Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about The Advent of Europeans to India from Class 10 Social Science.
In this chapter, we will explore the trade and commerce relationship India had with Europeans, the arrival of Europeans to India for trade, the Carnatic wars in the backdrop of European political developments, the Battle of Plassey, the Battle of Buxar and the Dual Government system, and finally, the British policy of aggression.
There were trade and commerce relations between India and Europe since ancient times. There was great demand for Indian pepper, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and many other spices in Europe. The trade relations between India, Europe and other Asian countries continued even during the Middle Ages. The Arab merchants carried Asian merchandise to Constantinople of the Eastern Roman, also known as the Byzantium Empire. The Italian merchants would buy these goods and then sell them in European countries. Constantinople was thus the center of international trade and was considered as the Gateway of European Trade. While Arab merchants had gained monopoly over the trade in Asian countries, Italian traders had gained monopoly over trade in Europe. The merchandise from Asia brought good profits to Italian merchants.
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Now let us move on to the fall of Constantinople. The trade and commerce between Asia and Europe was carried on through the city of Constantinople. In 1453, the Ottoman Turks captured the city of Constantinople. As a result, all the trade routes connecting the city of Constantinople came under the control of the Turks. The Turks started levying too many taxes on the goods passing through these routes. As a result, trade became unprofitable. Meanwhile, Spain, Portugal and other European rulers were attempting to break the monopoly of Italian traders. They started encouraging adventurous sailors to find a new sea route to India. The invention of the compass, astrolabe, and gunpowder provided further impetus to this venture.
Next, we will learn about a new sea route to India. Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese sailor left Lisbon and reached Kappad near Calicut on the West coast of India in 1498. Thus he was successful in discovering a new sea route to India. This route continued to be the route of trade between India and Europe for many years. The Portuguese were thus the first to re-establish trade between India and Europe.
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Please note this important information. In 1869, a huge canal called the Suez Canal was built by digging the land for the easy movement of ships in Egypt to connect the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Until the building of the Suez Canal, the sea route discovered by Vasco da Gama was the route used for trade between India and Europe. The ships had to round the Cape of Good Hope, the southernmost tip of Africa.
Let us now study European Trade Companies. With the success of the Portuguese, the Dutch, French and the English of Europe arrived in India for trade. This development not only changed the history of colonised India, but also changed the history of European countries.
The Portuguese were the first to arrive in India for trade and were also the last to leave India by the sea route. After Vasco da Gama, Francisco de Almeida arrived in India as the Viceroy of the Portuguese. He implemented the Blue Water Policy in order to establish supremacy over the sea instead of supremacy over land. Alfonso de Albuquerque, who came after Almeida, is considered as the real founder of Portuguese power in India. He waged a battle against the Sultan of Bijapur in 1510 and won Goa. Goa became the administrative centre of the Portuguese administration in India. The Portuguese had absolute monopoly over trade with India for a century but their power declined with the arrival of the English and French in India.
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Moving on to the Dutch. The Dutch belong to Holland or the Netherlands. In order to trade in the Eastern nations, they established the Dutch East Indian Company in 1602 and entered India, Java, Sumatra and Indonesia. In India, they established factories at Surat, Broach, Cambay, Kochin, Nagapatnam, Machalipatnam and Chinsore.
Now let us discuss an important regional ruler, Marthanda Varma. In the politics of Kerala, the one who lived in the most important phase and rescued an important principality from the foreigners was Raja Marthanda Varma of Wynad. He ruled from 1729 to 1758 and saved his kingdom from surrounding rulers as well as foreigners. He made it a great kingdom among all. He stood against the foreigners who were greedy for pepper and brought many reforms in administration. He shifted his capital from Padmanabhapura to Thiruvananthapura and made his kingdom the world Travancore province. By this time, the Dutch who were trying to monopolise were defeated by Marthanda Varma. He controlled the surrounding areas and made them oppose the Dutch. The Dutch, with help from provinces like Kayamkulam, Kochi, Purakkad and Vadakunkur, attacked Travancore. Raja Marthanda defeated them and captured the Nedumangada and Kottarakara trading centres. In 1741 the Dutch declared war on Travancore with Kottarakara province in the forefront. But Marthanda Varma's army strongly repelled them. The Dutch suffered huge losses. Cochin was recognised as a centre of spice trade during the period of Marthanda Varma. Travancore became the richest province. Finally on 15 August 1753 a treaty was signed and the Dutch forces surrendered their power to the Travancore province. This is how the period of Marthanda Varma has been recognised as an important phase in the history of India. The rise of the English in India and the acquisition of the islands of South East Asia by the Dutch were the factors for the decline of Dutch power in India.
