(The Trail)
A. Fill in the blanks.
1. Madras, Bombay and Calcutta became the headquarters of the British settlements in the southern, western and eastern regions, respectively.
2. The French East India Company was established in 1664.
3. The British and the French fought the Carnatic Wars in India to establish their monopoly in trade.
4. In 1717, the Mughal emperor granted the English East India Company the right to carry on duty-free trade in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
5. Bengal in the 18th century was the richest and most fertile province in India.
6. In 1757, Robert Clive recovered Calcutta which had been captured by Siraj-ud-Daulah in 1757.
7. Mir Jafar was deposed because he was unable to meet the demands of the British.
8. In 1765, Awadh was returned to Shuja-ud-Daulah but Kora and Allahabad were taken away and given to Shah Alam II.
9. Shah Alam II granted the company the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa in 1765.
10. Warren Hastings deposed and pensioned off the Nawab of Bengal and brought Bengal under the direct and complete control of the Company.
B. Match the following.
=
|
A |
B |
|---|---|
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1. Carnatic Wars |
a. Warren Hastings. [6] |
|
2. farman |
b. duty-free trade. [2] |
|
3. Robert Clive |
c. Siraj-ud-Daulah. [4] |
|
4. Battle of Plassey |
d. reconquered Calcutta. [3] |
|
5. Battle of Buxar |
e. Anglo-French rivalry. [1] |
|
6. Governor of Bengal |
f. Mir Qasim. [5] |
C. Choose the correct answer.
1. The English East India Company was established in the year 1600/1700/1800 CE.
2. The English East India Company set up its first factory in Surat/Agra/Broach.
3. The largest and the most prosperous European settlement in Bengal was the British settlement at Calcutta/Burdwan/Murshidabad.
4. Alivardi Khan was succeeded by Mir Qasim/Siraj-ud-Daulah/Shuja-ud-Daulah.
5. Robert Clive hatched a plot with Mir Jafar/Mir Qasim/Alivardi Khan to replace Siraj-ud-Daulah.
6. The Battle of Plassey was fought in 1757/1764/1772.
7. The Dual Government in Bengal was introduced by Robert Clive/Warren Hastings/Lord Cornwallis.
D. State whether the following are true or false.
1. The Carnatic Wars were fought between the British and the French. [T]
2. The employees of the Company were entitled to both private trade as well as duty-free trade. [F]
3. The English East India Company was given the right to issue passes or dastaks for the free movement of their goods. [T]
4. The British army was defeated in the Battle of Buxar. [F]
5. The Treaty of Allahabad was signed between the English East India Company and Mir Qasim. [F]
6. Warren Hastings laid the foundations of an organised system of government in Bengal. [T]
E. Answer the following questions in one or two words/sentences.
1. Who granted the English East India company the exclusive right to trade with the East?
= The Queen of England, Elizabeth I.
2. Name the British trading settlements in (a) Madras (b) Calcutta.
= a) Madras - Fort St. George.
b) Calcutta - Fort William.
3. What important right did the Mughal emperor, Farrukhsiyar, grant the English East India Company?
= In 1717, the Mughal emperor, Farrukhsiyar, issued a farman, granting the English East India Company the right to carry on duty-free trade in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa(now Odisha).
4. Why were European traders attracted to the British province in the 18th century?
= Bengal in the 18th century was the richest and the most fertile province of India. Known as the 'paradise of the earth', the province of Bengal attracted traders from Holland, France and England.
5. What privileges did the farman of 1717 confer on the English East India Company?
= The farman of 1717 meant that the Company could export and import goods from and to these provinces without paying any taxes to the government. They were given the right to issue passes or dastaks for the free movement of their goods.
6. Why did the farman of 1717 become a bone of contention between the nawabs of Bengal and the English East India Company?
= The Company made enormous profits. In course of time, the Company began to interfere in the local politics of the Indian rulers. This led to the contention between the nawabs of Bengal and the English East India Company.
7. Why did the British fortify their trade settlement in Calcutta?
= It was a trading settlement consisting of a warehouse for goods, an office for keeping records and residential quarters for the servants(employees) of the Company.
8. Why did Siraj-ud-Daulah attack Calcutta in 1756?
= Because the British had openly challenged his authority and he was determined to teach them a lesson.
9. What important trading right was granted to the English East India Company after the victory in the Battle of Plassey?
= The English East India Company was granted the undisputed right to free trade in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
10. State the political significance of the Battle of Buxar.
= It gave the British the political influence and control over Awadh and the Mughal emperor.
11. Name the Indian signatories of the Treaty of Allahabad.
= Shuja-ud-Daulah and Shah Alam II.
12. In which year was the Dual Government abolished and by whom?
= In 1772, Warren Hastings abolished the Dual Government.
F. Answer the following questions briefly.
1. The Battle of Plassey was a major turning point in the history of India. In this Context, answer the following questions.
a. Give an account of the events leading from the conspiracy to replace Siraj-ud-Daulah to his eventual defeat in the Battle of Plassey.
= Robert Clive hatched a plot with some of the influential men in the nawab's court to overthrow Siraj-ud-Daulah. Mir Jafar, the commander-in-chief of the nawab's forces, would be made the nawab of Bengal in return for a large amount of money and important trading privileges. Then a secret was signed and the British presented Siraj-ud-Daulah with an impossible set of demands. War became inevitable.
