Chapter Overview

Between 1498, when Vasco da Gama reached Calicut, and 1856, when Awadh was annexed, India passed from Mughal and regional rule to the East India Company (ईस्ट इंडिया कंपनी). This chapter covers how European traders arrived and fought each other, how the English won Bengal at Plassey (1757) and Buxar (1764), the policies (subsidiary alliance, Doctrine of Lapse) and wars that made the Company the paramount power, and what British rule did to India’s economy. It is the bridge between the Mughal Empire and the Revolt of 1857. It also explains how Chhattisgarh came under British supervision in 1818 and was annexed in 1854.

What You’ll Learn

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

Put the Portuguese, Dutch, English, Danes and French in order and match each with its settlements and key figures
Explain the three Carnatic Wars and why the English beat the French
Narrate Plassey (1757) and Buxar (1764), the Treaty of Allahabad (1765) and the Dual Government
Compare ring fence, subsidiary alliance, paramountcy and the Doctrine of Lapse, with the states each affected
Sequence the Anglo-Mysore, Anglo-Maratha and Anglo-Sikh wars with their treaties
Compare the Permanent, Ryotwari, Mahalwari and malguzari land systems
Write Mains answers on the drain of wealth, deindustrialisation and commercialisation of agriculture

Prerequisites

The Mughal Empire — the farmans the Europeans traded under, and the post-1707 decline
Maratha Rule in Chhattisgarh — the Bhonsles of Nagpur, who ruled Chhattisgarh before the British

Learning Path

Follow the topics in this order:

graph TD
    A["1. European Trading Companies
Portuguese to French,
Carnatic Wars"] --> B["2. Plassey and Buxar
1757, 1764, Diwani 1765,
Dual Government"]
    B --> C["3. Expansion Policies
Subsidiary Alliance, Lapse,
Mysore, Maratha, Sikh wars"]
    C --> D["4. Economic Impact
Land systems, drain,
deindustrialisation"]
    D --> E["5. Quick Revision
One-page sheet"]
    E --> F["Next chapter:
The Revolt of 1857"]

Topics in This Chapter

#	Topic	What it covers
1	European Trading Companies in India	Portuguese (Almeida, Albuquerque), Dutch (VOC), English (Surat, Madras, Bombay, Calcutta, 1717 farman), Danes, French (Dupleix); three Carnatic Wars
2	Battles of Plassey and Buxar	Siraj-ud-daulah, Plassey (1757), Mir Jafar, Mir Kasim, Buxar (1764), Treaty of Allahabad (1765), Dual Government (1765–72)
3	British Expansion Policies and Wars	Ring fence, Subsidiary Alliance, paramountcy, Doctrine of Lapse; Anglo-Mysore, Anglo-Maratha and Anglo-Sikh wars; Chhattisgarh 1818–1854
4	Economic Impact of British Rule	Phases of colonial economy, Permanent/Ryotwari/Mahalwari/malguzari, drain of wealth, deindustrialisation, commercialisation, famines, railways
—	Quick Revision	Every date, treaty, person and land system on one page

Where It Is Asked

Paper	What to expect
Prelims P-I (Part 1, India GS)	Chronology of European arrivals; “first factory” and settlement matches; dates and commanders of Plassey and Buxar; Treaty of Allahabad terms; first state to accept subsidiary alliance; lapse annexations; treaties ending wars; who introduced which land settlement; drain-theory authors
Prelims P-I (Part 2, Chhattisgarh)	Linked questions: British supervision from 1818, annexation of Nagpur (and Chhattisgarh) in 1854, Udaipur’s lapse (1852), the malguzari system
Mains P-III (GS-I), History section	Why the English succeeded; Plassey versus Buxar; evaluation of subsidiary alliance and lapse; drain of wealth; deindustrialisation; land revenue systems and their impact on peasants

Exam focus

High-yield: 1600/1602 charters; Surat 1613, Madras 1639, Bombay 1668, Calcutta 1690; 1717 farman; Wandiwash 1760; Plassey 23 June 1757; Buxar 22 October 1764; Allahabad 1765; Hyderabad 1798; Satara 1848 to Nagpur 1854; Cornwallis 1793.
Common mistakes: Clive at Buxar (it was Hector Munro); Awadh “by lapse” (it was misgovernment); Thomas Munro vs Hector Munro; “Chhattisgarh annexed in 1818” (supervision 1818, annexation 1854).
Chhattisgarh angle for Mains: Sitabuldi (1817) and the superintendency; lapse of Nagpur and Udaipur; the malguzari system.

Quick Reference: Key Dates

Year	Event
1498	Vasco da Gama at Calicut
1510	Albuquerque captures Goa
1600 / 1602	English EIC chartered / Dutch VOC chartered
1613	English factory at Surat
1664	French company founded
1717	Farrukhsiyar’s farman
1746–1763	Three Carnatic Wars; Wandiwash 1760
1757	Battle of Plassey
1764	Battle of Buxar
1765	Treaty of Allahabad; Diwani
1772	Dual Government ended (Warren Hastings)
1793	Permanent Settlement (Cornwallis)
1798	Subsidiary alliance with Hyderabad (Wellesley)
1799	Tipu Sultan killed at Seringapatam
1817–18	Third Anglo-Maratha War; Sitabuldi; Chhattisgarh under British supervision
1849	Punjab annexed
1854	Nagpur, including Chhattisgarh, annexed under lapse
1856	Awadh annexed

Start Learning

Begin with the first topic:

→ European Trading Companies in India