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Please remember this definition. Warehouses were places for storing merchandise. Huge walls were built around these warehouses to provide protection. Warehouses were also called factories.
Now, let us learn about the English. On 31 December 1600, Queen Elizabeth issued a royal charter authorizing the British East India Company to trade with Eastern countries for fifteen years. The company started trade formally in 1613. The Mughal Emperor Jahangir issued a royal permission to the English to establish their first warehouse or factory at Surat. In 1617, Sir Thomas Roe arrived at the court of Jahangir as the royal ambassador from the court of James the First. He sought permission from Jahangir to establish factories in other places of the Mughal Empire. The English established factories at Agra, Ahmedabad and Broach. In 1639, the English took Madras from the King of Chandragiri and established a strong fort named St George Fort. Later, Charles the Second, the Prince of England, gave Bombay on an annual rent of ten pounds to the East India Company in 1668. In 1690, the English purchased three villages namely Sutanauti, Calcutta and Govindapura from the governor of Bengal on the banks of the Hooghly River and built Fort William. The city of Calcutta grew around this fort. By the end of the 17th century, the English had established Bombay, Madras and Calcutta as the centers of their Presidencies. By the later part of the 18th century, the English made Calcutta their capital city. They implemented their own civil and criminal procedure codes in the areas that were under their control.
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Next, we will study the French. The French East India Company started as a government owned company in 1664. It started its first factory at Surat in the year 1668. Later they established factories in Machalipatnam, Chandranagore, Mahe, Karaikal, Cassimbazar and Balasore. In 1674, the French took Valikondapuram from a local Muslim official and developed it as a major trade center. Later it came to be known as Puduchery or Pondichery. This became the capital of the French till they left India. Dupleix, who arrived in 1746 in Pondicherry as the Governor General of the French, had high ambitions of establishing the French as a major power in South India. This ambition led to the Carnatic wars with the English.
Now let us examine the competition between the English and the French. The Portuguese and the Dutch had withdrawn from India, unable to withstand the competition from the French and English by the middle of the 18th century. Finally, the French and the English resorted to a show of strength in order to establish their political supremacy over India. Meanwhile, political instability arose in the regions of Hyderabad and Carnatic, which is the Eastern part of Tamil Nadu, and both the English and French tried to exploit the situation in their favour. This led to three Carnatic Wars.
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Please note this historical context. The Hyderabad Kingdom was established in 1724 by Asaf Jha. His feudatory Dost Ali, who was ruling the Carnatic region, was not loyal to him. The Marathas killed Dost Ali in 1740, looted Carnatic and imprisoned his son-in-law Chandasaheb in Satara. Asaf Jha named Anwaruddin as the Nawab of Carnatic.
The First Carnatic War took place from 1746 to 1748. On the request of Dupleix, La Bourdonnais, a French military leader from Mauritius, invaded Madras and captured it from the English. This forced the helpless British to request the help of Anwaruddin, the Nawab of Carnatic. The army sent by Anwaruddin failed to defeat the French at Madras. Finally, La Bourdonnais took money from the English, returned Madras and went back to Mauritius. This enraged Dupleix and he attempted to take Madras but failed. Finally, the war ended with a treaty in Europe between France and England called the Treaty of Aix la Chapelle.
Here is another important note. The Nizam of Hyderabad, Asaf Jha died in 1748. A tussle started between his son Nasir Jung and his daughter’s son Muzaffar Jung for the throne. On the other hand, a fight had broken out between Chandasaheb, who was released from the Maratha prison, and Anwaruddin in Carnatic. The French extended their support to Muzaffar Jung in Hyderabad and Chandasaheb in Carnatic. The English extended their support to Nasir Jung and Anwaruddin. In 1749, the combined forces of the French, Chandasaheb and Muzaffar Jung defeated Anwaruddin and killed him in the battle of Ambur. As a result Chandasaheb became the ruler of Carnatic. Mahammad Ali, son of Anwaruddin, stayed at Tiruchanapalli with the help of the English. In Hyderabad, Muzaffar Jung became the Nizam by killing Nasir Jung with the help of the French and Chandasaheb. He was killed after a few days. The French made Salabath Jung, another son of Asaf Jha, the Nizam of Hyderabad.
