Category Archive

The English came into contact with the state of Awadh first during the course of the battle of Buxar. Awadh was defeated and Clive made a settlement with it some time after. It surrendered Allahabad and Kara to the Mughul emperor and paid rupees fifty lacs to the Company. In 1773, Warren Hastings restored Allahabad and Kara to Awadh after … Read More

The settlement of Punjab after the first Sikh War neither fulfilled the imperialistic designs of the English nor satisfied the Sikhs. Therefore, the causes of the second Anglo-Sikh war erupted very soon. The English provided certain facilities to the Muslims in Punjab which affected adversely the religious sentiments of the Sikhs. The soldiers who were turned out of their service … Read More

The kingdom established by Ranjit Singh met its doom within ten years after his death. The British occupied it after winning two successive wars, viz, the first and second Anglo-Sikh war. The primary cause of these wars was the policy of imperialism pursued by the English. They became interested in the conquest of Punjab after the death of Ranjit Singh … Read More

The Sikhs certainly became weak after the death of their leader Banda but did not lose their military spirit. They frequently troubled Ahmad Shah Abdali during his invasions on India. Ahmad Shah Abdali did not come to India after 1767. The Sikhs utilised that opportunity to their advantage and, excepting Lahore, they gradually occupied all territory extending from Saharanpur in … Read More

Three factors influenced the policy of the English towards Sindh. One was that they could have facility for trade with Punjab and north-west India through the river Indus. The second was that Sindh could be occupied by Ranjit Singh which they never desired. The third was the fear of Russian attack on India. That induced the English to extend their … Read More

William Bentinck who remained in India as the governor-general of the English Company between 1828 to 1835 carried out reforms in different fields. Some of his social, educational and humanitarian reforms, certainly, benefited the Indian people. However, it would be wrong to say that he was guided by any concern for the welfare of the Indian people. Of course, he … Read More

In fact, the English captured the empire of India not from the Mughals but from the Marathas. After the death of Aurangzeb, the Mughal empire degenerated very quickly. It was broken into pieces and among the regional powers, the Marathas became the most powerful in India. Of course, there were independent kingdoms in several parts of India but they were … Read More