Carnatic warsAn echo of the WAR OF AUSTRIAN

SUCCESSION

Wars Of Supremacy

DishaVIII-A

The Carnatic Wars : fought between the English and the French on the Indian soil for supremacy. Directly connected with their rivalry in Europe.These were really part of the great Anglo-French wars of the eighteenth century and are called the Carnatic wars because the theatre of these wars in India lay mainly in the Carnatic.

The First Carnatic War (1744-48)

The War of the Austrian Succession broke out in Europe in 1740. As a result the English and the French Companies also became engulfed in the war. Thus the First Carnatic War was started.

Dupleix, the Governor General of French, then sent an appeal to La Bourdonnais, governor of Mauritius, to assist him with his fleet. With the help of this fleet Dupleix captured Madras.

In the meantime the War of Austrian succession came to an end by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) on the basis of mutual restitution of conquests. Madras was restored to the English and the territory the English and the French positions remained unaltered.

The Second Carnatic War 1749-54

After the First Carnatic War, Dupleix fully understood the weakness of the Indian princes.

Dupleix soon got his opportunity. He was able to interfere in the wars of succession that started after the death of Asaf Jah (1748), the late Nizam of Hyderabad. Thus began the second phase of the Anglo French War which is known as the Second Carnatic War. Both the British and the French governments disapproved the policy of their companies fighting in India while the two nations were officially at peace. The French government recalled Dupleix and sent Godehu in his place. Godehu then signed the Treaty of Pondicherry in 1755 with the English. By this treaty both the nations agreed not to interfere in the quarrels of the Indian princes. After this treaty though the French were able to maintain their hold over Hyderabad for some time, they lost much of the prestige they had gained before. The British control over the Carnatic was also established.

Third Carnatic War 1757-63

The seven Year’s War broke out in Europe in 1756 A.D. In this War England and France joined opposite camps.

The battle still continued but Lally was eventually defeated decisively at the Battle of Wandiwash in 1760. He retreated to Pondicherry which was besieged by the English. Lally defended it gallantly for some time but was starved into submission in 1761. This time the French Government made a determined effort to oust the English from India. For this purpose the French sent a strong contingent of force headed by Count-de-Lally .

The Third Carnatic War ended officially in 1763 with the conclusion of the Peace of Paris. Pondicherry and other French possessions in India were restored to France. But these could be held only as mere trading centers without any fortifications and armies. Thus the French dream of building an empire in India was shattered. It cleared the way for the establishment of the British Empire in India unhampered by any European rival.

AND THIS WAS THE END OF CARNATIC WAR

Causes of French failure•A principal factor for French failure was the superiority of the British naval power. This enabled the English to bring soldiers from Europe and to send supplies from Bengal. But the French were unable to replenish their resources from outside.

• Secondly, the English East India Company was a private company and it showed greater enterprise in business. But the French Company was dependent on the government and lacked the spirit of bold, individual and corporate effort. Neither the French government nor the share holders who were assured of a fixed dividend took any active interest in the fortunes of the Company.

• Thirdly, the British had three important bases in India – Calcutta, Madras and Bombay. If any of these bases were imperiled by the French, the English could still get resources from other centers and could continue war from the other bases. On the other hand, the French had only one strong base at Pondicherry. If Pondicherry was endangered, it could not get any effective support from their other bases in India.

• Fourthly, the British Company had many capable men like Clive, Lawrence, and Eyre Coote etc. in its service. On the other hand, besides Dupleix, the French Company had no really able man to serve it.

• Fifthly, the victory at Plassey gave the English Company large resources of a rich area.

BATTLE OF PLASSEY AND ITS CAUSES

Battle of Plassey was the most decisive war that marked the initiation of British rule in India for the next two centuries. Battle of Plassey or Palashi took place between British East India Company and Nawabs of Bengal and his French allies. The battle occurred on June 23, 1757 at Palashi of Murshidabad District, on the bank of Bhagirathi River. Murshidabad, which is about 150 km north of Kolkata, was then capital of West Bengal. Siraj-Ud-Daulah, who was the last Nawab of Bengal, fought this battle to maintain his independence as a ruler. The French East India Company also sent a small army to join Nawab's force against the British. 