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Let us now study the Second Carnatic War from 1749 to 1754. In the changed circumstances, the French made Salabath Jung, another son of Asaf Jha, the Nizam of Hyderabad. An officer named Bussy was appointed in Hyderabad for his protection by the French. In the Carnatic, Chandasaheb had become the Nawab with the help of the French. Robert Clive of the British East India Company attacked Arcot, the capital city of Carnatic and defeated Chandasaheb. Chandasaheb was imprisoned and later he was killed in the war. In the place of Chandasaheb, the English named Mohammad Ali, the son of Anwaruddin, as the Nawab of Carnatic. The second Carnatic war ended with the Treaty of Pondicherry. The French recalled Dupleix. This war brought laurels to the English, while the French suffered a political setback.
The Third Carnatic War took place from 1756 to 1763. Count de Lally of the French attempted to besiege the fort Wandiwash in 1760. In this decisive battle, Sir Eyre Coote of the English army defeated the French and imprisoned Bussy. Lally escaped and hid in Pondicherry. Finally, Eyre Coote attacked Pondicherry and Lally had to surrender unconditionally in 1761. The French lost all their bases in India due to the Carnatic wars. In spite of this, as per the Treaty of Paris signed in 1763, Pondicherry was returned to the French. With these developments, the French lost their importance in India. In this way, the English, by defeating all their rivals, started consolidating their power in Southern India.
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Please remember this important historical figure. Robert Clive, who laid the firm foundation of British power in India, had joined the British East India Company as a clerk. He played a decisive role in the Carnatic wars, particularly in the siege of Arcot, and played a prominent role in the British victory. He was successful in establishing British rule over South India and was instrumental in the Bengal victory also. After the Battle of Plassey in 1757, he gained control over the Nawab of Bengal also. Clive amassed immense wealth in all these ventures and helped the British East India Company to earn more profit. Clive returned to England with immense wealth and became a Member of Parliament. With the return of Clive to England, the British East India Company started facing losses in its business. Even though there were many allegations against Clive, the British government had to resend Clive to India to save the company and also save the face of the country. The British won the battle of Buxar and earned back its respect. Clive was successful in securing the Diwani rights for the British over Bengal, Bihar and Odisha regions. This brought more wealth to Robert Clive and to the British East India Company as well. In 1767 Robert Clive returned to England.
Let us also note Dupleix. Dupleix was named the Governor General of French regions in India in 1742. He dreamt of achieving French hegemony over India and entered into treaties with the local kings. Hyder Ali was also trained in the army of locals raised by Dupleix. The British considered Dupleix as a formidable challenge to them. Hence, we notice clashes between the French and the British to gain supremacy over the Carnatic and Deccan Plateau. Dupleix played an important role in the First Carnatic War in 1746. The rivalry between the French and the British continued till 1754. Later, the French government recalled Dupleix as it wanted peace.
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Now we will examine the British Rule in India. After gaining political control over South India, the British tried to gain control over the rich Bengal province in the later part of the 18th century. The Bengal province had achieved tremendous growth in the areas of agriculture, commerce and industry. The British East India Company was making considerable profits from this province. The Dastaks, which means licence, issued by the Mughal ruler Faruk Siar were the main reasons for this. But, these Dastaks that were limited to the company transactions were misused by the individual officers of the company too. This resulted in huge loss to the Bengal government. Hence, all Nawabs from Murshid Ali Khan to Ali Wardhikhan opposed such misuse. This led to confrontation between the Nawabs and the Company. This resulted in two crucial wars which charted a decisive course to Indian history. Plassey and Buxar were those two wars.
Please note this definition exactly. A Dastak is a license that could ensure anyone to import and export without paying any tax and transport goods anywhere.
