Skip to content

British Conquest and Expansion (c. 1746–1849)

1. Anglo-French Rivalry: The Carnatic Wars

  • War — Period — Cause — Key Battle — Treaty — Result
  • 1st Carnatic — 1746–48 — Austrian Succession — Adyar (1746) — Aix-la-Chapelle — Madras restored to English.
  • 2nd Carnatic — 1748–54 — Local Succession — Ambur (1749), Arcot (1751) — Pondicherry — English dominance in Carnatic.
  • 3rd Carnatic — 1756–63 — Seven Years' War — Wandiwash (1760) — Paris — Ended French ambitions.

2. Conquest of Bengal

Battle of Plassey (1757)

  • Parties: Robert Clive vs Siraj-ud-Daulah.
  • Cause: Misuse of Dastaks; Fortification of Fort William; Black Hole Tragedy.
  • Outcome: Mir Jafar made Nawab; Robert Clive became Governor of Bengal.

Battle of Buxar (1764)

  • Parties: Hector Munro vs Combined Army (Mir Qasim + Shuja-ud-Daulah of Awadh + Shah Alam II).
  • Outcome: Treaty of Allahabad (1765).
    • British got Diwani Rights (revenue collection) for Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.
    • Dual Government introduced by Clive (ended by Warren Hastings).

3. Anglo-Mysore Wars

  • War — Period — Governor-General — Treaty — Key Notes
  • 1st — 1767–69 — Verelst — Madras — Hyder Ali defeated the British.
  • 2nd — 1780–84 — Warren Hastings — Mangalore — Hyder Ali died (1782); Tipu took over.
  • 3rd — 1790–92 — Cornwallis — Seringapatnam — Tipu lost half his territory.
  • 4th — 1799 — Wellesley — -- — Tipu Sultan died in battle.

4. Anglo-Maratha Wars

  • War — Period — Governor-General — Treaty — Key Notes
  • 1st — 1775–82 — Warren Hastings — Salbai (1782) — Treaty of Surat/Purandhar involved.
  • 2nd — 1803–05 — Wellesley — Bassein (1802) — Subsidiary Alliance forced on Peshwa.
  • 3rd — 1817–18 — Hastings — -- — Peshwaship abolished; Satara created.

5. Annexation of Sindh and Punjab

Annexation of Sindh (1843)

  • Lead: Charles Napier.
  • Famous Quote: "Peccavi" (I have sinned/Sind).

Anglo-Sikh Wars

  • 1st (1845–46): Battle of Sabraon (decisive). Treaty of Lahore (1846): Ceded Jalandhar Doab; British Resident (Sir Henry Lawrence) appointed at Lahore.
    • Treaty of Bhairowal (1846): Removed Rani Jind Kaur as regent; established a regency council for Punjab (8 Sikh sardars) presided over by Henry Lawrence.
  • 2nd (1848–49): Annexation of Punjab by Lord Dalhousie.
    • Board of Commissioners: Henry Lawrence, John Lawrence, Charles Mansel.

British Conquest and Expansion (c. 1746–1849)

1. Anglo-French Rivalry: The Carnatic Wars

  • War — Period — Cause — Key Battle — Treaty — Result
  • 1st Carnatic — 1746–48 — Austrian Succession — Adyar (1746) — Aix-la-Chapelle — Madras restored to English.
  • 2nd Carnatic — 1748–54 — Local Succession — Ambur (1749), Arcot (1751) — Pondicherry — English dominance in Carnatic.
  • 3rd Carnatic — 1756–63 — Seven Years' War — Wandiwash (1760) — Paris — Ended French ambitions.

2. Conquest of Bengal

Battle of Plassey (1757)

  • Parties: Robert Clive vs Siraj-ud-Daulah.
  • Cause: Misuse of Dastaks; Fortification of Fort William; Black Hole Tragedy.
  • Outcome: Mir Jafar made Nawab; Robert Clive became Governor of Bengal.

Battle of Buxar (1764)

  • Parties: Hector Munro vs Combined Army (Mir Qasim + Shuja-ud-Daulah of Awadh + Shah Alam II).
  • Outcome: Treaty of Allahabad (1765).
    • British got Diwani Rights (revenue collection) for Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.
    • Dual Government introduced by Clive (ended by Warren Hastings).

3. Anglo-Mysore Wars

  • War — Period — Governor-General — Treaty — Key Notes
  • 1st — 1767–69 — Verelst — Madras — Hyder Ali defeated the British.
  • 2nd — 1780–84 — Warren Hastings — Mangalore — Hyder Ali died (1782); Tipu took over.
  • 3rd — 1790–92 — Cornwallis — Seringapatnam — Tipu lost half his territory.
  • 4th — 1799 — Wellesley — -- — Tipu Sultan died in battle.

4. Anglo-Maratha Wars

  • War — Period — Governor-General — Treaty — Key Notes
  • 1st — 1775–82 — Warren Hastings — Salbai (1782) — Treaty of Surat/Purandhar involved.
  • 2nd — 1803–05 — Wellesley — Bassein (1802) — Subsidiary Alliance forced on Peshwa.
  • 3rd — 1817–18 — Hastings — -- — Peshwaship abolished; Satara created.

5. Annexation of Sindh and Punjab

Annexation of Sindh (1843)

  • Lead: Charles Napier.
  • Famous Quote: "Peccavi" (I have sinned/Sind).

Anglo-Sikh Wars

  • 1st (1845–46): Battle of Sabraon (decisive). Treaty of Lahore (1846): Ceded Jalandhar Doab; British Resident (Sir Henry Lawrence) appointed at Lahore.
    • Treaty of Bhairowal (1846): Removed Rani Jind Kaur as regent; established a regency council for Punjab (8 Sikh sardars) presided over by Henry Lawrence.
  • 2nd (1848–49): Annexation of Punjab by Lord Dalhousie.
    • Board of Commissioners: Henry Lawrence, John Lawrence, Charles Mansel.