh and the other with the Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam II.

Under the treaty, Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula agreed to:

 Surrender Allahabad and Kara to Emperor Shah Alam II;  Pay Rs 50 Lakh to the Company as war indemnity; and  Give Balwant Singh, Zamindar of Banaras, full possession of his estate.

Under the second treaty, Shah Alam II agreed to:

 Reside at Allahabad, to be ceded to him by the Nawab of Avadh, under the Company’s protection;

6 120 DAYS PLANNER IAS 2021 | DAY 20: HISTORY | www.10pointer.com  Issue a farman granting the diwani of Bengal, Bihar an Orissa to the East India Company in lieu of an annual payment of Rs 26 lakh; and  A provision of Rs 53 lakh to the Company in return for nizamat functions (military defence, police, and administration of justice) of the said provinces.

Anglo-French Rivalry

The Anglo-French rivalry in India was manifest in the Carnatic region and in Bengal.

First Carnatic War (1746-1748)

 The downfall of the Mughal Empire led to the independence of Deccan under Nizam-ul-Mulk.  The Carnatic region also formed part of the Nizam’s dominion. The ruler of the Carnatic accepted the suzerainty of the Nizam.  In 1740, the Austrian War of Succession broke out in Europe. In that war England and France were in the opposite camps. They came into confl ict in India also.  The French governor of Pondicherry, Dupleix opened attack on the English in 1746 and thus began the First Carnatic War (1746-1748).  The English sought help from the Nawab of Carnatic, Anwar Uddin. But the French concluded a treaty with his rival Chanda Sahib.  The English army crushed a defeat on the French in the Battle of Adyar, near Madras.  In the meantime, the Treaty of Aix-la-Chappelle was concluded in 1748 to end the Austrian Succession War. Thus the First Carnatic War came to an end.

Second Carnatic War (1749-1754)

 But the English and French continued to take opposite sides in the internal politics of India which resulted in the Second Carnatic War (1749-1754).  Dupleix supported the cause of Muzafar Jang, who wanted to become the Nizam of Hyderabad and Chanda Sahib, an aspirant for the throne of Arcot.  The troops of these three defeated Anwar Uddin, who was with the British in the First Carnatic War, and killed him in the Battle of Ambur in 1749.  After this victory, Muzafar Jung became the Nizam and Chanda Sahib the Nawab of Arcot.  Muhammad Ali, son of Anwar Uddin escaped to Tiruchirappalli. The English sent troops in support of him.  In the meantime, the British commander Robert Clive captured Arcot. He also infl icted a severe defeat on the French at Kaveripakkam.  Chanda Sahib was captured and beheaded in Tanjore. Meanwhile Dupleix was replaced by Godeheu as the French governor.  The war came to an end by the Treaty of Pondicherry in 1754.

Third Carnatic War (1758-1763)

 The outbreak of the Seven Years War (1756-1763) in Europe led to the Third Carnatic War (1758-1763). Count de Lally was the commander of the French troops.

www.10pointer.com 120 DAYS PLANNER IAS 2021 | DAY 20: HISTORY | 7  The British General Sir Eyre Coote defeated him at Wandiwash in 1760.  In 1761, Pondicherry was captured and destroyed by the British troops.  The Seven Years War came to an end by the Treaty of Paris in 1763 and with it the third Carnatic War also ended.  The French agreed to confi ne its activities in Pondicherry, Karaikkal, Mahe and Yenam.  Thus the Anglo-French rivalry came to a close with British success and French failure.

Anglo-Mysore Wars

In 1766 Mysore began to be drawn into territorial and diplomatic disputes between the Nizam of Hyderabad and the British East India Company, which had by then become the dominant European colonial power on the Indian east coast.

