Rise of Independent Regional Powers and British Expansion in India

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the rise of regional powers in 18th-century India, the establishment and expansion of British rule, and the structural fundamentals of the Indian Union Legislature and Executive.

Peshwa

The chief minister or mukh pradhan in the Maratha kingdom who eventually exercised real power and authority.

Chauth

A revenue tax consisting of 25% of the revenue levied by the Marathas.

Sardeshmukhi

An additional tax of 10% revenue levied by the Marathas from six Mughal provinces in the Deccan.

Maratha Confederacy

A loose union of prominent Maratha families (Sindhia, Bhonsle, Holkar, Gaekwad) officially headed by the Peshwa.

Third Battle of Panipat (1761)

A battle in 1761 in which Ahmad Shah Abdali decisively defeated the Maratha army, shattering their ambition of replacing the Mughal empire.

Murshid Quli Khan

The governor of Bengal who took advantage of declining Mughal authority to rule Bengal independently while continuing to pay annual tribute.

Alivardi Khan

The most capable successor of Murshid Quli Khan who promoted trade but forbade British and French merchants from fortifying factories in Calcutta and Chandernagore.

Saadat Khan

The governor of the Mughal province of Awadh who laid the foundation of the independent state of Awadh.

Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah

The Mughal viceroy of Deccan who founded the independent state of Hyderabad in 1724.

Hyder Ali

An ordinary soldier who rose to commander and overthrew the Mysore government in 1761 to establish a powerful, prosperous state.

Tipu Sultan

The son and successor of Hyder Ali known as the 'Tiger of Mysore', who modernized the army and economy of Mysore.

Wootz Steel

High-quality steel used to forge Tipu Sultan's intricately designed swords featuring tiger motifs and Persian inscriptions.

Raja Sawai Jai Singh

The ruler of Amber who built astronomical observatories (Jantar Mantar) in five cities, founded Jaipur, and introduced social reforms.

Khalsa

A military brotherhood of Sikhs organized by Guru Gobind Singh to carry on the struggle against Mughal persecution.

Misls

Twelve loose groups or confederacies into which the Sikhs were organized, each governed by a chief.

Ranjit Singh

The chief of a Sikh misl who united all Sikh chiefs west of the Satluj River and made himself master of Punjab by the end of the 18th century.

Treaty of Amritsar (1809)

A treaty of 'perpetual friendship' signed between Ranjit Singh and Lord Minto, establishing the Satluj River as the boundary between Sikh and British territories.

English East India Company

A trading company established in 1600 CE by British merchants, granted exclusive rights to trade with the East by Queen Elizabeth I.

Factory (17th Century)

A British trading settlement consisting of a warehouse for goods, a record office, and residential quarters for company employees.

Fort St George

The fortified British trading settlement established in Madras (Chennai) in 1639 CE.

Fort William

The fortified British trading settlement established in Calcutta in 1690 CE.

Presidencies

The three main administrative headquarters of British settlements in India—Madras, Bombay, and Calcutta—each under a Governor.

French East India Company

A commercial company formed in 1664 CE with headquarters based in Pondicherry (Puducherry).

Carnatic Wars

Three wars fought between the British and French in India during the 18th century for commercial and political supremacy.

Farman of 1717

A royal decree issued by Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar granting the English East India Company duty-free trade rights in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.

Dastaks

Passes issued by the English East India Company for the free, duty-free movement of their commercial goods.

Siraj-ud-Daulah

The grandson of Alivardi Khan who became Nawab of Bengal in 1756 and resisted British fortification and tax evasion in Calcutta.

Battle of Plassey (1757)

A crucial battle fought on 23 June 1757 in which Robert Clive defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah following the betrayal by Mir Jafar.

Mir Jafar

The commander-in-chief of Siraj-ud-Daulah's forces who conspired with Robert Clive and was subsequently proclaimed the puppet Nawab of Bengal.

24 Parganas

The territory whose zamindari rights were granted to the English East India Company following the Battle of Plassey.