A major part of the nawab's army under the command of Mir Jafar did not take any part in the battle. Realising that he had been betrayed, the nawab fled from the battle field. He was captured and put to death. Mir Jafar was proclaimed the nawab of Bengal.
b. State the results of the Battle of Plassey.
= i) The English East India Company was granted the undisputed right to free trade in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
ii) The Company was given the zamindari of the 24 Parganas.
iii) Mir Jafar paid the Company and its officials over 300 lakh rupees.
c. Why is the Battle considered a major turning point in the history of India?
= The Battle of Plassey was a major turning point in the history of India.
i) It paved the way for the establishment of British rule in Bengal and, eventually, in the rest of India.
ii) It transformed a trading company into a political power.
iii) The nawab of Bengal was reduced to a puppet in the hands of the British, who became the virtual ruler of Bengal.
iv) It placed at the disposal of the British the vast resource of Bengal. These resources helped them win the Third Carnatic War and finance military expeditions in other parts of India in the future.
2. Mir Qasim was a competent ruler, determined to free himself from foreign control. In this context, answer the following questions:
a. What steps did Mir Qasim take to strengthen his position? Why did he abolish all duties on internal trade?
= To improve his position, he improved the financial position of Bengal and raised a modern, disciplined and well-equipped army trained by the Europeans. This made the British increasingly hostile.
To put an end to the corrupt practices of the British, Mir Qasim abolished all duties on internal trade.
b. Trace the events from the outbreak of war(1763) between Mir Qasim and the British up to the Battle of Buxar in 1764.
= The British refused to accept an equal status with the Indian merchants.
In 1763, war broke out between Mir Qasim and the British. The nawab was defeated. Mir Jafar was reinstated on the throne.
Mir Qasim was determined to recover his throne. He escaped to Awadh, where he formed a alliance with Shuja-ud-Daulah, the nawab of Awadh and the Mughal emperor, Shah Alam II.
The combined forces of three allies clashed with the Company's troops at Buxar in 1764 and were decisively defeated by the British.
c. Explain the importance of the Battle of Buxar.
= i) The victory of the British in the Battle of Buxar firmly established them as masters of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
ii) It gave them the political influence and control over Awadh and the Mughal emperor.
iii) It laid the foundation of British rule in India.
iv) At this time, Robert Clive returned to India as Governor of Bengal.
3. With reference to the treaty of Allahabad and its impact, answer the following questions.
a. Mention the terms of agreement between Robert Clive and Shuja-ud-Daulah in this treaty.
= i) Awadh was returned to Shuja-ud-Daulah. However, the two districts of Kora and Allahabad were taken away from the nawab.
ii) The nawab of Awadh had to pay a war indemnity of 50 lakh rupees to the Company.
iii) The British agreed to defend the nawab of Awadh against his enemies. The nawab would have to pay for the cost of the British troops. Awadh became a buffer state between the British possession in Bengal and the Marathas.
b. Explain how the treaty between Robert Clive and the Mughal emperor, Shah Alam II, legalised the English East India Company's control over Bengal.
= The British gave Shah Alam II, the districts of Kora and Allahabad and an annual pension of 26 lakh rupees. In return, the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II (the nominal head of the Mughal empire) granted the Company the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, i. e. the right to collect revenue from these provinces and judge civil cases. The Company's control over Bengal was made legal.
The puppet nawabs of Bengal continued to sit on the throne but they had no military and administrative powers.
c. Give an account of the events that followed the death of Mir Jafar leading to the establishment of the Company as the real ruler of Bengal.
= After Mir Jafar's death in 1765, his son was made the nawab of Bengal. He had to sigh a treaty with Clive, according to which he had to disband most of his army. He also had to transfer the 'Nizamat' powers (general administration and criminal justice) to a deputy nawab appointed by the British. The deputy nawab could not be dismissed by the nawab. The nawab was given an allowance of 53 lakh rupees which was subsequently reduced. Thus, the English East India Company became the real ruler of Bengal from 1765.
4. With reference to the establishment of Dual Government in Bengal (1765-72) answer the following questions:
a. Why was the government introduced in Bengal by Robert Clive referred to as 'Dual Government"?
= Clive introduced Dual Government in Bengal in 1765. Bengal now had two masters - the nawab and the Company.
The nawab was responsible for general administration, maintenance of law and order and justice(i.e. criminal cases). The Company had military power and the right to collect and use the revenue of Bengal. This arrangement was known as Dual Government.
b. What were the advantages and disadvantages of this system for the Company and the nawab respectively?
= The Company enjoyed power without any responsibilities. The nawab, on the other hand was burdened with the responsibility of administration with out the resources necessary for running it efficiently i.e. responsibility without power.
The revenue was collected by the Indian officials appointed by the Company. The greed, corruption and oppression of these officials reduced the peasants the conditions of utter misery. The Company took no interest in the welfare of the people.
c. The evils of the Dual Government led to the collapse of the administration and the economy. Explain.
= The conditions of the people worsened when Bengal was hit by a terrible famine in which one third of the population perished. Nobody cared, neither the Company nor the nawab, who in case had neither the authority nor the resources to lessen the miseries of the people. The Company, through its power to nominate the deputy nawab, only interfered the general administration without assuming any responsibility.
The evils of the Dual Government began to manifest themselves. The administration and the economy collapsed. In 1772, the Court of Directors of the Company appointed Warren Hastings as Governor of Bengal. In 1773, by the Regulating Act, he was made the Governor General of British territories in India. The Governor General was now the most important functionary of the East India Company.