First Mysore War (1767-1769)

 The fi rst Anglo-Mysore war started with attack of Marathas on Mysore in 1766, but Hyder Ali made peace with Marathas paying them 35 lakh Rupees.  After Marathas returned, Nizam attacked Mysore with the assistance of British. But even before the war could be concluded, the Nizam changed the side and came towards Hyder Ali.  The English forces could not retaliate and retreated to Trichinopoly under Col. Smith.  Later Col. Wood joined the British army and amid confusion, Hyder Ali retreated from the battle. Now the British threatened to attack Hyderabad.  This forced the Nizam to sign a treaty in 1768. As per the terms of this treaty the Nizam agreed to abide by the treaty signed with British in context with the Northern Circars.  Hyder Ali was regarded as usurper and was refused to be acknowledge as ruler of Mysore, Nizam agreed to help the British to punish Hyder Ali. The important aspect of this treaty was that Nizam agreed to give the British Diwani Rights of Mysore when Hyder Ali was ousted and Mysore is won by him.  Hyder Ali was defeated at Changam and Tiruvannamalai in 1767. At the same time Tipu Sultan, son of Hyder Ali advanced towards Madras and the English were forced to enter into an agreement.  The result was the Treaty of Madras in April 1769 and it maintained the status quo. As per the Treaty of Madras: Both the Parties returned the areas won by each other. The District of Arcot was given to Nawab of Arcot British & Hyder Ali promised that they would support each other if there is any foreign invasion.

Second Mysore War (1780-84)

 Hyder Ali in the impression that as per the terms of this treaty, British would come to help in if there is a confl ict with the Marathas.  He started demanding tributes from the smaller states on the border of Maratha and Mysore. The Marathas responded this in 1770 with a force of over 30 thousand. Hyder Ali requested the British to help, but British did not turned up. The result was that all the territories of Hyder were confi scated by the Marathas.  Hyder again begged the British for the help, but the British placed some conditions which were not acceptable to him. The result was that Hyder requested for peace with Marathas.  There was an outbreak of hostilities between the English and the French (an ally of Haider) during the American War of Independence.  Haider Ali formed a grand alliance with the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Marathas against the British in 1779.

8 120 DAYS PLANNER IAS 2021 | DAY 20: HISTORY | www.10pointer.com  When Mahe, a French possession in the dominion of Hyder Ali was attacked by the English, he declared war on the English in 1780.  Hyder Ali defeated Colonel Braithowaite in Arcot and made the English surrender and occupied almost the whole of Carnatic. Later,the English under Sir Eyre Coote, defeated Hyder Ali at Porto Novo in 1781.  In the meantime Hyder Ali died in 1782. After his death his son Tipu Sultan continued the war with the British for two more years. The war came to an end with the Treaty of Mangalore signed in 1784. Both sides agreed to exchange the captured territories and war prisoners and thus the war ended up without any concrete results.

Third Mysore War (1790-92)

 The Treaty of Mangalore (1784) exhibited the military strength of Mysore, exposed English weaknesses and increased Tipu’s strength. Further, Tipu strengthened his position by undertaking various internal reforms.  It created worries to the British, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Marathas. Moreover, Tipu made attempts to seek the help of France and Turkey by sending envoys to those countries. He also expanded his territories at the cost of his neighbours, particularly the Raja of Travancore, who was an ally of the British.  In 1789, the British concluded a tripartite alliance with the Nizam and the Marathas against Tipu. Lord Cornwallis who had been made the Governor General of Bengal and the Commander-in-Chief of the English army then declared a war on Tipu in 1790. Cornwallis himself assumed command of the war in December 1790.  Cornwallis captured Bangalore in March 1791, but Tipu’s brilliant strategies prolonged the war and he was forced to retreat to Mangalore due to lack of provisions.  Tipu Sultan concluded the Treaty of Srirangapattinam with the British. As per treaty Tipu had to give up half of his dominions. He had to pay a war indemnity of three crore rupees and surrender two of his sons as hostages to the English.  The British secured a large territory on the Malabar Coast. In addition they obtained the Baramahal district and Dindugal.