Mir Qasim

The son-in-law of Mir Jafar who was made Nawab of Bengal in 1760 and later abolished internal trade duties to curb British misuse.

Battle of Buxar (1764)

A battle in 1764 where British forces defeated the combined army of Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daulah, and Mughal emperor Shah Alam II.

Treaty of Allahabad (1765)

A treaty signed by Robert Clive with Shuja-ud-Daulah and Shah Alam II that granted the British the Diwani rights of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.

Diwani Powers

The right granted to the English East India Company to collect revenue and judge civil cases in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.

Nizamat Powers

Administrative powers encompassing general governance, maintenance of law and order, and criminal justice in Bengal.

Dual Government in Bengal (1765-72)

A system introduced by Clive where the Nawab held Nizamat administrative responsibility without financial resources, and the Company held Diwani revenue power without responsibility.

Warren Hastings

The Governor of Bengal who abolished Dual Government in 1772 and became the first Governor General of British territories in India in 1773.

Subsidiary Alliance

A policy perfected by Lord Wellesley where Indian rulers accepted British troops in their territory, paid for their maintenance, and surrendered foreign policy control.

Resident

A British official stationed at the court of an Indian ruler who entered into a Subsidiary Alliance.

First Anglo-Maratha War (1775-82)

A 7-year war between the British and Marathas caused by a succession dispute, ending indecisively with the Treaty of Salbai in 1782.

Treaty of Salbai (1782)

A treaty ending the First Anglo-Maratha War that acknowledged Madhav Rao II as Peshwa and gave the British 20 years of peace.

Nana Phadnavis

A prominent Maratha statesman, chief minister, and guardian of infant Peshwa Madhav Rao II who acted as a pillar of Maratha unity.

Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803-05)

A conflict triggered after Peshwa Baji Rao II signed the Subsidiary Treaty at Bassein in 1802, resulting in defeat for Sindhia and Bhonsle.

Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-18)

The final war between the British and Marathas in which Peshwa Baji Rao II was defeated, deposed, pensioned off to Bithur, and Maratha power extinguished.

Doctrine of Lapse

An expansion policy formulated by Lord Dalhousie stating that subordinate states without a natural male heir automatically lapsed to British rule.

Subordinate States

Indian states that were created or indirectly controlled by the British East India Company.

Maladministration

The pretext of misgovernment used by Lord Dalhousie to depose the Nawab and annex Awadh in 1856.

Anglo-Sikh Wars (1845-49)

Two wars fought between the British and the Sikhs following Ranjit Singh's death, leading to the complete annexation of Punjab in 1849.

Bicameral Legislature

A legislative body comprising two separate chambers or houses, such as the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Union List

A list of 97 subjects of national importance (e.g., Defence, Foreign Affairs) on which only the central Parliament can make laws.

State List

A list of 66 subjects of regional importance (e.g., Police, Public Health) on which state legislatures can frame laws.

Concurrent List

A list of 47 subjects of national and regional importance (e.g., Education, Forests) on which both central and state legislatures can legislate.

Lok Sabha

The Lower House of the Indian Parliament, also known as the House of the People, with a maximum strength of 550 members.

Speaker

The presiding officer of the Lok Sabha who conducts meetings, maintains discipline, and supervises the House.

Rajya Sabha

The permanent Upper House of Parliament (Council of States) with a maximum strength of 250 members, representing states and union territories.

Money Bill

A legislative bill solely dealing with financial matters, such as the annual budget, which can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha.

Quorum

The minimum attendance required for a parliamentary meeting to take place, set at 10 percent of total membership.

Electoral College

The body consisting of elected members of both Houses of Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies that elects the President of India.

Impeachment

A constitutional procedure by which Parliament can remove the President if found guilty of violating the Constitution, treason, or corruption.

Ordinance

An executive order issued by the President when Parliament is not in session, carrying the force of law for up to 6 weeks after Parliament reassembles.