UPSC

Warren Hastings is considered as the brain behind establishing the British Empire in India who was also the first governor-general of Bengal from the year 1772 to the year 1785. He, along with Robert Clive of East India Company, is considered to be the most influential person in the early stages of British rule in India who established their power in the Bengal Presidency after the defeat of Nawab of Bengal Siraj Ud Daulah in the Battle of Plassey.

In this particular article on notes on Warren Hastings, we have given important facts about Warren Hastings, his contribution to the British rule in the country and how his policies paid the way for 200 years of British rule in India. This article will be useful for students preparing for various competitive examinations such as UPSC civil services, Bank PO exams and other PSU competitive exams.

We have written this article in such a way that the students can use the information both for prelims as well as mains examination of UPSC CSE. This article contains the following:

1. Who is Warren Hastings?
2. What were the reforms implemented under Warren Hastings?
3. What was the impact of Warren Hastings on the Indian subcontinent?
4. Frequently asked questions on Warren Hastings in UPSC examinations

Who is Warren Hastings?

Warren Hastings was a British statesman, who layed the foundation of the mighty British rule in India. He, along with Robert Clive of East India Company, gathered the required unity from various British factions scattered across the country to defeat the Nawab of Bengal and establish British rule for the first time on the solid of the great Indian subcontinent.

Warren Hastings is known as the first governor-general of India other than being the head of the supreme court of Bengal and the governor of the presidency of Fort William in the state of Bengal. Prior to coming to India, Warren Hastings was a British statesman and an influential political figure in Great Britain. Being a close friend of Robert Clive, in the year 1758, Warren Hastings became the British Resident in the Bengal Capital of Murshidabad. The Nawab rule was significant in Bengal before the Battle of Plassey but turned insignificant after the battle while the East India Company improved its foothold in Bengal, Robert Clive gave important political and economic tasks to Warren hustings which gradually led to the souring of the relationship between the Nawab of Bengal and East India Company.

Many historians believe that Warren Hastings was a very sympathetic man towards the problems that Indians faced in Bengal and also helped Mirjafar, the commander in chief under Siraj Ud Daulah, with respect to the demands and orders placed on him by the British East India company.

Before becoming the first governor-general of Bengal, Warren Hastings joined the East India company in the year 1950 as a clerk but soon after his joining he was shipped out to India. He gradually developed an affection towards Indians and Indian culture and tried to learn Urdu and Persian during his stay at Calcutta.

There are plenty of points that one needs to remember about Warren Hastings and we have made the following 10 points for easy reference for an IAS aspirant to remember about Warren Hastings.

1. Warren Hastings was born in the year 1732 and came to India in the year 1750 as a clerk working for the East India Company.
2. When Siraj succeeded his grandfather Nawab Ali Vardi Khan, Warren Hastings and other people from the East India company was imprisoned due to strong anti-British sentiments brought in by the new Nawab of Bengal. This improvement is famously known as the black hole massacre.
3. During the Battle of Plassey, Robert Clive rescued Warren Hastings with the help of British troops from Madras and after establishing the defeat of the nawab of Bengal, he rose to power in the Bengal presidency.
4. Warren Hastings became the first governor-general of Bengal as a result of which he was also the head of the Supreme Court of Bengal and first governor of the presidency of fort Williams.
5. After the battle of Plassey, he helped Mir Jafar become the next Nawab of Bengal.
6. The first Anglo Maratha war and the second anglo Mysore warr was fought under Warren Hastings leadership.
7. Warren Hastings believed that it was necessary for the British Crown to keep Indian kings and rulers in the good books to establish long term relationships and rule in the country.
8. Warren Hastings was impeached in the year 1786 by the house of commons before The House Of Lords in Britain, after being accused of misconduct.
9. Warren hasting left a rich legacy of British control over the Indian provinces and the people of India
10. The future of British rule in India for the next 200 years mainly depended upon the policies and methods used by Warren Hastings and his team in the mid 17th century.

What were the reforms introduced by Warren Hastings?

Warren Hastings, being a politician himself and a member of the house of commons in Britain, had a good knack for the political, economical and social structure of India and he very well knew how it can be used to establish British rule in the country. With that agenda in mind, he introduced various reforms in the country which can be argued in favour or against the Indian population depending on which angle we looked at his reforms from.

The following are some of the most important reforms introduced by Warren Hastings.

