British Expansion in Indian Territories

British Expansion — Key Milestones →

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1612

Battle of
Swally

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1639

Madras
Fort St. George

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1661

Bombay
(Dowry)

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1698

Calcutta
Fort William

⚔️

1757

Battle of
Plassey

⚔️

1764

Battle of
Buxar

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1765

Treaty of
Allahabad

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Three Presidencies — How British Got Them

City	Year	How?	Fort
Madras	1639	Lease from King of Chandragiri (Francis Day)	Fort St. George
Bombay	1661	Dowry — Charles II married Portuguese Princess Catherine of Braganza	—
Calcutta	1698	Zamindari rights bought — Sutanuti, Kalikata, Govindpur	Fort William

📜

Treaty of Allahabad (1765) — Dual Government

Signed by Robert Clive after Battle of Buxar

Right	Details	Given To
Diwani	Revenue Collection — Bengal, Bihar, Orissa	East India Company
Nizamat	Administration & Law (nominal)	Shah Alam II
Pension	₹26 lakh annually	Shah Alam II (Mughal Emperor)
One-time	₹53 lakh War Indemnity	Company (from Awadh Nawab)

* Dual Government = Company revenue acquired, Nizamat (administration) nominally Mughal with remained.

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Battle of Swally (1612)

British vs Portuguese — Naval

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Date: 29–30 November 1612

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Location: Suvali (Swally) — village near Surat, Gujarat

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Result: British (EIC)'s first major naval victory vs Portuguese

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British Commander: Captain Thomas Best (Red Dragon)

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Significance: Portuguese monopoly's end. Jahangir 1613 in Surat factory allow's.

1612 — 1st big British naval win Portuguese monopoly end Surat factory 1613 → result of this battle

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Battle of Chinsurah / Bidara / Bedara (1759)

British vs Dutch — Bengal

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Date: 25 November 1759

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Location: Bengal (Chinsurah/Hooghly area)

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Result: Dutch decisive defeat → in India Dutch influence end.

1759 — Dutch exit from India Also called: Bidara / Bedara battle

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Battle of Plassey (1757)

British vs Siraj-ud-Daulah

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Date: 23 June 1757

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Nawab of Bengal: Siraj-ud-Daulah

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British Commander: Robert Clive

🗡️

Result: Siraj-ud-Daulah was defeated because Mir Jafar betrayed him and sided with the British.

23 June 1757 Robert Clive commanded Mir Jafar = traitor

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Battle of Buxar (1764)

British vs 3 Combined Enemies

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Date: 22 October 1764

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British Commander: Hector Munro (won)

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Opponents:

→ Bengal Nawab: Mir Qasim

→ Awadh Nawab: Shuja-ud-Daulah

→ Mughal Emperor: Shah Alam II

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Result: Treaty of Allahabad (1765) — Dual Government System began.

22 Oct 1764 Hector Munro = British commander 3 opponents — Mir Qasim + Shuja + Shah Alam II → Treaty of Allahabad 1765

🗺️

Three Carnatic Wars — British vs French

South in India supremacy for

War	Years	Key Points	Treaty / Result
First	1746–1748	The War of the Austrian Succession in Europe extended to India, but produced no major territorial change.	Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) — Status quo
Second	1749–1754	It began with the Battle of Ambur (1749). French Governor Dupleix supported Chanda Sahib, but the French were defeated.	Treaty of Pondicherry (1755) — British advantage. Dupleix recall occurred.
Third	1756–1763	Battle of Wandiwash (1760): British Commander Eyre Coote won vs French Commander Count de Lally (lost). French power end.	Treaty of Paris (1763)

1st: Aix-la-Chapelle 1748 2nd: Pondicherry 1755 — Dupleix recall 3rd: Paris 1763 — French power end Wandiwash 1760: Eyre Coote vs Count de Lally Pondicherry French captured from: 1761

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Political Expansion — Territory Acquisition

Chronological order

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1639 — Francis Day obtained Madras from the King of Chandragiri and built Fort St. George, which became the British base at Madras.

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1651 — Trade privileges united Shah Shuja (Subahdar of Bengal) from.

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1661 — British King Charles II married the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza and received Bombay as dowry.

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1698 — The Company purchased zamindari rights over three villages: Sutanuti, Kalikata and Govindpur. Fort William was built here, creating the British base at Calcutta.

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1761 — Pondicherry French captured from (Third Carnatic War after).

Madras 1639 — Francis Day + King of Chandragiri Bombay 1661 — Marriage dowry Calcutta 1698 — 3 villages + Fort William Pondicherry 1761 — French from

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Bengal Section

British power's most important base

Key Bengal Facts

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1651 — First British factory Hooghly River on was formed.

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First Nawab: Murshid Quli Khan — Capital shift: Dhaka → Murshidabad. revenue-farming system + Taqavi (agricultural loans) start.

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Farrukhsiyar (1717) — Golden Farman issue → British duty-free trade's right (except salt).

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Alivardi Khan — Battle of Giria (1740) after Subahdar of Bengal became.

Black Hole Tragedy

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Date: 20 June 1756 (Fort William, Calcutta)

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Account by: John Zephaniah Holwell (British survivor)

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Holwell claimed that 146 prisoners were confined and only 23 survived.

ℹ️

Note: Modern historians believe actual numbers were fewer (est. 64 imprisoned, ~43 died), but Holwell's version is used in exam context.

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Who did it: Siraj-ud-Daulah's forces — Fort William capture after.

