Bengal on the Eve of British Conquest: Alivardi Khan and Siraj-ud-daula

At a Glance

• What it is The state of Bengal and the Nawab’s problems just before Plassey
• Alivardi Khan Ruled from 1740 to April 1756; stopped paying tribute to the Mughal emperor
• Siraj-ud-daula Grandson of Alivardi, in his twentieth year when he became Nawab
• Main conflict Company privileges against the Bengal exchequer
• Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: British Conquest of Bengal

Where Does It Fit?

This is the third topic of the category on the British conquest of Bengal. The first two topics covered the debate and the causes of British success. This topic describes Bengal as it was just before the battle. The next topic covers the Battle of Plassey. Previous topic: Causes of British Success in India.

Why Was Bengal So Important?

Bengal was the richest province of the Mughal Empire. It included present-day Bangladesh, and its Nawab had authority over the region of present-day Bihar and Odisha. Bengal’s exports to Europe consisted of saltpetre, rice, indigo, pepper, sugar, silk, cotton textiles and handicrafts. The English East India Company had vital commercial interests there, as nearly 60 per cent of British imports from Asia came from Bengal.

In the 1630s the British established factories in Balasore, Hooghly, Kasimbazar, Patna and Dacca. By the 1690s, the founding of Calcutta by the English company completed the process of English commercial settlement. The Company paid a sum of Rs 3,000 (£350) a year to the Mughal emperor for permission to trade freely in Bengal. In contrast, the Company’s exports from Bengal were worth more than £50,000 a year.

Who Ruled Bengal Before Siraj-ud-daula?

Under these rulers Bengal made unprecedented progress. Other factors helped. The rest of India was disturbed by border disputes, Maratha invasions, Jat revolts and the invasions of Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali, but Bengal escaped these shocks. The population of Calcutta rose from 15,000 in 1706 to 100,000 in 1750, and cities such as Dacca and Murshidabad became highly populated.

What Was the Source of Friction With the Company?

Almost all the governors of Bengal strongly resented the special privileges the English company enjoyed, since these meant a heavy loss to the provincial exchequer. The friction between English commercial interests and the Bengal government became the chief cause of conflict between the two. Between 1757 and 1765 power passed gradually from the Nawabs of Bengal to the British, who defeated them.

What Did Alivardi Khan Do?

In about 1740, Alivardi Khan, the Deputy Governor of Bihar, killed the Nawab Sarfaraz Khan in battle and confirmed himself as the new Subahdar of Bengal by paying a large sum to the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah. He ruled for 15 years and fought off the Marathas. The English used the Maratha raids to get the Nawab’s permission to dig a ditch and build an entrenchment around their settlement at Fort William.

Later Alivardi Khan grew worried about the Carnatic, where the European companies had usurped all power, and he was urged to expel the Europeans from Bengal. But he died in April 1756 and was succeeded by his grandson Siraj-ud-daula.

What Challenges Did Siraj-ud-daula Face?

A youth just in his twentieth year, Siraj inherited many troubles. He had a rival in his cousin, Shaukat Jang, the Nawab of Purnea, a hostile aunt, Ghasiti Begum, a rebellious army commander, Mir Jafar, husband of Alivardi Khan’s sister, and an alarmed Hindu subject population. A dominant group at court, including Jagat Seth, Omichand, Rai Ballabh and Rai Durlabh, opposed him. To these internal rivals was added the threat from the growing commercial activity of the English company.

Siraj, impulsive and inexperienced, felt insecure, and this prompted him to act in ways that proved counterproductive. He defeated and killed Shaukat Jang in battle, took away Ghasiti Begum’s treasures and confined her, and dismissed Mir Jafar, appointing Mir Madan in his place. A Kashmiri officer, Mohan Lal, was appointed overall administrator and acted almost like a prime minister.

What Led to the Clash With the English?

Company officials made rampant misuse of trade privileges, which hurt the Nawab’s finances. The English fortified Calcutta without the Nawab’s permission and tried to mislead him. They also gave asylum to a political fugitive, Krishna Das, son of Raj Ballabh, who had fled with immense treasures against the Nawab’s wishes. The Company, for its part, suspected that Siraj would sharply cut its trade privileges in collusion with the French in Bengal. When Siraj attacked and seized the English fort at Calcutta, the hostility came into the open.

The much-told Black Hole story says that Siraj-ud-daula imprisoned 146 English persons in a tiny room, where 123 of them died of suffocation. Historians either do not believe the story, or say that the number of victims must have been much smaller. A cautious reader treats the tale as disputed.

Why Is This Topic Important?

• Background to Plassey The conflict of interests and the court conspiracy explain why Plassey happened as it did
• Direct facts Names of Alivardi’s and Siraj’s rivals and the Rs 3,000 payment are Prelims items
• Link to the Company’s rise It shows how trade privileges turned into political conflict

What Came Next?

The next topic covers the Battle of Plassey in 1757: the conspiracy, the battle and its significance. Next topic: Battle of Plassey, 1757.

Key People and Terms

• Subahdar The governor of a Mughal province
• Nawab The ruler of Bengal and other provinces under Mughal authority
• Jagat Seth The influential banker of Bengal who opposed Siraj
• Black Hole The cell at Fort William in the story of 1756, whose numbers are disputed
• Fort William The English fort at Calcutta
• Mohan Lal The Kashmiri officer who acted almost as Siraj’s prime minister

Exam Corner

Mains Angle

Questions ask why the Nawab of Bengal lost to the Company. These points add depth.

• Wealth and conflict Bengal’s wealth made it the main target, and trade privileges made it the main point of friction
• Internal weakness A court of rivals and a young ruler lacking experience left the Nawab exposed
• Company strength Misuse of privileges and unauthorised fortification show the Company’s confidence