By the end of this lesson, you'll solve:
"The British East India Company came to trade spices. How did a trading company end up ruling an entire subcontinent?"
From Trade to Empire
The British East India Company arrived in India in 1600 to trade spices and textiles. But they saw a Mughal Empire weakening after Aurangzeb's death (1707), and exploited rivalries between Indian rulers to grab power.
Key Points
- 1East India Company established in 1600 — started as traders
- 2Battle of Plassey (1757): Robert Clive defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah with betrayal by Mir Jafar
- 3Battle of Buxar (1764): Company defeated combined forces of Bengal, Awadh, and Mughal Emperor
- 4Subsidiary Alliance and Doctrine of Lapse — tricks to annex Indian states
Pro Tip
Plassey was won more by treachery than military skill. Mir Jafar betrayed his own Nawab in exchange for the throne — but then became a puppet of the British!
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