Lecture on Mughal Rule and Early British Colonization in India

Mughal Empire Under Aurangzeb (1681)

• Emperor: Aurangzeb Alamgir
• Conflicts:
  • War with Marathas in South India
  • Conflict with East India Company in Bengal
• Issues with East India Company:
  • Attempted trade monopoly
  • Refusal to pay Mughal taxes

Shaista Khan's Complaint

• Shaista Khan: Governor of Bengal
• Description of British traders:
  • Vile, quarrelsome, deceitful
• English traders' complaints:
  • Mughal officers harassing and extorting money

Sir Josiah Child's Response (Chairman of East India Company)

• Shocked by traders' complaints
• Two options: End trade or use military force
• Ordered invasion of India
• Support from British King James II: Royal Navy ships
• Start of 'Child's War'

Child's War (1686-1690)

• British naval fleet attacks Bengal
• Mughal retaliation ordered by Aurangzeb
• Confiscation of British factories
• Arrest and imprisonment of hundreds of English
• Siege of Bombay by Yaqut Khan (Mughal Navy)
  • 15-month siege, food shortages, deaths
• Outcome: Mughal victories, British retreat, loss of bases

Mughal Response and British Apology

• British send representatives George Weldon and Abram Nawar
• Public apology to Aurangzeb
• Fine: 150,000 Indian rupees
• Promise to obey Mughal authority
• Restoration of British factories and release of prisoners
• British regain foothold in India

Establishment of Calcutta (1690)

• Job Charnock buys land near Calicut Ghat
• Construction of Fort William
• Formation of Calcutta city
• Three major British naval bases: Bombay, Madras, Calcutta
• Continuous weakening of Mughal Empire

Maratha Rebellion and Mughal Decline

• Emperor Aurangzeb dies in 1707
• Succession by Bahadur Shah I
• Increased rebellions and chaos in India
• British exploitation of Mughal weakness

British Power Show (1710)

• Looting and destruction of Indian settlements near Madras
• Use of intimidation to establish authority among local rulers
• Complaints by Bengal’s Governor Murshid Quli Khan ignored

Decline of Mughal Empire

• Rapid disintegration post-1707
• Secession of Hyderabad, Deccan, Oudh
• Attacks by Marathas, Sikhs
• External invasions: Iran's Nadir Shah, Afghanistan’s Ahmad Shah Abdali
• Nadir Shah’s invasion and plundering of Delhi

French and British Conflict

• Two European powers: Britain (East India Company) and France
• French bases: Pandey Cheri, Chandannagar
• Formation of Sepoy units as local soldiers
• Initial French dominance

Rise of Robert Clive

• Key British military leader
• Captured by French, escaped, received military training
• Successful campaigns against French and their Indian allies
• Establishment of British foothold post-French conflicts

Clashes with Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula of Bengal

• Fortification objections leading to conflicts
• Robert Clive recaptures Calcutta and defeats Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula at Plassey (1757)
• Mir Jafar’s alliance with the British
• Establishment of British political power in Bengal

Legacy of Robert Clive

• Wealth amassed from campaigns
• Impactful military victories stabilizing British presence in India
• Brief peace with France, then renewed conflicts

Conclusion and Teasers

• Teaser for next episode: Battle of Buxar
• Mention of additional historical documentaries available for deeper exploration