India in the eighteenth century

India's ruler was the Mughal emperor in Delhi. But the men with real power were the princes - the nawabs and rajahs who ruled the districts. They were just like kings, with their palaces, grand clothes, and hundreds of servants. Each prince had his army - men, horses, guns, and elephants.

India's wealth (in gems, perfumes, pepper, and fine cloth) attracted traders from Europe. And the Mughals allowed them to open 'factories', or trading posts, at places round the coast.

By 1750, the British and French were the main westerners in India. They often quarrelled with each other, and took opposite sides in the wars among the nawabs and rajahs. In 1757 the British came out on top. They beat the French, and made themselves masters of Bengal. Robert Clive won his vital battle, at Plassey, by bribing an Indian prince not to fight.

The British in India were employed by the East India Company, a trading firm. Even the soldiers were paid by the company. After 1750, though, the company dealt with more than just trade. It began to take control of India. One by one, the princes agreed to accept British 'protection'.

In the parts which they ruled, the British collected taxes, ran law courts, and kept law and order. They said that their rule was honest and fair, and better than India had known before. In fact, most of the East India Company's men cheated and took bribes. Those who lived long enough to come home brought big fortunes with them.

Walter Robson: Britain 1750 - 1900; Oxford University Press, 1993/2002, page 10 f.