How the British Empire took over India

The really odd thing about how the British took over India is that they never really intended to do it. The begninings of second British Empire were in some ways a colossal accident. Even as late as 1858 the British posessions in India were controled by the East India Company rather than the crown.

It was in 1612 that The British East India company opened its first trading post in Surat in the North West of India. It orginally traded mainly in spices but later expanded to deal in other goods including textiles and tea. The company had originally been founded by royal charter in 1600, with the aim of the project being to break a monopoly on the spice trade held by the Spanisha nd Portugese. The company also had early trading posts in Bombay and Calcutta. In 1708 it bought out a rival - the 'New East India Company'.



So how did a trading company become an imperial power? The real answer is that it became an imperial power to protect it's trading interests from other european nations. Particularly with the Battle of Plassey in 1757, this date is often given as being the start of the Company's rule in India. The battle was a decisive victory for the company over the Nawab of Bengal and his french allies. The French East India Company had increasing trade in Bengal at this time. After the battle the Nawab surendered his territory to the Company and Clive, the British commander in the battle, was appointed Govener of Bengal. The Companies power only increased in 1764 when Colonel Clive won the Battle of Buxar.

Other notable dates are 1765 when the Company was grated the right to collect taxes in Begal and Bihar or when they established a capital in Calcutter in 1772 and appointed the first Govener General.

The Company ruled India according to two systems. Under the first local rulars gave control of their foreign affairs to the East India Company in return for having their essential independence guarenteed. These were the 'Princely States. The second system created 'British India' where the Company directly controled the areas.

Corruption in the Company led to Lord North's Regulating Act, which gave the government some control of over company posessions in India. It was not until the Indian Mutiny of 1857 that the government assumed full control. Many Indians in the army believed the East India Company was trying to destroy Indian culture and a rumor that cartridges were greasd with cow and pig fat (offensive to Muslims and Hindus) was the spark that ignited the rebellion. After this the East India Company was abolished and the Indian army was restructured to make the British components vital to the way it functioned. In 1877 Queen Victoria took the title Empress of India. The Govener Generals were replaced with Viceroys and India was the Jewel in the Crown of the British Empire.