Nawabs of Bengal — Complete Sequence

Murshid Quli Khan

1717 – 1727

Shujauddin Muhammad Khan

1727 – 1739

Sarfaraz Khan

1739 – 1740

Alivardi Khan

1740 – 1756

Siraj-ud-Daulah

1756 – 1757

Mir Jafar

1757 – 1760

Mir Qasim

1760 – 1763

Mir Jafar (2nd time)

1763 – 1765

Najm-ud-Daulah

1765 – 1766

Saif-ud-Daulah

1766 – 1770

Mubarak-ud-Daulah

1770 – 1793

Golden Farman 1717 = duty-free trade Black Hole = 20 June 1756 Plassey = 23 June 1757 Mir Jafar = twice Nawab

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Mysore Section — 4 Anglo-Mysore Wars

Hyder Ali

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1761 — Mysore's de facto ruler became.

⚔️

2nd Anglo-Mysore War in fought.

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Death: 1782. Successor: Tipu Sultan.

Tipu Sultan (1782–1799)

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Title: Badshah

🌳

Tree of Liberty planted — Srirangapatnam in.

🇫🇷

Tipu became a member of the Jacobin Club under the influence of the French Revolution and was called "Citizen Tipu".

🦁

Other name: Sher-e-Mysore

❌

British Subsidiary Alliance refuse.

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Died: 1799 (4th Anglo-Mysore War)

4 Anglo-Mysore Wars

War	Years	Governor-General	Treaty / Result
1st	1767–1769	—	Treaty of Madras (1769)
2nd	1780–1784	Warren Hastings	Treaty of Mangalore (1784)
3rd	1790–1792	Lord Cornwallis	Treaty of Seringapatam (1792) — heavy territorial loss for Tipu
4th	1799	Lord Wellesley	Tipu killed → Mysore subsidiary state became

Wellesley's Subsidiary Alliance — States

Year	State
1798	Hyderabad
1799	Mysore
1799	Tanjore
1801	Awadh
1802	Peshwa

Tipu = Badshah + Sher-e-Mysore Jacobins Club = "Citizen Tipu" 3rd War: Cornwallis — Seringapatam 1792 4th War: Wellesley 1799 — Tipu killed

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Punjab Section

Maharaja Ranjit Singh + Anglo-Sikh Wars

Maharaja Ranjit Singh

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Born: 2nd November 1780

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Place: Gujranwala

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Misl: Sukerchakia | Father: Maha Singh

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Known as: Sher-e-Punjab

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Death: 1839

Treaty of Amritsar (1809)

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Between: Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Lord Metcalfe (British).

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The boundary was fixed along the Sutlej River. Ranjit Singh Sutlej's east cross to do from restricted.

First Anglo-Sikh War (1845–1846)

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Maharaja: Duleep Singh

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Sikhs defeated.

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Treaty of Lahore — 9th March 1846

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Supplementary Treaty of Bhairowal — 22nd December 1846: British Punjab in control stronger.

Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848–1849)

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Duleep Singh imprisoned → England was sent.

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Key Battles: Ramnagar (Nov 1848) → Chillianwala (Jan 1849) → Gujrat (Feb 1849)

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Result: The British annexed the whole of Punjab in March 1849.

Ranjit Singh = Sher-e-Punjab, born 1780 Treaty of Amritsar 1809 — Sutlej boundary Treaty of Lahore — 9 March 1846 Bhairowal — 22 Dec 1846 Punjab annex — March 1849

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Anglo-Afghan Wars

War	Years	Gov-General / Key	Treaty / Result
1st	1839–1842	Lord Auckland	Disastrous retreat from Kabul. Sindh region annexed 1843.
2nd	1878–1880	—	Treaty of Gandamak (1879)
3rd	1919	—	Treaty of Rawalpindi — Afghanistan independent

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Anglo-Burmese Wars

War	Years	Key Result / Treaty
First	1824–1826	Treaty of Yandabo (1826) — British Assam capture
Second	1852–1853	British Rangoon (Lower Burma) annex
Third	1885	British Upper Burma annex — complete control

1st Afghan: Lord Auckland (disaster) Sindh annex 1843 (after 1st Afghan) Burma 1st: Treaty of Yandabo 1826 Burma 3rd 1885 = complete control

⚠️ Trap #1 — Plassey vs Buxar commander

Plassey (1757): Robert Clive's was. Buxar (1764): Hector Munro's was. They are different — Robert Clive Buxar in not give!

⚠️ Trap #2 — Black Hole numbers

Examinations usually use Holwell's figures: 146 imprisoned and 23 survivors. Modern historians give different estimates—about 64 imprisoned and 43 deaths—but BPSC/BSSC questions generally expect Holwell's figures.

⚠️ Trap #3 — Mir Jafar twice Nawab became

Mir Jafar twice Bengal's Nawab was: 1757–1760 and then 1763–1765. Beech in Mir Qasim was (1760–1763). Sequence remember.

⚠️ Trap #4 — Carnatic Wars's treaties

1st → Aix-la-Chapelle 1748 (status quo) 2nd → Pondicherry 1755 (Dupleix recall) 3rd → Paris 1763 (French power end)

⚠️ Trap #5 — Bombay how acquired?

Bombay was not conquered; Charles II received it as dowry in 1661 through his marriage to the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza.

⚠️ Trap #6 — Anglo-Mysore Wars's GGs

1st: No GG mentioned
2nd: Warren Hastings — Mangalore 1784
3rd: Cornwallis — Seringapatam 1792
4th: Wellesley — Tipu killed 1799

⚠️ Trap #7 — Wandiwash (1760) commanders

British: Eyre Coote (won). French: Count de Lally (lost). This 3rd Carnatic War was in — exact names are frequently asked.

⚠️ Trap #8 — Anglo-Afghan 1st War result

The First Afghan War (1839–1842) was disastrous for the British, who had to retreat from Kabul. Sindh was annexed in 1843; it was a different event from the same broad period.