1. Warren Hastings was against the idea of the dual system in India where the powers were divided between the Nawab of Bengal and the British Crown under the East India Company. This dual system was abolished by Warren Hastings so that the entire revenue and administrative authority was under the power of the British Crown through the East India Company. This was a significant move to cut down resources for the local rulers so that they can not rebel, in future.,
2. The annual revenues that were paid to formal rulers of Mughal Emperors were also reduced and in some cases completely stoped under this abolition of the dual system headed by Warren Hastings. The main agenda behind abolishing the dual system is to give more power to the British Crown in the administrative, social and economic reforms of India.
3. There were massive changes in the revenue reforms which included shifting the capital from Murshidabad to Calcutta and establishing the Board of Revenue which came directly under the East India Company. Key officers in this Board of Revenue included British collectors and Accountant Generals who were appointed directly from Britain, thereby reducing the Indian influence in the decision making process. One of the most important revenue reforms was doing away with fines and restrictions that were placed by the Nawab of Bengal and other previous Indian rulers on the East India Company so that there was the ease of doing business for the East India company in the country.
4. Some of the main judicial reforms that had a significant impact on Indian society was abolishing the powers of Zamindar and local leaders in Bengal. Under the leadership of Warren Hastings, civil and criminal courts were established in Calcutta. In order to propagate the divide and rule policy, the British rulers abolished the Muslim laws and introduced Hindu laws across the region, in the name of uniformity, where Muslims were tried under these laws which further escalated communal tensions in the region.
5. Uniform tax rate and tariffs rate of 2.5 % for both domestic goods and foreign goods was enforced brutally against the interest of Indians under the leadership of Warren Hastings.
6. In order to gradually transfer the power from East India Company to the British Crown, Warren Hastings restricted private trade by the East India Company officials.

It can easily be said that the reforms that Warren Hastings bought in India were heavily favoured towards the British crown thereby making it easy for them to plunder Indian wealth into Britain. Although most of these reforms were protested and resisted in various forms and means by the people of Bengal, Warren Hastings continued to implement such drastic reforms which provoked Indian rulers and people across the spectrum to revolt against the British crown. This particular era gave way to the birth of one of the greatest freedom struggles the world has ever seen.

In the subsequent section below, we have given a fundamental idea of what was the impact of Warren Hastings that influenced the 200 years of British rule in India and henceforth.

What was the impact of Warren Hastings on the Indian subcontinent?

In a way, Warren Hasting’s policies paved way for the first revolt against the British British Crown in the country. It was because of the brutal nature of the judicial, economic and social reforms that Warren Hastings introduced in our society that was against the interest of Indian people that Indians came together cutting across religious lines to voice their opinions against the British crown.

Many historians believe that although Warren Hasting’s policies were a result of a direct command from the British Council, he always believed that keeping Indians and Indian rulers happy was a long-term strategy to establish British rule in the country. Historians believe that his personal views were far different from the policies that he had administered during his tenure.

Irrespective of what historians say, the policies such as the abolition of the dual system, abolition of judicial powers for the Zamindar, doing away with different religious laws and establishing the court in favour of the British Crown all helped the British East India Company to gain more power in the region and spread their wings across the country, beyond the realms of Bengal. While this is a story from one side of the coin story, from another side of the coin, that is the impact of Warren Hastings on the Indian subcontinent, leading to the unity of Indian people and made them realise that the agenda British rule in India was not to develop the country but to propagate their own vested interests.

Having said that, the policies and the way administration was conducted during his tenure has a lot of lessons for Indian leaders and civil servants in the 21st century. One of the biggest takeaways from the mistakes of Warren Hastings is the centralisation of power which in retrospect was not a good strategy looking at from a long term perspective and the best way to administer our country is through decentralisation of power and giving more influence to the local leaders. Like Warren Hastings, there are plenty of lessons for the Indian leaders in today’s world to learn and unlearn to build a better society. Students preparing for the Indian civil services examination will have to thoroughly study about the impact of Warren Hastings on the Indian subcontinent and how it can be extrapolated to the present-day situation in the country.

Frequently asked questions on Warren Hastings in competitive examinations like UPSC

1. Who was the first governor of Bengal?
Answer – Warrens Hastings was the first governor-general of Bengal
2. What was the dual system?
Answer – Dual system, which was infamously introduced by Robert Clive and abolished by Warren Hastings, was a system in which the east India company had the right to collect revenue while the nizam had the administrative authority.
3. Who headed the Anglo Mysore and Anglo Maratha wars?
Answer- Under the leadership of Warren hasting, Anglo Mysore and Anglo Maratha wars were fought.
4. Who passed the regulating act of 1773?
Answer- Warren Hastings passed the regulating act of 1773.

The battles and wars that is usually remembered are the ones where millions of people are killed or those instances where the history isre written because of such battles. Battle of Plassey is one such battle where the scale of the battle might be relatively small compared to other historical battles but the importance and the after-effects of these battles changed Indian history for centuries to come.

Battle of Plassey was a small battle fought between Robert Clive of the East India Company presented by the British crown and Siraj-ud-Daula from India who was the Nawab of Bengal.

