Expansion of the British | History for UPSC 2024 (Pre & Mains) PDF Download

 Page 1


Expansion
of the British
Page 2


Expansion
of the British
Chronology
First Carnatic War (1746-48)
Second Carnatic War (1749-54)
Third Carnatic War (1756-63)
The first Anglo-Mysore War (1767-69)
Warren Hastings (1773 – 85) – Expansionist Policy
? The first Anglo-Maratha War (1775-1782) 
? The second Anglo-Mysore War (1780-1784)
Lord Cornwallis (1786 – 93)
? The third Anglo-Mysore War in (1790-92)
Richard Colley Wellesley (1798–1805) – Subsidiary Alliance
? The fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799)
? The Second Anglo-Maratha War of (1803-1805)
Lord Hastings (1813-23)
? The Third Maratha War (1816-1817)
Page 3


Expansion
of the British
Chronology
First Carnatic War (1746-48)
Second Carnatic War (1749-54)
Third Carnatic War (1756-63)
The first Anglo-Mysore War (1767-69)
Warren Hastings (1773 – 85) – Expansionist Policy
? The first Anglo-Maratha War (1775-1782) 
? The second Anglo-Mysore War (1780-1784)
Lord Cornwallis (1786 – 93)
? The third Anglo-Mysore War in (1790-92)
Richard Colley Wellesley (1798–1805) – Subsidiary Alliance
? The fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799)
? The Second Anglo-Maratha War of (1803-1805)
Lord Hastings (1813-23)
? The Third Maratha War (1816-1817)
Expansion and Consolidation
The British used Ideological, Military and Colonial administrative apparatus to expand and 
consolidate the British Indian Empire
The British who came to India as traders, in course of time realized that in order to obtain the 
optimum profits from Indian trade, they have to secure political power, backed by force.
The British knew what they did was morally and ethically incorrect and to justify their action, 
they used ideological bases to brainwash the natives of India and the world that what they did in 
India was in the interest of the progress and development of India and it was their ‘white man’s 
burden’ to ‘civilize India’ from a historical barbarian rule of the earlier centuries of Indian polity 
and culture.
Page 4


Expansion
of the British
Chronology
First Carnatic War (1746-48)
Second Carnatic War (1749-54)
Third Carnatic War (1756-63)
The first Anglo-Mysore War (1767-69)
Warren Hastings (1773 – 85) – Expansionist Policy
? The first Anglo-Maratha War (1775-1782) 
? The second Anglo-Mysore War (1780-1784)
Lord Cornwallis (1786 – 93)
? The third Anglo-Mysore War in (1790-92)
Richard Colley Wellesley (1798–1805) – Subsidiary Alliance
? The fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799)
? The Second Anglo-Maratha War of (1803-1805)
Lord Hastings (1813-23)
? The Third Maratha War (1816-1817)
Expansion and Consolidation
The British used Ideological, Military and Colonial administrative apparatus to expand and 
consolidate the British Indian Empire
The British who came to India as traders, in course of time realized that in order to obtain the 
optimum profits from Indian trade, they have to secure political power, backed by force.
The British knew what they did was morally and ethically incorrect and to justify their action, 
they used ideological bases to brainwash the natives of India and the world that what they did in 
India was in the interest of the progress and development of India and it was their ‘white man’s 
burden’ to ‘civilize India’ from a historical barbarian rule of the earlier centuries of Indian polity 
and culture.
Mercantilism
By the beginning of the 16th century, we notice the decline of feudalism in Europe along with the emergence of 
new ideas which promoted the rise of nation state, urge for new geographical discoveries, seaborne long distance 
trade and colonization of new lands through migration and settlement of new colonies. 
Further, a new commercial outlook influenced by mercantilist ideas dominated Europe between the 17th and 
18th centuries.
Added to these the growth of science and technology in England made England an industrially developed country. 
In consequence, England had become a colonial power and a capitalist country. 
All these developments necessitated England to search for raw materials necessary for the manufacture of goods 
in England and new markets for their finished mechanized products.
England wanted to achieve these objectives through colonialism in India, as merchants became an influential 
social class of England. 
Thus, by the 17th century the countries of Europe came under the impact of a set of economic ideas and 
practices called mercantilism.
It was a system of state-regulated exploitation through trade which played a highly important role in the 
adolescent capitalist industry. It was essentially the economic policy of an age of primitive accumulation.
Page 5


Expansion
of the British
Chronology
First Carnatic War (1746-48)
Second Carnatic War (1749-54)
Third Carnatic War (1756-63)
The first Anglo-Mysore War (1767-69)
Warren Hastings (1773 – 85) – Expansionist Policy
? The first Anglo-Maratha War (1775-1782) 
? The second Anglo-Mysore War (1780-1784)
Lord Cornwallis (1786 – 93)
? The third Anglo-Mysore War in (1790-92)
Richard Colley Wellesley (1798–1805) – Subsidiary Alliance
? The fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799)
? The Second Anglo-Maratha War of (1803-1805)
Lord Hastings (1813-23)
? The Third Maratha War (1816-1817)
Expansion and Consolidation
The British used Ideological, Military and Colonial administrative apparatus to expand and 
consolidate the British Indian Empire
The British who came to India as traders, in course of time realized that in order to obtain the 
optimum profits from Indian trade, they have to secure political power, backed by force.
The British knew what they did was morally and ethically incorrect and to justify their action, 
they used ideological bases to brainwash the natives of India and the world that what they did in 
India was in the interest of the progress and development of India and it was their ‘white man’s 
burden’ to ‘civilize India’ from a historical barbarian rule of the earlier centuries of Indian polity 
and culture.
Mercantilism
By the beginning of the 16th century, we notice the decline of feudalism in Europe along with the emergence of 
new ideas which promoted the rise of nation state, urge for new geographical discoveries, seaborne long distance 
trade and colonization of new lands through migration and settlement of new colonies. 
Further, a new commercial outlook influenced by mercantilist ideas dominated Europe between the 17th and 
18th centuries.
Added to these the growth of science and technology in England made England an industrially developed country. 
In consequence, England had become a colonial power and a capitalist country. 
All these developments necessitated England to search for raw materials necessary for the manufacture of goods 
in England and new markets for their finished mechanized products.
England wanted to achieve these objectives through colonialism in India, as merchants became an influential 
social class of England. 
Thus, by the 17th century the countries of Europe came under the impact of a set of economic ideas and 
practices called mercantilism.
It was a system of state-regulated exploitation through trade which played a highly important role in the 
adolescent capitalist industry. It was essentially the economic policy of an age of primitive accumulation.
Orientalism
Orientalism is a concept that stresses the uniqueness of the culture and civilization of the Orient.
Orientalists pleaded for providing a framework of security without interference in the working of the 
religio-social institutions and cultural traditions. 
They argued that peace would promote the trade and it would be to Britain’s advantage.
This serious study of the past of India became inevitable as the British East India company authorities 
decided that it was essential for officers of the British East India Company to be proficient about 
Indian culture and civilization to rule them properly.
In order to encourage this type of study, the Asiatic Society was established in 1784 to undertake 
research into the past of Indian culture and civilization.
To encourage further the study of the past of India, Wellesley established the Fort William College at 
Calcutta in 1800.
The focus of the Fort William College was imparting scholarship in Indian languages to the students to 
enable them to become good administrators.