The British expansion in India was a gradual and strategic process spanning over more than two centuries, starting initially with trade and eventually leading to political and territorial control. Here is a detailed timeline and overview of that expansion:
Timeline and Key Events of British Expansion in India
1. Early Trading and Establishment (1600–1757)
1600: The British East India Company (EIC) was founded as a trading company with a royal charter from Queen Elizabeth I.
1611–1613: The company set up its first Indian factories at Masulipatnam and Surat with permission from Mughal Emperor Jahangir.
1639: The British acquired land in Madras to build Fort St. George.
1662: Bombay was acquired from the Portuguese as part of a royal marriage treaty and later leased to the company.
The British gradually built a network of trading posts while competing with Portuguese, Dutch, and French interests.
2. Military Expansion and Control (1757–1803)
1757: Battle of Plassey — Robert Clive defeated Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah of Bengal, marking the beginning of political control with Bengal becoming the base of British power.
1764: Battle of Buxar — Consolidated East India Company’s control over Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa with the Diwani (tax collection) rights granted in 1765.
1761–1799: Anglo-Mysore Wars against Tipu Sultan.
1775–1818: Anglo-Maratha Wars — The British defeated the powerful Maratha confederacy, gaining control of large parts of central and western India.
1799: Fourth Anglo-Mysore War resulted in the death of Tipu Sultan and fall of Mysore.
3. Administrative Expansion and Control (1803–1857)
Subsidiary Alliance System (1798): Introduced by Lord Wellesley, it forced Indian rulers to accept British troops and advisors, bringing many princely states under indirect control.
Doctrine of Lapse (1848–1856): Policy of annexing states with no direct heirs.
Annexation of Awadh in 1856 and other territories.
Expansion of railways, telegraphs, legal reforms, and education system.
4. End of Company Rule and Beginning of British Raj (1857–1947)
1857: The Indian Rebellion (Sepoy Mutiny) against the East India Company’s rule.
1858: British Crown took direct control, ending East India Company rule and starting the British Raj.
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