It is to be noted that the British East India Company and the Nawab of Bengal had a pretty good relationship in terms of trade for many years before the Battle of Plassey but as and when the British Crown with the help of the East India company gradually started taking advantage of the trade privileges given by the Nawab of Bengal to the British, the relationship started to sour and that ultimately led to the Battle of Plassey.

In this particular article on notes on Battle of Plassey for UPSC exam preparation, we have given fundamental points that one should remember that will most likely be asked in examination such as UPSC and other competitive PSU exams. In this article one can find answers for why the Battle of Plassey was important, why was it fought, what were the causes of Battle of Plassey, what was the impact of Battle of Plassey and what can we learn in today’s India from the Battle of Plassey.

What is the battle of Plassey?

Battle of Plassey was a relatively smaller battle fought between the East India Company headed by Robert Clive and the Nawab of Bengal headed by Siraj Ud Daulah along with his French allies. This battle holds a lot of importance in the Indian modern History because it was after the defeat of Nawab of Bengal at Battle of Plassey that the East India Company and hence the British Crown started entering India with a lot more influence and power which ultimately led to the 200 years of brutal British rule in the country.

Battle of Plassey was fought on the 23rd of June in the year 1757 where the British East India company defeated a much larger Army from the Nawab of Bengal side. While the Battle of Plassey was the first important victory of British in South Asia, this victory helped the company and hence the British Crown seize control of Bengal and eventually dethrone all the kings and kingdoms in India and take control of the entire country.

What started as a purely business relationship between the administration of Bengal and the East India Company ultimately led to dethroning of the kingdoms in India and this explain a lot about how International policies and frameworks should be formulated in today’s world. Now that globalisation is an increasingly important phenomenon across the world and countries are coming closer and closer than ever before, history always teaches us a lesson on how to tread carefully and the impact of the Battle of Plassey is one such lesson that we should keep in mind that will help us in the future in terms of business and foreign policies with other countries around the world.

What were the causes for the Battle of Plassey?

While the actual and long term causes of the Battle of Plassey differ from history book to another history book, in this particular article on the notes on Battle of Plassey, we have given few such causes that gives an all-round idea for an IAS aspirant to understand why the battle of Plassey was fought and however big or small the cause is, can script the history of a country.

1. Indian kings allowing the entry of East India Company into the Indian territory with a promise of lucrative business without proper agreements and negotiations led to a chain of events ultimately leading to the Battle of Plassey.
2. The business relationship started becoming sour between Nawab of Bengal and East India Company when the British officers started taking advantage of the trading privileges granted to them by the Bengal kingdom.
3. Since there were no proper trade agreements between the two, employees of the British East India company stopped paying taxes and duties to the Nawab of Bengal and started taking advantage of the Monopoly situation in the market with practices such as high pricing and black marketing.
4. The British East India Company kept the Nawab of Bengal in dark in terms of certain business practices which irked the Bengal Presidency leading to the souring of the relationship between the two.
5. While the relationship between the Nawab and the East India company was deteriorating by the day, the East India company started giving Asylum and other benefits to the Enemies of Nawab such as Krishna Das. This act of East India Company further detoriated the relationship ultimately leading to the battle.
6. Given the nature of the relationship at that point of time between India and Britain, which was purely trade and commerce, was not in line with the East India Company’s ambition which wanted stakes and had an interest in the political and social environment of the country.
7. While the Nawab of the Bengal didn’t understand the ambitions of the East India Company, the British Crown was clear of its ambition and wanted to establish their first puppet ruler in the country in Bengal and that is the reason why the Battle of Plassey was initiated by the British East India company.
8. The first concrete step in the Battle of Plassey was the attack on English Factory at Kasim Bazar by the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj Ud Daulah. This act of Siraj Ud daulah initiated the Battle of Plassey which led to Robert Clive leading his army towards the Nawab at Plassey.

Effects of the Battle of Plassey on Indian history

The battle of Plassey, being the first step for the British crown to enter India has had a cascading effect on the country ever since.

We have made the following points for an IAS aspirant’s easy reference on the effects of the battle of Plassey.

1. It resulted in the decline of French rule.
2. There was a change in the nawab of Bengal.
3. It undoubtedly lead to British entry into the Indian political scenario.
4. The economy of Bengal, and eventually the economy of the country started to take a nosedive after the war and consolidation of British rule in the country.
5. Tax policies and economic policies became more brutal in the country after the battle of Plassey.
6. Personal career of Robert Clive from East India Company improved and he became a member of the British House of Commons.
7. In a way, the entry of the British helped unite Indians from different classes, castes and religious backgrounds, with a common goal of fighting the British.
8. After the battle of Plassey, Mir Jafar, who was the new Nawab of Bengal, came into an understanding with the Dutch and led them to attack the British to prove his leadership.
9. Traditional Indian businesses like pottery, weaving, painting etc, took backstage as the East India Company favoured outsiders into the market and created an unfair market environment in Bengal for localites.
   10. Severe economic and social restrictions led to an uprising movement in Bengal and the rest of the country against British rule.

