Mir Kasim and the Treaty of 1760
Modern History › British Conquest of Bengal · Topic 4.5
After Plassey, Mir Jafar failed to pay the Company and plotted with the Dutch. In 1760 the Company replaced him with his son-in-law Mir Kasim, who signed a treaty ceding Burdwan, Midnapur and Chittagong, then tried to free himself from Company control and moved his capital to Munger.
6 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · British Conquest of Bengal
At a Glance
- What it is The change of Nawab in Bengal in 1760 and Mir Kasim’s attempt at independence
- Treaty of 1760 Burdwan, Midnapur and Chittagong ceded to the Company
- Governor Vansittart supported Mir Kasim’s claim
- Capital shifted From Murshidabad to Munger
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: British Conquest of Bengal
Where Does It Fit?
This is the fifth topic of the category on the British conquest of Bengal. The previous topic covered Plassey and its aftermath. This topic follows the Company’s search for a pliable Nawab. The next topic covers the final clash at Buxar. Previous topic: Battle of Plassey, 1757.
Why Did the Company Turn Against Mir Jafar?
After the Company made him Nawab following the Battle of Plassey, 1757, Mir Jafar grew increasingly irritated by Clive’s interference. He entered a conspiracy with the Dutch at Chinsura, but the English defeated and humbled the Dutch at Bedara in November 1759. Mir Jafar’s treachery and his failure to make the payments due to the Company annoyed the English.
Meanwhile Miran, the son of Jafar, died, and a fight started for the nawabship between Mir Kasim, the son-in-law of Mir Jafar, and Miran’s son. Vansittart, the new Governor of Calcutta, agreed to support Mir Kasim’s claim after a treaty between Mir Kasim and the Company was signed in 1760.
What Did the Treaty of 1760 Provide?
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Districts ceded | Burdwan, Midnapur and Chittagong to the Company |
| Chunam trade | The Company would get half the share of the chunam (lime) trade of Sylhet |
| Dues | Mir Kasim agreed to pay off the outstanding dues to the Company |
| War fund | Rs 5 lakh to finance the Company’s war effort in south India |
| Alliance | Mir Kasim’s enemies were the Company’s enemies, and his friends its friends |
| Tenants | Tenants of the Nawab’s territory would not be allowed to settle in the Company’s lands, and vice versa |
Under pressure from the Company, Mir Jafar decided to resign in favour of Mir Kasim. A pension of Rs 1,500 a year was fixed for Mir Jafar.
What Did Mir Kasim Do as Nawab?
Mir Kasim was the ablest Nawab among the successors of Alivardi Khan. After taking power he shifted the capital from Murshidabad to Munger in Bihar, to keep a safe distance from the Company at Calcutta. He reorganised the bureaucracy with men of his own choice and remodelled the army to raise its skill and efficiency.
- New capital Munger in Bihar, away from Calcutta
- New bureaucracy Officials of his own choice
- New army Remodelled for skill and efficiency
The Company had thought that Mir Kasim would be an ideal puppet. He disappointed those expectations.
How Did the Dastak Dispute Begin?
The Nawab-Company clash centred on trade passes and transit duties. Ram Narayan, deputy governor of Bihar, would not respond to the Nawab’s repeated requests to submit the accounts of Bihar’s revenues, and was supported by the English officials at Patna. Mir Kasim could not tolerate this open defiance of his authority.
The misuse of the Company’s dastak, or trade permit, which exempted specified goods from duty, increased the tension. By an imperial farman the English had obtained the right to trade in Bengal without paying transit dues or tolls. But the Company’s servants also claimed the same privilege for their private trade and sold dastaks to Indian merchants for a commission. They used coercion to get goods cheaper, against the spirit of duty-free trade. The misuse meant a loss of revenue to the Nawab, and Indian merchants faced unequal competition. Mir Kasim decided to abolish duties altogether, but the British protested and insisted on preferential treatment against other traders.
The war that followed in 1763 and the Nawab’s defeat are covered in Battle of Buxar, 1764 and the Treaty of Allahabad, 1765.
What Was the Larger Meaning?
As an analytical point, the story of Mir Kasim shows a pattern. The Company wanted a Nawab who would pay and obey, while a Nawab who tried to govern for himself was removed. By 1760 the Company was not only a trader but also a maker of Nawabs, and the dastak dispute showed that its servants valued private profit above any duty to Bengal. Mir Kasim’s attempt to build a stronger state and cancel duties was therefore a challenge to the new order.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Key link in the chain This topic connects Plassey to Buxar
- Direct facts The treaty terms, Vansittart and the shift to Munger are Prelims items
- Economic cause The dastak dispute is the best example of the abuse of trade privileges
What Came Next?
