British Colonization (Arriving in India) - General Knowledge of Modern India
The main reason for the arrival of the British in India and the establishment of the East India Company was the huge profits made by the Portuguese merchants from selling their goods in India, which encouraged the British merchants to trade with India. Therefore, inspired by the business success of the Portuguese traders, a group of English merchants – Merchant Adventurers – founded the East India Company in 1599 AD. The Queen herself was also a partner/shareholder of the East India Company.
West And South Expansion
Later in 1608 AD, the East India Company sent Captain Hawkins to the court of the Mughal ruler Jahangir to get royal patronage. He was successful in obtaining a royal permit to set up his factories on the west coast of India. In 1605, the King of England, James I, sent Sir Thomas Roe to the court of Jahangir with the aim of getting more concessions for the Company. Roe was very diplomatic and on the strength of his diplomacy, he was successful in getting the royal charter to trade freely over the entire Mughal territory. In later years the East India Company expanded its base. The company also faced challenges presented by Portuguese, Dutch and French merchants. The decisive moment came when, in 1662 AD, Charles II of England was married to the Portuguese Princess Catherine and England was given Bombay. Received as dowry. Bombay by England in 1668 AD. was handed over to the East India Company at the rate of ten pounds per annum. The company moved its business headquarters from Surat to Bombay on its west bank. transferred. In 1639, the East India Company acquired Madras on lease from the local king and built Fort St. George there to protect its factory. Later Madras became the South Indian headquarters of the Company.
Company Expansion In The Past
After successfully setting up its factories in South and West India, the company shifted its focus to the East. The Company in the past focused its attention mainly on the Mughal province of Bengal. In 1651 AD, the Governor of Bengal, Sujauddin gave permission to the East India Company to carry on its trading activities in Bengal. A factory was established in Hooghly and three villages named 'Sutanati, Govindpur and Kolkata' were purchased to set up the factory in 1668 AD. Later, Fort William was built around the factory to protect it. The present city of Kolkata developed at this place.
Royal Decree Issued By Farrukhsiyar
- The Mughal ruler Farrukhsiyar, by issuing a royal decree in 1717 AD, granted the Company some trading privileges in Bengal, which included the permission to import and export British goods in Bengal without paying taxes. By this decree, the company was also given the right to issue a pass for the movement of goods.
- After being firmly established in the field of trade and commerce, the company started dreaming of getting power in India.
- Major factors contributing to the rise of British power in India
- The main reasons, which gave the British the opportunity to rule India for almost two hundred years, are as follows-
- With the death of Aurangzeb in 1707 AD, the Mughal Empire in India was on the way to decline and no central power like the Mughals was present in India.
- The then Indian rulers lacked political cohesion and were often dependent on the help of the British for their security. In such a situation, the British took advantage of their weakness and started interfering in the internal affairs of the states for their own benefit.
Conflict Between European Powers
Major European Powers in India: Portuguese, Dutch, British and French were the four major European powers who came to India to establish trade relations but later they established their colonies here. There were minor struggles between these European powers for commercial and political supremacy, but in the end the British emerged as the most powerful power who ruled India for almost two hundred years, leaving behind the other three powers. The Portuguese were the first to come to India who established their factories and colonial settlements. They had to face tough competition with the Dutch but the Dutch proved to be weak in front of them and the Dutch withdrew as they could not stand the competition of the Portuguese and the British.
Main Competitors:
The British had to compete with the Dutch, Portuguese and French powers from the time they entered India, but the Portuguese and Dutch competitors were neither more serious nor more capable. Therefore the strongest rival of the British was the French, who came to India later. Attempts by the British to obtain a complete monopoly on India's trade and commerce led to their conflict with the French. In the middle three major wars were fought. The final and decisive battle was fought in 22 January, 1763 AD at Bandiwash.
Carnatic War:
There was a dispute over the succession in both the states of Karnataka and Hyderabad which opened the doors for the British and French powers to play the role of mediator. These two European powers, under the guise of their mutual enmity, supported separate Indian claimants for the succession of Karnataka and Hyderabad. In this struggle for succession, the French won the victory under the leadership of Dupleix, the governor of Pondicherry. And in exchange for the throne of his claimants, he received the territory of the 'Northern Government', which the French officer Bussy controlled for seven years. But this victory of the French was short-lived because in 1751 AD, the British power under the leadership of Robert Clive changed the circumstances of the war. British power under the leadership of Robert Clive defeated the French-backed claimants for succession a year later. Ultimately the French had to enter into the Treaty of Trichurapalli with the British.
The enmity of the two European powers again surfaced in the next Seven Years' War (1756-1763 AD) ie the Third Carnatic War. The war began with the invasion of Madras by the French general, Count de Lally. Lali was defeated by the British general Sir Ayerkoot. In 1761 AD, the British captured Pondicherry and forced Lali to surrender Gingee and Karaikal. Hence the Third Carnatic War (1760 AD) fought at French Bandiwash.) and later in Europe he had to sign the Treaty of Paris with Britain.
Establishment of British Supremacy
The victory in the Carnatic war had prepared the ground for the establishment of British supremacy in India and at the same time shattered the French dream of an Indian empire. After this victory, no one of the British East India Company in India. The European rival was not left. The British also had the advantage of being a strong naval force along with skilled leaders like Sir Ayrkoot, Major Stringer Lawrence, Robert Clive. Due to these factors, he could become the reliable ruler of India.
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Modern India