Frequently asked questions on battle of Plassey in UPSC examination.

1. Why is the battle of Plassey considered historic?

Answer- The battle of Plassey is considered a historic battle in modern Indian history because it was a great way for the British Crown to enter India and rule the country for the next two centuries. Although the battle started between the Nawab of Bengal and the East India Company, the cascading effect that this battle had on neighbouring states makes it an influential and historic battle in the country.

2. Who were the main people involved in the Battle of Plassey?

Answer- the Battle of Plassey mainly involved the Nawab of Bengal and the East India company. From the Bengal side, there were Siraj-Ud-Daulah, who was the Nawab of Bengal, Mir jafar was the commander in chief in the nawaab’s army who turned out to be a traitor and betrayed his own countrymen after being bribed by the British East India Company, Rai Durlabh, another commander in the nawab’s army who also betrayed him. Robert Clive was the main person from the East India Company who was the main reason for the battle. Robert Clive irked the Nawab of Bengal by taking advantage of his trading privileges and giving political Asylum to enemies of Siraj Ud Daulah such as Krishna Das. Another reason why Robert Clive was the main cause of the Battle of Plassey was that he fortified Calcutta without acknowledging nawabs presence

3. What were the main causes of the Battle of Plassey?

Answer- some of the main causes of the Battle of Plassey was the misuse of trading privileges by the East India Company given by the Nawab of Bengal, non-payment of taxes and duties by the employees of the British East India Company, ignoring nawab and his policies in certain business and economic aspects were some among many causes for the battle of Plassey.

Small essay on battle of Plassey for IAS exam preparation

Below, we have given an example of a less than 500-word essay on the battle of Plassey that students can use to prepare for the UPSC mains examination.

In the year 1757 on the 23rd of June, the British East India company waged a Battle against the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies and had a conceived a decisive victory establishing the first formal rule of the British on the Indian subcontinent. Battle of Plassey is considered as a historic battle because it is through this gateway that the British started to gain control over the Indian subcontinent and neighbouring countries such as Afghanistan and Myanmar for the next two centuries.

Battle of Plassey took place on the banks of the Hugli river around hundred miles from Calcutta. The battle was mainly fought between Robert Clive of British East India company and the then Nawab of Bengal Siraj Ud Daulah, who was also the last independent ruler of Bengal.

While the Nawab of Bengal had a good relationship with the East India company in terms of trading and business, which was one of the reasons of the the Battle of Plassey. The special trading privileges given by the Nawab of Bengal to the British East India company was misused by Robert Clive which provoked the Nawab of Bengal resulting in the battle between the two. Robert Clive, with the support of certain influential people in the Nawab of Bengal’s circle such as Mir Jafar, the commander in chief in the nawab’s army, started fortification of Calcutta and ultimately captured the city in the year 1757 after defeating Siraj Ud daulah at Plassey.

The Black Hole massacre was an important event that took place when the Nawab of Bengal attacked the British East India Company along with his french allies before the beginning of the Battle of Plassey. The black hole massacre refers to a fort in the capital city of Calcutta where the Nawab of Bengal and his Army held British prisoners of war on the night of 28th June in the year 1756. Approximately 64 prisoners were sent to the hole and more than 40 prisoners died with many historians believing that this is the reason for souring of the relationship between the British East India Company and the Nawab of Bengal.

After the black hole massacre, the British army in Calcutta received massive reinforcement from the rest of the country including Madras to recapture the city. Taking advantage of this atmosphere Robert Clive of the British East India Company started to capture the French word of Chander Nagar.

Although the British East India Company was massively out-numbered by the Nawab of Bengal, Robert Clive and his allies cleverly used certain influential people within the nawaab’s army to settle scores with the Nawab of Bengal.

At the end of the battle, around 3000 soldiers of Colonel Robert Clive defeated Siraj Ud Daula’s army of 50000 soldiers with more than 40 cannons and 15 war elephants. the battle of Plassey, being one of the most influential battles in the Indian subcontinent, helped the British wield power over the Bengal territory which was the main revenue making machine for the country. The defeat of Bengal was just a tipping point and eventually, the British East India Company started to capture neighbouring states and finally the entire country which led to 200 years of brutal British rule in India. The British used the revenues acquired from the defeat of Bengal to expand their colonial powers not just in India but in different colonies across Dutch and French territories.