The army commander Mirzafar of Siraj Ud Daulah's side betrayed in the battle of Plassey and thereby the whole force of Nawab collapsed and as a consequence, the entire province of Bengal came under British. Company gained a huge amount of wealth from the Bengal treasury and used it to strengthen its military force. Thus Plassey earns its importance in Indian history as a key factor leading to the ascendance of British rule in India. The Battle of Plassey, also named as Battle of Palashi, which earned its name from a small village of same name located near the battlefield. 

The main reason behind the Battle of Plassey was the capture of Fort William by Siraj Ud Daulah during June 1756.

During the capture of Fort William an event occurred that was known as Black hole of Kolkata. A select committee of British House of Commons placed hundred and forty-six British prisoners in a small room measuring 18 by 15 feet and only twenty-three of the prisoners survived that night. The story was revealed in colonial literature but the facts were hugely altercated. Whatever was the original story, the Blackhole incident became a reason for the Battle of Plassey. 

The battle of Plassey started at the very hot and humid morning of June 23, 1757 at about 7 am when Nawab's army came out of camp and launched a massive cannonade against the English camp. Mir Jafar stood detached with his sixteen thousand soldiers from the main body of the Nawab's army. Still Siraj was fighting along with rest of his army and the victory was about to come on Nawab's side. But suddenly Mir Madan, who was one of the Nawab's most loyal officers, was fatally wounded by a cannonball of enemy. The cannonade of the French was not very useful as British guns had greater range than those of the Nawab side. 

At noon a heavy shower began. British could cover their canons and muskets but the French was unable to cover the guns. As a result the French cannonade ceased working in the afternoon. The Battle of Plassey resumed when British chief officer Mr. Kilpatrick suddenly attacked against the water pond to the Nawab's army. Mir Jafar though standing at the closest position to the English camp revealed his treachery and refused to attack the enemy. Moreover cannonade did not come into use due to the rainfall. So by the sunset Nawab's army was in full retreat and British had command over the battlefield. Siraj Ud Daulah escaped from the battlefield but was caught later. In this Battle of Plassey British lost only twenty-two army men and fifty were wounded (most of them were native Sepoys) while on Nawab's side about five hundred men died and wounded. 

The Battle of Plassey is considered as the landmark of history which denoted the starting of British dominion in the land of India. 

Causes Of battle of Plassey1.  The illegal use of Dastaks, which were export Trade

Permits issued by the Mughal Dynasty in the year 1717. The British used this permits as the excuse for avoid taxes to Bengal Nawab. 

2.  Fort William became the safe shelter for the British and they added additional fortification and assembled ammunitions without the permission of Nawab. 

3.  The policy of the British officials was to help the Marwary merchants such as Jagat Sheth of Murshidabad. 

4. The company was misusing the privileges granted to them.

5. British interfered with Nawab's court and supported one of Siraz Ud Daulah's aunt Ghaseti Begum, who was in opposition to the Nawab. Ghaseti's treasurer's son had escaped and took shelter in Fort William but Siraz demanded for his return.

6. The English were adding to their fortifications without the Nawab's permission on the pretext of French attack.

Colonial Rule

Colonialism is the establishment, exploitation, maintenance, acquisition, and expansion of colony in one territory by a political power from another territory. It is a set of unequal relationships between the colonial power and the colony and often between the colonists and the indigenous population.

What is colonialism?

Types of colonialismHistorians often distinguish between

two overlapping forms of colonialism:

1. Settler colonialism involves large-scale immigration, often motivated by religious, political, or economic reasons.

2. Exploitation colonialism involves fewer colonists and focuses on access to resources for export, typically to the metropole.

As colonialism often played out in pre-populated areas, sociocultural evolution  included the formation of various ethnically hybrid populations. Colonialism gave rise to culturally and ethnically mixed populations such as the mestizos of the America’s, as well as racially-divided populations such as those found in French Algeria or in Southern Rhodesia. In fact, everywhere where colonial powers established a consistent and continued presence, hybrid communities existed.

Colonial rule in India

The British came to India at the start of the seventeenth century. This was the time when the British East India Company was established in India to break the Dutch monopoly over spice trade. With time the East India Company increased its powers and started to administer the country. However its policies were disliked by Indians and together they revolted against the company. This led to the downfall of the company and the administration of India went directly under the Queen. In the following lines, you shall find information regarding the period when India was under British rule. Read about the British colonialism in India. 

