The British entered India through trade.
There is talk of Bharatiya Janata Party’s landslide victory in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections. West Bengal will once again see new heroes in power. This is the same Bengal from where the British started. After the Mughals, the British established Kolkata as their capital. From here he marched towards Delhi and within no time he ruled the entire country.
Even in independent India, Congress leaders ran the state government sitting in Kolkata. Then the communists established their empire here. Mamata Banerjee had ousted him. Now, for the first time after just fifteen years, the Bharatiya Janata Party is going to come to power here. In this way it can be said that Kolkata did not tolerate anyone for many years. When he felt like it, he overthrew the government sitting on the throne of power.
Let us try to know amidst the latest possible changes, how the British laid the foundation to shake the throne of the Mughals in Bengal and ended up wiping out Delhi?
This is how the process of shaking the Mughal throne started
The British entered India through trade. In the seventeenth century, the East India Company got permission to trade from the Mughal emperors. He established his centers in Surat, Madras and Calcutta. Initially his objective was only business. They used to buy Indian clothes and spices. In return they used to bring European goods. At that time the Mughal Empire was strong, so the British stayed away from politics.
In the seventeenth century, the East India Company got permission to trade from the Mughal emperors. Photo: AI Image
The decline and opportunity of the Mughal Empire
Mughal power started weakening in the eighteenth century. After the death of Aurangzeb, central control became loose. The Nawabs and Subedars of the provinces started becoming independent. Areas like Bengal, Awadh and Hyderabad began to be ruled almost separately. Historian Bipin Chandra tells in his book Modern India Ka History that this weakness gave the British the opportunity to intervene.
The British had their eyes on the prosperity of Bengal
Bengal was the most prosperous state of India at that time. Both agriculture and industry were developed here. The textile industry was very famous. The British were attracted by the prosperity of this place. They wanted to go beyond business and control power. For this reason he started interfering in the politics of Bengal.
The battle of Plassey proved decisive
The battle of Plassey of 1757 was a turning point. Nawab of Bengal Siraj-ud-Daula opposed the British. But the British cleverly brought their commander Mir Jafar to their side. The British defeated the Nawab under the leadership of Robert Clive. This victory was more the result of betrayal than war. Historian R.C. Majumdar considers this a decisive event.
Robert Clive.
The British emerged stronger in the battle of Buxar
The battle of Buxar took place in the year 1764. In this the British defeated Mughal emperor Shah Alam II, Nawab of Awadh and Mir Qasim. This victory was very important. After this the British got the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. That means the right to collect revenue came to them. This strengthened his financial position.
The British became rulers from traders.
After getting Diwani, the British were no longer just traders. He became the ruler. He established control over the administration and army. To increase his power he took advantage of the conflict between Indian rulers. Sumit Sarkar tells in his book Modern India that the British adopted the policy of divide and rule.
Expansion into South and West India
The British fought wars against Mysore in South India. Tipu Sultan opposed him, but was defeated in 1799. After this, British control over South India increased. There were many wars with Marathas also. By the year 1818, Maratha power became weak. Due to this, the influence of the British spread throughout India.
In the nineteenth century, Lord Dalhousie applied the principle of Lapse. The British would have taken those states which had no heir under their control. States like Satara, Jhansi and Nagpur were captured in this manner. This increased dissatisfaction among the Indian rulers.
Revolt of 1857 happened again
There was a big rebellion in the year 1857. This is called the first freedom struggle. Soldiers, farmers and many rulers fought against the British. Bahadur Shah Zafar was again declared emperor in Delhi, but the British suppressed this rebellion. According to historian Bipin Chandra, this rebellion was unsuccessful, but its impact was profound.
Bahadur Shah Zafar. Photo: Getty Images
End of Mughal rule in Delhi
After the year 1857, the British completely took power into their hands. Company rule ended in 1858. India came directly under the British Crown. The last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was arrested and sent to Rangoon. The Mughal Empire came to an end with him.
The British did not achieve success overnight. He gradually increased his power in India. Started with business and reached power. Bengal became his first center of power. The victories of Plassey and Buxar further strengthened him. After this he expanded throughout India and finally reached Delhi and ended the Mughal power. According to historians, both their strategy and the weakness of the Indian rulers were responsible for the success of the British.
Also read: How did the communist government, which started from Kerala, end here?
