Student Notes: India in 18th Century Contents 1. Decline of the Mughals .......................................................................................................... 5 Aurangzeb’s Responsibility ..................................................................................................... 5 Weak successors of Aurangzeb .............................................................................................. 5 Degeneration of Mughal Nobility ........................................................................................... 6 Court Factions ........................................................................................................................ 7 Defective Law of Succession .................................................................................................. 7 The rise of Marathas .............................................................................................................. 7 Military Weaknesses .............................................................................................................. 8 Economic Bankruptcy ............................................................................................................. 9 Nature of Mughal State .......................................................................................................... 9 Invasion of Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali .................................................................... 9 Coming of the Europeans ..................................................................................................... 10 2. Rise of regional powers ........................................................................................................ 10 Bengal ................................................................................................................................... 10 Oudh/Awadh ........................................................................................................................ 11 Hyderabad and the Carnatic ................................................................................................ 12 The Sikhs .............................................................................................................................. 12 The Marathas ....................................................................................................................... 13 The Jats ................................................................................................................................. 15 Rohelas and Bangash Pathans .............................................................................................. 15 Rajputs ................................................................................................................................. 15 Mysore ................................................................................................................................. 16 Travancore ............................................................................................................................ 16 Rajinder Nagar: 1/8-B, 2nd Floor, Apsara Arcade, Near Gate 6, Karol Bagh Metro, Delhi Mukherjee Nagar: 103, 1st Floor, B/1-2, Ansal Building, Behind UCO Bank, Delhi-9 09650617807, 09968029039, 09717162595 1 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS Student Notes: 3. Advent of Europeans ............................................................................................................ 16 Portuguese ........................................................................................................................... 17 The Dutch ............................................................................................................................. 18 The Danes ............................................................................................................................. 18 The British ............................................................................................................................ 18 The French ............................................................................................................................ 20 4. Anglo-French struggle for supremacy .................................................................................. 20 First Carnatic war ................................................................................................................. 20 Second Carnatic war............................................................................................................. 21 Third Carnatic war ................................................................................................................ 21 Reasons for the defeat of French against the British ........................................................... 21 5. The British in Bengal ............................................................................................................. 22 The black hole incident ........................................................................................................ 22 Battle of Plassey ................................................................................................................... 22 The Battle of Buxar ............................................................................................................... 23 Settlement with Awadh ....................................................................................................... 24 Settlement with Shah Alam II and Introduction of Dual system in Bengal .......................... 24 6. Administrative measures taken by the British from 1773 to 1853 ...................................... 25 Regulating Act of 1773 ......................................................................................................... 25 The Judicature Act of 1781................................................................................................... 26 Pitts India Act, 1784 ............................................................................................................. 27 Charter act of 1793 .............................................................................................................. 27 Charter Act of 1813 .............................................................................................................. 28 Charter act of 1833 .............................................................................................................. 28 Charter Act of 1853 .............................................................................................................. 29 7. Revenue administration, Police, Judiciary and civil services ................................................ 29 Rajinder Nagar: 1/8-B, 2nd Floor, Apsara Arcade, Near Gate 6, Karol Bagh Metro, Delhi Mukherjee Nagar: 103, 1st Floor, B/1-2, Ansal Building, Behind UCO Bank, Delhi-9 09650617807, 09968029039, 09717162595 2 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS Student Notes: Land revenue policy under British East India Company ....................................................... 29 Permanent Settlement system ............................................................................................. 30 Ryotwari System ................................................................................................................... 30 Mahalwari System ................................................................................................................ 32 Police administration ........................................................................................................... 32 Judiciary ............................................................................................................................... 33 Civil Services ......................................................................................................................... 34 Sources of Company’s income in India ................................................................................ 35 8. Significant Policies/administrative measures to consolidate the Empire ............................ 35 British policy towards Indian States ..................................................................................... 35 Subsidiary Alliance ............................................................................................................... 36 Doctrine of lapse .................................................................................................................. 37 Foreign policy and Important domestic events.................................................................... 37 Nepal .................................................................................................................................... 37 Burma ................................................................................................................................... 38 Afghanistan .......................................................................................................................... 38 Anglo–Mysore Wars ............................................................................................................. 40 Anglo–Maratha Wars ........................................................................................................... 41 Annexation of Sindh ............................................................................................................. 42 Anglo-Sikh Wars ..................................................................................................................