The British annexed many princely states and formed laws and policies of their own. Slowly but rapidly the entire Indian sub continent came under the British rule. By mid nineteenth century, the British introduced the railways, telegraph and postal service in India. This was a move to establish their rule permanently in India. The first railway line was from Howrah in Calcutta to Ranging in Bihar. The introduction of telegraph and postal services simplified communication all over the country. 

The British passed many acts that were met with dissatisfaction and resentment by the Indians. As a result the Indians formed large groups and revolted against the British. Each movement was brutally crushed by the British forces. Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lala Rajpat Rai, Subhash Chandra Bose, etc. arose and openly condemned the British. They were people's leaders who inspired the masses not to be afraid of the forces. 

Finally after 200 years of British rule, India gained independence from them on 15th August, 1947. Many innocent lives were sacrificed for this achievement and India was also separated from Pakistan. The partition of India and Pakistan spread incidents of brutality and horror in both the countries. But due to the effort of the leaders and the ever sacrificing masses, India was able to gain freedom from the British and progress till the present times.

Impact of Colonial Rule on Indian society

1. The establishment of British rule in the late 18th century prompted British officials, missionaries and scholars to acquire knowledge of the classical languages of India, of the structure of Indian society and of values and manners of her people. 

2. The economic base was primarily agricultural, the tools and implements did not register any remarkable change through time, and arts and crafts mostly connected with poorly developed production grew. 

3. The British rule introduced the railways, the press, and the western system of education, clubs and associations all of which shook the prevalent socio-economic order.

4.  The British rule rather systematically destroyed the native industries of India for the benefit of the industries in Britain and their market in India. 

5. It gave birth to the desire of material advancement and better amenities and living conditions of individuals.

6. Also it gave birth to a spirit of inquiry in the minds of Indian intellectuals who came in contact with western education. 

THE END

Raja Ram Mohan Roy is a great historical figure who put laudable efforts to transform India and dared to defy the age old Hindu traditions.

• He undertook a lot of social

reforms to change the society and worked to uplift the status of women in India.

• Roy fought against Sati system. • He was also a great scholar

who translated many books, religious and philosophical work and scriptures into Bengali and also translated Vedic scriptures into English.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy was an Indian socio-educational reformer who was also known as ‘Maker of Modern India’ and ‘Father of Modern India’ and ‘Father of the Bengal Renaissance.’ He was born on May 22, 1774 into a Bengali Hindu family.

He was the founder of the Brahmo Samaj at Kolkata in 1828. His efforts actually led to the resumption of the ethics principles of the Vedanta school of philosophy. He co-founded the Calcutta Unitarian Society.

He extensively studied Christianity and other religion. This made him realize that some Hindu traditions and superstitions were required to be reformed. He came to this conclusion while working for the East India Company. Apart from this he was born into a family with religious diversity which probably controlled his thinking. Roy was against idol worship and propagated the oneness of God through Brahmo Samaj..

The title ‘Raja’ was given to him by the Mughal Emperor. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the first educated Indian to travel to England. He went to England as an ambassador of the Mughal emperor Akbar II.He wanted to combine the righteousness of Western and Indian culture. He was against traditional Hindu practices and echoed his voice against Sati system, polygamy, caste rigidity and child marriage. He was greatly moved by his sister-in-laws death who became Sati.

He put remarkable efforts in the education system of India. To modernize the education system, Raja Ram Mohan Roy established many English schools. He set up the Hindu collage at Calcutta in 1822. He assisted Alexander Duff to establish the General Assembly’s Institution. Roy promoted and urged that science, technology, western medicine and English should be taught at Indian schools.

To politically educate people, Raja Ram Mohan Roy even published magazines in different languages including English, Hindi, Persian and Bengali. Noticeable magazines published by him were the Brahmonical Magazine, the Sambad Kaumudiand Mirat-ul-Akbar.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy died on 27 September 1833 in Bristol because of meningitis.

Though India has made a progress in some areas and left behind certain social evils but condition of women is still far behind what it should be. Reformists like Raja Ram Mohan Roy should be born again in India to remove all sorts of evils from the society.