The next topic covers the Battle of Buxar of 1764 and the Treaty of Allahabad of 1765. Next topic: Battle of Buxar, 1764 and the Treaty of Allahabad, 1765.
Key People and Terms
- Mir Kasim The able Nawab of Bengal who succeeded Mir Jafar in 1760
- Vansittart The Governor of Calcutta who backed Mir Kasim
- Dastak A permit exempting specified goods from duty
- Chunam Lime, a trade item of Sylhet
- Munger The town in Bihar to which Mir Kasim shifted his capital
- Bedara The 1759 battle at which the English defeated the Dutch
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Treaty of 1760: Burdwan, Midnapur, Chittagong ceded.
- Mir Jafar’s pension: Rs 1,500 a year.
- The English defeated the Dutch at Bedara in November 1759.
- Mir Kasim shifted the capital to Munger.
- Dastaks were misused by Company servants for private trade.
Do Not Confuse With
- Mir Jafar and Mir Kasim Mir Jafar was Nawab after Plassey; Mir Kasim, his son-in-law, replaced him in 1760
- Dastak and farman A farman was the emperor’s grant; a dastak was the trade pass
- Murshidabad and Munger Murshidabad was the old capital; Munger the new one
Memory Hook
Mir Kasim paid first, then asked for his own rule, and was removed.
Mains Angle
Questions ask about the Company’s dealings with the Bengal Nawabs. These points add depth.
- Puppet making The Company changed Nawabs to suit its interests
- Economic abuse Misuse of dastaks hurt revenue and local merchants
- Resistance Mir Kasim tried to build his own state, which led to war
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Describe how the Company dealt with Mir Jafar and Mir Kasim after Plassey.”
How to Answer
- Mir Jafar His failure to pay and the plot with the Dutch.
- Mir Kasim The treaty of 1760 and his reforms.
- The dispute Dastaks, duties and Ram Narayan.
- Conclude Say that the dispute led to war in 1763.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Company replace Mir Jafar with Mir Kasim?
The Company replaced Mir Jafar because he failed to make the payments he owed and plotted with the Dutch at Chinsura, who the English defeated at Bedara in November 1759. Governor Vansittart supported Mir Kasim, the son-in-law of Mir Jafar, under a treaty signed in 1760.
What were the terms of the Treaty of 1760?
Under the treaty of 1760, Mir Kasim ceded the districts of Burdwan, Midnapur and Chittagong to the Company, gave it half the chunam trade of Sylhet, paid off the dues, promised Rs 5 lakh for its war in south India, and agreed that the enemies and friends of each would be shared.
What reforms did Mir Kasim carry out?
Mir Kasim shifted the capital from Murshidabad to Munger in Bihar to keep a safe distance from the Company at Calcutta. He also reorganised the bureaucracy with men of his own choice and remodelled the army to raise its skill and efficiency.
What was the dastak?
The dastak was the Company's trade permit that exempted specified goods from duty. Company servants misused it for private trade and sold it to Indian merchants, causing loss of revenue to the Nawab and unfair competition for local merchants.
Why did Mir Kasim abolish duties?
Mir Kasim decided to abolish all transit duties to end the unfair competition caused by the misuse of the Company's dastaks. The British protested and insisted on preferential treatment over other traders, which led to war between the English and Mir Kasim in 1763.
What pension was fixed for Mir Jafar?
A pension of Rs 1,500 a year was fixed for Mir Jafar when he resigned in favour of Mir Kasim under pressure from the Company. The change of Nawab in 1760 showed that the Company could now make and unmake the rulers of Bengal.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Under the Treaty of 1760, Mir Kasim ceded Burdwan, Midnapur and Chittagong to the Company.
He also gave half the chunam trade of Sylhet.
2 Mir Kasim kept Murshidabad as his capital throughout his rule.
He shifted the capital to Munger.
3 The English defeated the Dutch at Bedara in November 1759.
Mir Jafar had conspired with the Dutch.
4 The dastak was a farman that gave the Company the Diwani of Bengal.
It was a trade permit exempting goods from duty.
5 Vansittart, Governor of Calcutta, supported Mir Kasim's claim.
A treaty was signed in 1760.
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