from trade to territory question ans

Q.4: What attracted European trading companies to India?

Ans: European trading companies were attracted to India because of a number of reasons:

1) Trading with India was highly profitable and fruitful to the businessmen in Europe.

2) The European trading companies purchased goods at cheaper and sold them in Europe at the higher prices.

3) The fine qualities of cotton and silk produced in India had a big market in Europe.

4) Indian spices like – pepper, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon were in great demand in Europe.

Q.5: What were the areas of conflict between the Bengal Nawabs and the East India Company?

Ans: In the 18th century, after the death of Aurangzeb, the Bengal Nawabs asserted their power and refused to grant the company further concessions. 

These Nawabs also denied to give them any right to mint coins and stopped it from extending its fortifications. 

The Nawabs accused the company for depriving from huge amounts of revenue and undermining the authority of the Nawab.

The company on the other hand, was refusing to pay taxes and writing disrespectful letters and trying to humiliate the Nawab and his officials. 

Q.6: How did the assumption of Diwani benefit the East India Company?

Ans:  1. The Diwani allowed the company to use the vast revenue resources of Bengal.

2. Earlier the company had to buy most of the goods in India in exchange of gold and silver which, they imported from Britain. After the assumption of Diwani the company started to purchase the goods in India with these revenues.

3. Now the revenues from India could be used to purchase cotton & silk textiles and also meet various expenses including maintaining the troops, meet the cost of building the company fort and offices at Calcutta.

Q.7: Explain the “Subsidiary Alliance”?

Ans: After the battle of Plassey in 1757, the battle of Buxar in 1764, the company began the policy of “Subsidiary Alliance”. According to the terms of this alliance –

a) Indian rulers were not allowed to have their independent armed forces.

b) They were to be protected by the company but pay for the Subsidiary Forces that the company was supposed to maintain for the purpose of their protection.

c) If the Indian rulers failed to make payment, then that part of territory was taken away by the company as penalty.

Q.8: In what way was the administration of the company different from that of Indian rulers?

Ans: a) British territories were broadly divided into administrative units called Presidencies. There were three Presidencies like – Bengal, Madras & Bombay whereas under the Indian rulers administration was divided into four parts – District (Zila), Paragana, Tehsil and Villages.

b) Each administrative unit was ruled by a Governor.

c) The supreme head of the administration was the Governor-General.

d) Warren Hastings introduced the new system of justice. Each district was to have two courts- civil & criminal court.

e) The European District Collector presided over civil courts.

f) The criminal courts were still under a Qazi and a Mufti.

g) Under the Regulating Act of 1773, a new supreme court was established.

Q.9: Describe the changes that occurred in the composition of the company’s army.

Mughal army was composed of the cavalry and infantry who were basically peasants and were given training in archery and sword.   

Initially East India Company adopted the same method and recruited Indian Sepoy Army.

They trained sepoy on the basis of European warfare technology.

They reduced cavalry and increased infantry regiments.

They also introduced uniform military culture in the form of drill and discipline.

The Indian soldiers were not given the salary and treatment like their British counterparts.

Glossary

Dharmashastras – Sanskrit texts prescribing social rules and codes of behaviour,  

Sawar – Men on horses 

Musket – A heavy gun used by infantry soldiers 

Matchlock – An early type of gun in which the powder was ignited by a match

Mufti – A jurist of the Muslim community responsible for expounding the law that the qazi would administer 

Impeachment – A trial by the House of Lords in England for charges of misconduct brought against a person in the House of Commons.

Subservience – Submissiveness.

Find answers of the following additional questions? 

1. Who implemented the Doctrine of lapse? Give the name of those states 
which were annexed under this policy.
Ans, LordCornwallis implemented the doctrine of lapse. Satara, Nagpur,Sambalpur and Jhansi were annexed in this policy.
2. Who initiated a new policy of “paramountcy” in India? 
Ans, Lord Hestings initiated a policy of paramountcy.

3. In which battle Tipu Sultan was killed?
Ans, The battle of seringapattnam.