Page 10 - DHIS204_DHIS205_INDIAN_FREEDOM_STRUGGLE_HINDI

Unit 1: British Expansion

unaffected by the political upheavals in England, the interference of the government into its day-to- Notes
day affairs was very little. Whoever controlled the administration in England, the King or Parliament,
there was great interest in the ruling circles for the well-being of the Company. Compared to the
French Company, the English Company was financially sounder, its trade was far more extensive
and business methods better. The directors of the English Company always emphasised the importance
of trade. With them trade came first and politics later on. The English Company earned enough to
finance its wars. It has been estimated that during 1736-1756, the total sales of the English Company
amounted to £ 41,200,000 as compared to the total sales of Indian goods in France which were
approximately £ 11,450,000 during the same period. Financially the English Company was so rich
that at one time it was in danger of being regarded as a milch cow by the Government of England. In
1767 the English Company was asked to pay £ 400,000 a year to the British treasury. There was even
talk of using the surplus funds of the Company in liquidating the national debt of England. When
Dupleix inaugurated the policy of making political gains to compensate for the declining profits of
the French Company he took the first step towards its decline.
Role of the Navy: The events of the Karnatic Wars amply demonstrate how the fortunes of the two
Companies waxed and waned with their strength on the seas. During 1746, French successes on land
followed her naval superiority along the Coromandel coast. True, the English naval power did not
assert its superiority during the few years following 1748, more because England and France were
officially at peace. Dupleix’s astounding successes were won during 1748-51 when the English navy
was temporarily out of action. The naval superiority of England during the Seven Years, War placed
Count de Lally at a grievous disadvantage and he could not hope to repeat the exploits of Dupleix.
The retirement of French fleet under D’Ache from the Indian waters left the field clear for the English
and their final victory was no longer in doubt. During the Austrian War of Succession French maritime
strength was so greatly reduced that, according to Voltaire, she was left with no warships during the
Seven Years’ War. Pitt the Elder made the maximum use of the superiority of England on the high
seas. Superior naval force enabled the English East India Company to keep open her communications
with Europe, cover her operation on land in the Karnatic by supplying reinforcements from Bombay
and Calcutta and cut off and isolate French force in the Karnatic from the rest of the world. Superior
maritime strength proved to be England’s most powerful weapon in the struggle for colonial
supremacy. Even if other factors were equally proportioned navy would have the casting vote.
Impact of English Successes in Bengal: The English conquest of Bengal in 1757 was undoubtedly of
great significance. Besides enhancing the political prestige of the English Company, it placed at its
disposal the vast resources in wealth and manpower of Bengal. The financial resources of the English
Company considerably improved. At a time when Count de Lally was ill at ease as to how to make
payments to his troops. Bengal sent not only troops but supplies to the Karnatic. The Deccan was too
poor to finance the political ambition of Dupleix or military schemes of Count de Lally. True, Bussy
had obtained the cession of the Circars from the Nizam, but there is no evidence of any remission of
funds to Southern India except the lakh and a half of rupees sent by Bussy to Lally in 1758.
Decidedly the power of superior finance was on the side of the English. V. A. Smith emphatically
declares: “Neither Bussy nor Dupleix singly, nor both combined, had a chance of success against the
government which controlled the sea routes and the resources of the Gangetic valley. It is futile to lay
stress upon the personal frailties of Dupleix, Lally or lesser men in order to explain the French failure.
Neither Alexander the Great nor Napoleon could have won the empire of India by starting from
Pondicherry as a base and contending with the power which held Bengal and command of the sea”.
“Dupleix”, writes Marriott, “made a cardinal blunder in looking for the key of India in Madras; Clive
sought and found it in Bengal’’.
1.2 Conquest of British Raj in Bengal and the Battle of Plassey

The first English factory in Bengal was established at Hugli in 1651 under permission from Sultan
Shuja, second son of Emperor Shahjehan and then Subahdar of Bengal. The same year, much pleased
with the services of Mr. Boughton in curing a royal lady, the Subahdar granted the Company the
privileges of free trade throughout Bengal, Bihar and Orissa for a nominal lump sum payment of

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 5