Fourth Mysore War (1799)

 The Treaty of Srirangapattinam failed to bring peace between Tipu Sultan and the British. Tipu Sultan sent emissaries to Kabul, Constantinople, Arabia and France to get their support. At this juncture that Wellesley tried to revive the Triple Alliance of 1790 with the Marathas. Though his proposal was not accepted by the Marathas, they promised to remain neutral.  However, a Subsidiary Alliance with the Nizam was concluded by the British and as a consequence, the French force at Hyderabad was disbanded. Wellesley set out to persuade Tipu to accept a pact of subsidiary alliance and wrote letters requesting the Tipu to dismiss the French, to receive an English envoy, and to make terms with the Company and its allies.  Tipu refused the proposal and in response the the British declared war on him once again in 1799. The war was short and decisive. The Bombay army under General Stuart invaded Mysore from the west. The Madras army, which was led by the Governor-General’s brother, Arthur Wellesley, forced Tipu to retreat to his capital Srirangapattinam.  Tipu Sultan died in battle while his family was deported fi rst to Vellore and later to Calcutta. A fi ve year old boy, Krishnaraja III, a descendant of the dethroned Hindu Raja, was enthroned at Mysore. Purnaiya, the previous minister, became Diwan.  The remaining parts of the kingdom were divided between the British and the Nizam. The whole of Kanara, Wynad, Coimbatore, Dharmapuri and Srirangapattinam were retained by the British whereas the Nizam was given the areas around Gooty and a part of Chittoor and Chitaldurg districts.

www.10pointer.com 120 DAYS PLANNER IAS 2021 | DAY 20: HISTORY | 9 Anglo Maratha Wars

The English became conscious of the growing power of the Marathas and got the opportunity to crush their re- establishment soon after the death of Madhav Rao in 1772. The internal confl ict among the Marathas was best utilized by the British in their expansionist policy.

First Maratha War (1775-1782)

 Peshwa Narayan Rao succumbed to the intrigues of his ambitious uncle Raghunath Rao, another claimant for the post of Peshwa.  Raghunath Rao was opposed by a strong party at Poona under Nana Phadnavis who proclaimed Narayanm Rao’s posthumous son as Peshwa. The British authorities in Bombay concluded the Treaty of Surat with Raghunatha Rao in March 1775. Rahunatha Rao promised to cede Bassein and Salsette to the British but later when he was unwilling to fulfi ll his promise, the British captured them.  This action of the Bombay Government was not approved by Warren Hastings.  In 1776, Warren Hastings sent Colonel Upton to settle the issue. He cancelled the Treaty of Surat and concluded the Treaty of Purander with Nana Fadnavis, another Maratha leader.  According to this treaty Madhava Rao II was accepted as the new Peshwa and the British retained Salsette along with a heavy war indemnity. However, the Home authorities rejected the Treaty of Purander. Warren Hastings also considered the Treaty of Purandar as a ‘scrap of paper’ and sanctioned operations against the Marathas.  In the meantime, the British force sent by the Bombay Government was defeated by the Marathas. In 1781, Warren Hastings dispatched British troops under the command of Captain Popham. He defeated the Maratha chief, Mahadaji Scindia, in a number of small battles and captured Gwalior.  The Treaty of Salbai was signed between Warren Hastings and Majadji Scinida in 1782. Under this treaty Salsette and Bassein were given to the British and Raghunath Rao was pensioned off .  The treaty established the British infl uence on Indian politics. It provided the British twenty years of peace with the Marathas. The Treaty also enabled the British to exert pressure on Mysore with the help of the Marathas in recovering their territories from Haider Ali.  Thus, the British, on the one hand, saved themselves from the combined opposition of Indian powers and on the other, succeeded in dividing the Indian powers.

