History · Spectrum Books A Brief History of Modern India
Chapter 5 : Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India
Table of contents80 sections
- 1.Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India
- 2.The British Imperial History
- 3.Key Terms
- 4.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 5.Was the British Conquest Accidental or Intentional?
- 6.Key Terms
- 7.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 8.When did the British Period Begin in India?
- 9.Key Terms
- 10.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 11.Causes of British Success in India
- 12.Key Terms
- 13.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 14.British Conquest of Bengal
- 15.Bengal on the Eve of the British Conquest
- 16.Alivardi Khan and the English
- 17.Challenges before Siraj-ud-Daulah
- 18.The Battle of Plassey
- 19.Mir Kasim and the Treaty of 1760
- 20.Steps Taken by Mir Kasim
- 21.The Battle of Buxar
- 22.The Treaty of Allahabad
- 23.Dual Government in Bengal (1765-72)
- 24.Key Terms
- 25.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 26.Mysore's Resistance to the Company
- 27.The Wodeyar/Mysore Dynasty
- 28.Rise of Haidar Ali
- 29.First Anglo-Mysore War (1767-69)
- 30.Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780-84)
- 31.Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790-92)
- 32.Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799)
- 33.Mysore after Tipu
- 34.Estimate of Tipu Sultan
- 35.Key Terms
- 36.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 37.Anglo-Maratha Struggle for Supremacy
- 38.Rise of the Marathas
- 39.Entry of the English into Maratha Politics
- 40.First Anglo-Maratha War (1775-82)
- 41.Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803-05)
- 42.Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-19)
- 43.Why the Marathas Lost
- 44.Key Terms
- 45.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 46.Conquest of Sindh
- 47.Rise of Talpuras Amirs
- 48.Gradual Ascendancy over Sindh
- 49.Lord Auckland and Sindh
- 50.Capitulation of Sindh
- 51.Criticism of the Conquest of Sindh
- 52.Key Terms
- 53.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 54.Conquest of Punjab
- 55.Consolidation of Punjab under the Sikhs
- 56.Sukerchakiya Misl and Ranjit Singh
- 57.Ranjit Singh and the English
- 58.Punjab after Ranjit Singh
- 59.First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-46)
- 60.Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-49)
- 61.Significance of the Anglo-Sikh Wars
- 62.Key Terms
- 63.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 64.Extension of British Paramountcy through Administrative Policy
- 65.The Policy of Ring-Fence
- 66.Subsidiary Alliance
- 67.Doctrine of Lapse
- 68.Key Terms
- 69.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 70.Relations of British India with Neighbouring Countries
- 71.Anglo-Bhutanese Relations
- 72.Anglo-Nepalese Relations
- 73.Anglo-Burmese Relations
- 74.Anglo-Tibetan Relations
- 75.The Opium Wars
- 76.Anglo-Afghan Relations
- 77.British India and the North-West Frontier
- 78.Key Terms
- 79.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 80.Quick-Recall Box
Chapter preview
Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India
The British Imperial History
- Britain's tentative efforts to establish overseas settlements began in the 16th century with the conquest of Ireland.
- Commercial ambitions and competition with France gave impetus to maritime expansion in the 17th century.
- The imperial history of Britain is periodised into two phases:
- 'First empire': Stretching across the Atlantic towards America and the West Indies.
- 'Second empire': Beginning around 1783 (Peace of Paris) and moving towards East Asia and Africa.
- Early settlements were formed unsystematically through the enterprise of companies and wealthy businessmen, not through planned efforts by British rulers.
- Imperial Ideology: The English viewed themselves as the 'new Romans', charged with civilising so-called backward races. Post-Enlightenment intellectuals certified themselves as civilised vis-a-vis the Orient peoples.
Key Terms
| Concept | Definition |
|---|---|
| 'First empire' | The phase of British imperial history stretching across the Atlantic towards America and the West Indies. |
| 'Second empire' | The phase of British imperial history beginning around 1783 (Peace of Paris) and moving towards East Asia and Africa. |
| 'New Romans' | The ideological self-image of the English as civilisers of so-called backward races throughout the world. |
📌 Exam Tidbits
- Dates: 16th century (conquest of Ireland), 17th century (maritime expansion), 1783 (Peace of Paris).
- Source → Significance: The source notes that the British Empire was formed in an unsystematic manner in bits and pieces, driven initially by private enterprise rather than state planning.
Was the British Conquest Accidental or Intentional?
Historians debate whether the British conquest of India was accidental or intentional.
- The "Accidental" School:
- Led by John Seeley.
- Argues the British came only to trade and had no desire for territorial expansion.
- Claims the English were unwillingly drawn into Indian political turmoil.
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"Our acquisition of India was made blindly. Nothing great that has ever been done by Englishman was done so unintentionally and so accidentally as the conquest of India." — John Seeley
- The "Intentional" School:
- Argues the British came with a clear intention to establish a large empire, working on it bit by bit.
- Dismisses the claim of…
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View plans Chapter 6 : People's Resistance against the British before and after 1857