MARATHA

The Maratha are proud warrior race found mostly in the state of Maharashtra.

The Marathas before Shivaji

The Marathas before Shivaji were Mercenaries and revenue Collectors for the Muslim Rulers. 

Shahji Bhosale, Shivaji's father, typified this practice of shifting loyalties from one Muslim overlord to another. 

 The germ of this idea however seems to have got rubbed into Shivaji - his son by Jijabai.

Shivaji Maharaj - the Visionary Saint-Soldier

Shivaji was born in the year 1627 at the Fort of Shivneri in Maharashtra in Western India. Shivaji's mother Jijabai was a direct descendant of the erstwhile Yadav royal family of Devagiri. She seems to have nursed deep within her mind the idea of recovering independence from Muslim rule which her Yadav forebears had lost in the year 1318. Shivaji and his friends encouraged by Jijabai and his Guru Dadoji Kondeo decided to take a formal oath to free the country from the shackles of Muslim tyranny. This was done in the year 1645 in a dark cavern housing a small temple to the Hindu God Shiva (locally called Raireshwar). This was the beginning of a long and arduous Maratha-Mughal struggle that went on for the next century and a half to culminate in the defeat of the Mughals and their replacement by the Marathas as the dominant power in India.

The Marathas After Shivaji Maharaj - Sambhaji

After the passing away of their illustrious leader, the Marathas fell into relative disarray. Shivaji's eldest son Sambhaji did not prove adequate to the responsibility of preserving the flame of independence to which his father had given the initial spark. Sambhaji was extremely fearless and brave. Maratha chronicles refer to him as in fact more assertive and independent than his father.  

Rajaram, Tarabai and ShahuAfter Sambhaji's assassination, his step-brother Rajaram became the king. He was not especially brave and is said to have been physically weak. During his time, Aurangzeb besieged and captured Raigad. Instead of fighting the enemy, Rajaram fled from Raigad when the fort was about to be besieged. Raigad fell into the hands of the Mughals in 1689 when a renegade Maratha called Suryaji Pisal betrayed the defenses of the fort to the besieging Mughals. During the capture of Raigad, Sambhaji' wife Yesubai and his son Shahu were taken captive by the Mughals. Rajaram's life as Chattrapati was spent mostly in fleeing from the Mughal armies. Nevertheless during his times, the generals like Santaji Ghorpade and Dhanaji Jadhav carried out a whirlwind guerrilla campaign to harass the Mughal army and never let Aurangzeb rest in one place.

Aurangzeb's Death in 1707When Aurangzeb died in 1707, his son Azamshah who was with him at his deathbed, proclaimed himself the Mughal Emperor and prepared to battle his elder brother Muaazam, who was then in Kabul. To ensure that the Marathas came over to his side, Azamshah released Shahu who was till then held as a prisoner by the Mughals. Shahu had been a prisoner for 18 years from 1689 up to 1707. When Shahu staked his claim to the throne, Tarabai was ruling. The battle between the two fought at Khed went in favour of Shahu and he became the Chattrapati. He was incidentally the last de facto Chattrapati of the Marathas.

Prime Ministers Peshwas become de facto Kings

Balaji negotiated with Kanhoji Angre and both consented to accept the other's independent sphere of influence, with Balaji Vishwanath in charge of the Maratha military and Kanhoji in charge of the Marathas Navy. This agreement set the course for Balaji Viswanatha's rise as a Peshwa during his subsequent visit to Delhi with an army of 12,000 Marathas. During this visit to Delhi, on an invitation from the Syed brothers in their struggle with the Mughal Emperor Farrukhsiyyar, the Maratha forces led by Balaji Viswanath clashed with the forces of Mughal Emperor and defeated them. This was the first Maratha victory over the Mughals in Delhi. This event marks the ascendency of the Marathas in Delhi which lasted for almost a century till they were supplanted by the British in 1803.

The Peshwas - Baji Rao, Balaji Baji Rao, Madhav RaoAfter Shahu, the de facto executive power passed into the hands of the hereditary Prime Ministers or the Peshwas. Balaji Viawanath Bhatt was succeeded by his son Baji Rao the first. Baji Rao was a very able and ambitious soldier and he was the one who consolidated Maratha power in North India.

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