Cambridge O level Bangladesh Studies Paper 1

The East India Company

in the Indian subcontinent
1600–1784
Presented by Nasrin Akter
 Cambridge O level Bangladesh Studies Paper 1

Lesson Objectives
01 establishment, purpose and
growth of the East India
Company

02 battle of Plassey or the battle of

Buxar
Cambridge O level Bangladesh Studies Paper 1

Discovering Key Questions

i. What was the East India Company? What made EIC to come and settle in
India?
ii.How did it take control of the Indian subcontinent? How did the company
officially gained its establishment in Indian Sub-Continent from the Mughals?
From Emperor Jahangir at Surat
From Emperor Shah Jahan at Bengal
iii. How effectively did it rule?
How did EIC gradually become powerful
under King Charles II?
 What was the East India
Company?
1. The British East India Company (EIC) was
founded in December 1600 .
2. The owners were the governor and company
of Marchants of London Trading into The
East Indies by a group of businessmen,
3. They obtained the crown’s charter from
Queen Elizabeth (l) for exclusive permission
Shareholders-125 to trade in in East Indies for a period of 15
Capital 72,000 years.
Cambridge O level Bangladesh Studies Paper 1
 Cambridge O level Bangladesh Studies Paper 1
What made EIC to come
and settle in India? Profit is unbelievablein
INDIA!!!
•Thought of establishing at East
Indies, modern day Indonesia and
Malaysia but failed to do so. Since
Duch was dominating spice trading
there.
•EIC ships arrived at Surat port in
1608.
•Made a huge profit of around 200%
in India.
Cambridge O level Bangladesh Studies Paper 1

Timeline
Events leading up to EIC Establishment in Sub-Continent

EIC Ships Factory in

1600 docked at 1609 coastal town 1615
Surat Machilipatnam

King Sir Thomas Roe

EIC James (l) achieved factory
founded 1608 grant licenses for
1610 permission at
Surat from
undefine period Emperor Jahangir
 Important People
Cambridge O level Bangladesh Studies Paper 1

Queen
QueenElizabeth
Elizabeth (l) (l) KING JAMES I Job Charnock Emperor Jahangir Emperor ShahJahan

King James II & his

King James II & his wife Nawab Siraj-ud-
Catherine de Braganza
general Robert
wife Catherine de Mir Zafar Daula
Sir Thomas Roe Clive
Braganza
 How did the company officially gained its establishment
in Indian Sub-Continent from the Mughals?
From Emperor Jahangir at Surat From Emperor Shah Jahan at Bengal

•Diplomatic relations with Emperor • A firman issued from Emperor Shah Jahan to trade
Jahangir and commerce in Bengal.
•Ally against the Dutch
. From Emperor Jahangir at Surat •His son Prince Suja (Shah Suja), governor of Bengal
•Sir Thomas Roe gained the right to From Emperor Shah Jahan
permitted EIC to trade in atBengal
Bengal without any customs
establish a factory at Surat in return of
European goods. duties in lieu of an annual lump sum of just Rs. 3000.
•Flourished in trading silk, indigo, cotton •Opened a factory at Dhaka
and saltpetre. •Job Charnock completed the process of factory at
Calcutta.
Cambridge O level Bangladesh Studies Paper 1
•Shobha Singh rebellion permitted to fortify Calcutta.
Cambridge O level Bangladesh
How did EIC gradually become powerful under
Studies Paper 1
King James II?
•Captured Bombay Port from Portugal.
•Granted rights to EIC to own its territory, coinage,
army and form alliances.
•EIC raised sepoys from local population.
•EIC had 3 main bases: Bengal, Madras and Bombay.
•EIC purchased the zamindaries of Calcutta, Sutanuti
and Govindapur of Bengal.
Thus by destroying competitors, fortifying Army,
increasing local properties EIC grew powerful under
king Jemes (ii)
British Conquest of India
1753 to 1890

Major important
conquests in
Bengal:
1. Battle of
Plassey-1757
2. Battle of
Boxer- 1764
Cambridge O level Bangladesh Studies Paper 1

Battle of Plassey
 Causes for Battle of plassey Cambridge O level Bangladesh Studies Paper 1

1. British were misusing certain trade privileges in Bengal which

were given to them earlier by the Mughals.
2. British and French began to
. From Emperor fortify their
Jahangir at Surat settlements in
1) The protection of their commercial interests: The British East India Company had a strong interest in ensuring their commercial activities. They wanted to
ensure that the Nawab did not capture Calcutta (the capital of the Nawab of Bengal) and demand taxes for free passage. The British therefore were keen on
Bengal
negotiating without
treaties with Mir Qasim, who alsoSiraj’s permission.
had similar interests: to protect his trade, collect revenue from Bengal and stop East India company from
increasing its influence through trade activities.1) The protection of their commercial interests: The British East India Company had a strong interest in
ensuring their commercial activities. They wanted to ensure that the Nawab did not capture Calcutta (the capital of the Nawab of Bengal) and demand taxes for
3. The
free passage. British were
British therefore protecting
were keen on negotiating treatiesKrishnadas and
with Mir Qasim, who also refused
had similar interests: toto hand
protect him
his trade, collect revenue from
Bengal and stop East India company from inDate- 22 October 1764 Rivals- the combined army of Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa East India
over to Nawab. Companycreasing led by The first Governor General; Warren Hastings.
its influence through trade activities.