The Battle of Plassey took place in 1757. Ali Wardi Khan, the Nawab of Bengal died in 1756. His grandson Siraj ud Daula came to the throne. The Battle of Plassey took place between the young Nawab Siraj ud Daulah and the British in 1757. Let us look at the reasons. First, Misuse of Dastaks. Siraj ud Daulah was furious that the Dastaks were misused by the officials of the company, causing losses to the government treasury. Second, Mending of the fort without permission. The British repaired the fort of Calcutta and placed cannons in them. This further angered Siraj ud Daula and he ordered the removal of the cannons from the fort. The British refused to do so, angering the Nawab further. Third, the Black Hole Tragedy. Siraj ud Daulah conquered Fort William easily and imprisoned some of the British. He imprisoned 146 Englishmen in a small room in the fort, of which 123 died. This is called the Black Hole Tragedy. This enraged Robert Clive and he arrived in Bengal with a huge army. Robert Clive attracted rich locals like Manikchand, Nemichand, Jagath Seth, the banker of Bengal, and others towards him. He was successful in convincing Mir Jaffar, the military head of Siraj ud Daula, to stay neutral in the battle by offering him the post of Nawab of Bengal. Encouraged by these developments, Robert Clive declared a war against Siraj ud Daula on 23 June 1757. Everything went according to the plan of Clive. Siraj ud Daula, who tried to escape from the battlefield, was captured and killed.
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Let us examine the outcomes of the Battle of Plassey. First, this war brought out the immorality, lack of unity among the Indians and the greed of Indian businessmen. Second, Mir Jaffar became the Nawab of Bengal. Third, the company gained exclusive rights to trade in Bengal. Fourth, Mir Jaffar had to pay 17 crores and 70 lakhs Rupees as war indemnity to the British East India Company for the attack on Fort William by Siraj ud Daulah. In a nutshell, Mir Jaffar became a victim of the company and its employees. Even though the treasury went bankrupt due to this greedy nature, the greediness of the company and its officials was never satisfied. The British projected Mir Jaffar as an inefficient Nawab and brought his son-in-law Mir Qasim as the new Nawab.
Now, the Battle of Buxar in 1764. Mir Qasim was an efficient administrator. In the beginning he remained loyal to the company. He paid two lakh pounds to the company and gave away a few places to it. Shortly afterwards, he declared himself an independent King. After verifying the misuse of Dastaks, he declared all business was duty free in Bengal. Indians competed against the British in all spheres of business. As a result, the British trade suffered considerably. This was enough for the British to oppose the Nawab. They brought in Mir Jaffar again and dethroned Mir Qasim. As Mir Qasim knew the cunningness of the British, he went for an organized war against them. He was supported by Indian merchants and artisans. Mir Qasim entered into agreements with the Mughal ruler Shah Alam the Second and Nawab of Awadh Shuj ud daula. The combined forces of Mir Qasim faced the British army led by Hector Munro at Buxar in 1764. Mir Qasim was defeated and ran away from the battlefield. Shah Alam the Second surrendered. The efforts of the combined forces to stop the British failed miserably.
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Let us study the outcomes of the Battle of Buxar. First, Shah Alam the Second accorded the Diwani rights over Bengal to the British East India company. Second, Shah Alam the Second gave away all the rights over Bengal to the British for an annual fee of 26 lakhs Rupees. Third, Shuj ud daula, the Nawab of Awadh, had to pay war indemnity of 50 lakhs Rupees for waging a war against the British East India company. Fourth, with the death of Mir Jaffar, the British East India company paid a pension to his son and took over the entire administration of Bengal. The battle of Buxar made the British the real holders of power over Bihar, Bengal and Odisha provinces. Even Awadh remained under their control.
Please note this exact definition. Diwani Right is the right to collect land taxes.
In 1765, Robert Clive brought in Dual government in Bengal. As per this, the authority to collect land taxes, civil and judiciary matters were given to the Indian officials, whereas the British retained the authority of managing the revenue collected. In this way, the British gained political control over India to protect their business interests.
Let us review this important timeline. 1600, The British East India Company was established in England. 1602, Dutch East India Company was established. 1617, The Mughal emperor Jahangir issued a royal charter allowing the British to conduct trade in Surat, on the west coast and in Hooghly on the east coast. 1628, Portuguese East India Company was established. 1639, The English established their first warehouse in Surat. 1664, The French East India Company was established. Please note that B C E refers to Before Common Era. Wherever B C E is not mentioned it should be considered as C E, which means Common Era.
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Now, dear students, it is time to solve the exercises from your textbook. I will read each question and provide the complete answer.
Exercise One: Complete the following blanks with suitable answers. Question one: In 1453, the Ottoman Turks occupied Constantinople. Question two: The sea route between India and Europe was discovered by Vasco da Gama. Question three: In 1741 Dutch declared war on Travancore. Question four: The capital of the French in India was Pondicherry. Question five: The war broke out between Siraj ud daula and Robert Clive in 1757 was the Battle of Plassey. Question six: The Diwani rights over Bengal were handed over to the British East India Company by Shah Alam the Second. Question seven: The Dual government policy was implemented by Robert Clive in Bengal.