Second Maratha War (1803-1805)

 The only power that remained outside the purview of the subsidiary system was the Marathas Nana Fadnavis provided the leadership to the Marathas. He was responsible for the preservation of independence of his country from the onslaught of the British.  By extending a helping hand to Cornwallis against Tipu he was able to acquire a large slice of territory as the share of the Marathas from the kingdom of Mysore. After the death of Nana Fadnavis in 1800 the infi ghting among the Maratha leaders proved to be self destructive.  œ Jaswant Rao Holkar and Daulat Rao Scindia fought against each other. The Peshwa Baji Rao II supported Scindia against Holkar. Holkar marched against the Peshwa and defeated the combined forces of Scindia and the Peshwa.  Peshwa Baji Rao II fl ed to Bassein where he signed the Treaty of Bassein with the British in 1802. It was a subsidiary treaty and the Peshwa was recognized as the head of the Maratha kingdom. Treaty of Bassein is regarded as a very important step towards the establishment of the English dominance over India.  The main provisions of Treaty of Bassein were the recognition of Peshwa’s claim in Poona, acceptance of Subsidiary Alliance by Baji Rao II and relinquishing of all rights to Surat by Baji Rao to the British.

10 120 DAYS PLANNER IAS 2021 | DAY 20: HISTORY | www.10pointer.com  For Marathas, Treaty of Bassein was nothing short of surrender of national honour. Holkar and Scindia stopped fi ghting. Scindia and Bhonsle combined but Holkar and Gaikwad remained aloof.  œ The British army’s led by Arthur Wellesley defeated the combined armies of Scindhia and Bhonsle at Assaye in September 1803, and at Aragon in November 1803.  In North, Lord Lake routed Scindia’s army at Laswari and occupied Aligarh, Delhi and Agra. Both Scindia and Bhosle accepted the sovereignty of the English and entered into the Subsidiary Alliance by concluding the Treaty of Sarji-i-Arjangaon and the Treaty of Deogaon respectively.  Holkar alone was left in the fi eld who still avoided their supremacy. Wellesley turned his attention towards Holkar, but Yeshwant Rao Holkar proved more than a match for the British.  Wellesley was called back from India and Sir George Barlow concluded with Holkar the treaty of Rajpurghat (1805) whereby the Maratha Chief gave up all claims to places North of Chambal, Bundelkhand and over Peshwa and other allies of the Company while the latter got back greater part of his territories.

Third Maratha War (1817-1819)

 Final phase of struggle began with coming of Lord Hastings as Governor General in 1813. He resumed the aggressive policy abandoned in 1805. Hastings action against Pindaris transgressed the sovereignty of Maratha Chiefs and two parties were drawn into war.  Hastings forced humiliating treaties on the Raja of Nagpur (27th May 1816) on Peshwa (13th June 1817) and Scindhia (5th Nov 1817). Greatly annoyed by the humiliating treaty, the Peshwa made a last bid to throw off the British yoke in course of the third Maratha War and attacked British Residency at Poona in November 1817. He was defeated at Kirkee.  Similarly, the Bhonsle chief, Appa Sahib also refused to abide by the Treaty of Nagpur, which he had signed with the British on 17 May 1816. According to this treaty, Nagpur came under the control of the Company.  Appa Sahib fought with the British in the Battle of Sitabuldi in November 1817, but was defeated.  The Peshwa turned to Holkar for help, but Holkar too was defeated by the British on 21 December 1817 at Baroda. Therefore, by December 1817 the dream of a mighty Maratha Confederacy was fi nally shattered.

The Subsidiary Alliance System

The Indian rulers were persuaded by Wellesley to sign a friendly treaty with the British according to which they would have to follow certain conditions:

 Any Indian ruler who entered into the subsidiary alliance with the British has to maintain a contingent of British troops in his territory which was commanded by a British offi cer.  The Indian state was called ‘the protected state’ and the British hereinafter were referred to as ‘the paramount power’. It was the duty of the British to safeguard that state from external aggression and to help its ruler maintain internal peace and in lieu of this the protected state should give some money or give part of its territory to the British to support the subsidiary force.  The protected state has to cut off its connection with European powers other than the English and with the French in particular. The state was forbidden to have any political contact even with other Indian powers without the permission of the British.  A British Resident has to be stationed at the court of protected state. The protected state has to disband his own army and was not permitted to employ Europeans in his service without the sanction of the paramount power.  The paramount power should not interfere in the internal aff airs of the protected state. Wellesley’s Subsidiary System is regarded as one of the masterstrokes of British imperialism. It increased the military strength of the Company in India at the expense of the protected states

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