4. British insulted one of Nawab’s special envoy at Fort William.

Battle of Plassey
Profile
Date- 23 June 1757
Rivals-
Bengal Army of the Mughal
. From Emperor Jahangir at Surat
Empire (under Nawab Siraj-ud-
Daula)
EIC under the Scottish general,
Robert Clive
 Battle of Plassey
Significance
The Battle The of Plassey is seen as an important
battle which led to the start of colonization by
Europeans in IndiaFrom
under
Emperorthe British
Shah Jahan
at Bengal
Raj.
It is often considered to be a key moment in the
decline of Mughals and the start of British rule in
India.

Cambridge O level Bangladesh Studies Paper 1

 Incidence in Battle of plassey
1. Mir Mardan, Mohanlal, Khwaja Abdul Hadi, Naba Singh Haand
French supported the Nawab . From Emperor Jahangir at Surat
1) The protection of their commercial interests: The British East India Company had a strong interest in ensuring their commercial activities. They wanted
2. thatMir
to ensure Jafar,
the Nawab YarCalcutta
did not capture Latif andofRay
(the capital the NawabDurlabh Ramtaxessupported
of Bengal) and demand for free passage. Thethe
British therefore were
keen on negotiating treaties with Mir Qasim, who also had similar interests: to protect his trade, collect revenue from Bengal and stop East India company
from increasing its influence through trade activities.1) The protection of their commercial interests: The British East India Company had a strong interest
in ensuring British
their commercial activities. They wanted to ensure that the Nawab did not capture Calcutta (the capital of the Nawab of Bengal) and demand
taxes for free passage. The British therefore were keen on negotiating treaties with Mir Qasim, who also had similar interests: to protect his trade, collect
3. Mir MardanOrissawas stuck by a cannon ball and died
revenue from Bengal and stop East India company from inDate- 22 October 1764 Rivals- the combined army of Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and
East India Company led by The first Governor General; Warren Hastings.
creasing its influence through trade activities.
4. Robert Clive marched towards Murshidabad
Nawab was brutally murdered. His body was found in a river.

Cambridge O level Bangladesh Studies Paper 1

 Battle of Buxer

Cambridge O level Bangladesh Studies Paper 1

 Causes for Battle of Buxar

1)The British East India Company had a strong interest in ensuring their
commercial activities which was itupputed by Nawab Qasim.
. From Emperor Jahangir at Surat
1) The2) Theof Mughal
protection Emperor
their commercial Shah
interests: The British East Alam II had
India Company no interest
had a strong control over
in ensuring their the Nawabs,
commercial who
activities. They wanted to
ensure that the Nawab did not capture Calcutta (the capital of the Nawab of Bengal) and demand taxes for free passage. The British therefore were keen on
were
negotiating ruling
treaties their
with Mir Qasim,provinces
who also had similarindependently. This
interests: to protect his trade, led
collect to
revenue a
from number
Bengal and stop of
East conflicts
India company from
increasing its influence through trade activities.1) The protection of their commercial interests: The British East India Company had a strong interest in
ensuring their commercial activities. They wanted to ensure that the Nawab did not capture Calcutta (the capital of the Nawab of Bengal) and demand taxes
and
for free battles
passage. The Britishamong them.
therefore were The battle
keen on negotiating stopped
treaties with Mir Qasim, whothis
also hadchaos in Bengal.
similar interests: to protect his trade, collect revenue
from Bengal and stop East India company from inDate- 22 October 1764 Rivals- the combined army of Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa
3)The British wanted to ensure that the Nawab did not get any stronger
East India Company led by The first Governor General; Warren Hastings.
creasing its influence through trade activities.

by getting help from the French in his battles against other Muslim rulers
or from Marathas.

Cambridge O level Bangladesh Studies Paper 1

Battle of Buxer
Profile
Date- 22 October 1764
Rivals-
the. From
combined army of Mir
Emperor Jahangir at Surat
Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal,
Bihar and Orissa
EIC led by The first Governor
General; Warren Hastings.
 Battle of Buxer Significance
The Battle is seen as a pivotal moment in the
history of India as it gave rise to the British
Raj, which ruled India till 1947.
The province of Bengal was covered by a treaty
and therefore managed
From Emperorby
Shah the
Jahan East India
at Bengal
Company till 1858,
This battle also gave rise to more foreign
interference in Indian polity and economy which
led to massive transfer of power from Indians
to foreigners.
Cambridge O level Bangladesh Studies Paper 1
 Thank you

Presented by Nasrin Akter