Exercise Two: Discuss in groups and answer the following questions. Question eight: How did trade take place between India and Europe during Middle Ages? Answer: During the Middle Ages, Arab merchants carried Asian merchandise to Constantinople of the Eastern Roman or Byzantium Empire. Italian merchants would buy these goods from Constantinople and then sell them in European countries. Constantinople was the center of international trade and considered the Gateway of European Trade. Arab merchants had a monopoly over trade in Asian countries, while Italian traders had a monopoly over trade in Europe, earning good profits from Asian merchandise.
Question nine: Discuss the causes that resulted in the discovery of a new sea route to India. Answer: In 1453, the Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople, bringing all connecting trade routes under their control. The Turks levied heavy taxes on goods, making trade unprofitable. Meanwhile, Spain, Portugal and other European rulers wanted to break the Italian traders monopoly. They encouraged adventurous sailors to find a new sea route. The invention of the compass, astrolabe, and gunpowder provided further impetus to this venture, leading to the discovery of the new sea route.
Question ten: List the Europeans who came to India for trade. Answer: The Europeans who came to India for trade were the Portuguese, the Dutch, the French, and the English.
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Question eleven: Explain how Marthanda Varma checked the Dutch. Answer: Raja Marthanda Varma ruled from 1729 to 1758 and stood against foreigners greedy for pepper. He controlled surrounding areas and made them oppose the Dutch. When the Dutch attacked Travancore with help from provinces like Kayamkulam, Kochi, Purakkad and Vadakunkur, Marthanda Varma defeated them and captured Nedumangada and Kottarakara trading centres. In 1741, the Dutch declared war on Travancore, but his army strongly repelled them, causing huge Dutch losses. Finally, on 15 August 1753, a treaty was signed and the Dutch forces surrendered their power to the Travancore province.
Question twelve: Explain the Second Carnatic War. Answer: The Second Carnatic War lasted from 1749 to 1754. The French made Salabath Jung the Nizam of Hyderabad and appointed Bussy for his protection. In Carnatic, Chandasaheb became Nawab with French help. Robert Clive of the British East India Company attacked Arcot, defeated Chandasaheb, imprisoned him, and he was later killed. The English named Mohammad Ali as Nawab of Carnatic. The war ended with the Treaty of Pondicherry. The French recalled Dupleix. The war brought laurels to the English while the French suffered a political setback.
Question thirteen: Explain the causes and results of the battle of Plassey. Answer: The causes were: First, misuse of Dastaks by company officials causing treasury losses. Second, the British repaired Calcutta fort and placed cannons without permission, angering the Nawab. Third, the Black Hole Tragedy where 146 Englishmen were imprisoned and 123 died. Robert Clive convinced Mir Jaffar to stay neutral. The war was declared on 23 June 1757. The results were: It exposed Indian immorality and lack of unity. Mir Jaffar became Nawab. The company gained exclusive trade rights in Bengal. Mir Jaffar paid 17 crores and 70 lakhs Rupees as war indemnity.
Question fourteen: What were the results of the Battle of Buxar? Answer: The results were: First, Shah Alam the Second accorded the Diwani rights over Bengal to the British East India company. Second, Shah Alam the Second gave away all rights over Bengal to the British for an annual fee of 26 lakhs Rupees. Third, Shuj ud daula paid war indemnity of 50 lakhs Rupees. Fourth, the company paid pension to Mir Jaffar's son and took over Bengal's administration. The battle made the British real holders of power over Bihar, Bengal and Odisha, with Awadh also under their control.
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Exercise Three: Activity. Question one: Collect information on the Presidency cities built by the British. Answer for your activity: The British established three major Presidency cities in India. First, Bombay, which was given to the East India Company by Charles the Second in 1668 on an annual rent of ten pounds. Second, Madras, which the English took from the King of Chandragiri in 1639 and established St George Fort. Third, Calcutta, where the English purchased the villages of Sutanauti, Calcutta and Govindapura in 1690 from the governor of Bengal and built Fort William. By the end of the 17th century, these three cities became the centers of British Presidencies, and later Calcutta became their capital city.
Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]