When we talk about the “British conquest of India,” it is easy to imagine that it happened through one or two decisive battles and everything was over. In reality, this was not a single event but a long, calculated process—stretching across a century—where trade slowly transformed into political control, and political control eventually became complete colonial dominance.
The story begins not with armies, but with ships. The English East India Company (EIC) first arrived as a trading enterprise, aiming to profit from the rich resources of the East—spices, textiles, indigo, and opium. In the beginning, they bowed to the power of the Mughal Empire and local rulers. But the 18th century changed everything. The decline of the Mughal Empire left a patchwork of successor states, each with its own ambitions and rivalries. Into this fractured political landscape stepped the Company—armed with superior naval power, modern military techniques, and an unshakable commercial hunger.
Bengal was the first turning point. The battles of Plassey (1757) and Buxar (1764) were not just military victories—they were the moment the Company learned it could be more than a trader. Controlling Bengal meant controlling one of the wealthiest provinces of the subcontinent, and this economic foundation allowed the British to fund further expansion.
From Bengal, their influence spread like a network of rivers, reaching deep into the political heart of India. They fought Mysore under Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan in four wars, defeating and killing Tipu in 1799. They manipulated the divisions within the Maratha confederacy, finally breaking its power by 1818. Step by step, province by province, the Company replaced older centres of authority with its own.
Some regions fell through open warfare—like Sindh in 1843 and Punjab in 1849—while others were absorbed through diplomacy or policy. Under Governor-General Lord Dalhousie, the notorious Doctrine of Lapse became a legal tool for annexing princely states without heirs, ignoring long-standing Indian customs of adoption.
By the mid-19th century, the British had completed their conquest. The entire subcontinent, except a few frontier areas, lay under their paramountcy. Direct British rule coexisted with “princely states,” whose rulers were sovereign in name but subject to British control.
The significance of this process lies not just in the battles fought, but in the methods used—military strength, economic exploitation, diplomatic intrigue, and administrative restructuring. Together, they transformed India’s political map, eroded centuries-old systems of governance, and laid the foundations of colonial rule that would last until 1947.
In the sections that follow, we will see this journey in detail—from the first decisive battles in Bengal to the final annexations under Dalhousie—understanding not only how the British conquered India, but why they succeeded where others failed.
Here’s your UPSC-friendly simplified timeline — reorganized to make the sequence of events easier to follow and remember. I’ve grouped events into phases so that aspirants can link them to the broader narrative of British conquest and consolidation.
British Conquest & Consolidation – Simplified Timeline (1756–1856)
Phase 1: Conquest of Bengal (1756–1765) – Foundation of British Power
Year
Event
Significance
1756
Siraj-ud-Daulah becomes Nawab of Bengal
Start of conflict with EIC
Feb 1757
Treaty of Alinagar between Siraj-ud-Daulah & EIC
Temporary peace, British retain privileges
June 1757
Battle of Plassey – British defeat Siraj-ud-Daulah
Foundation of British political rule
Nov 1759
Battle of Bedara – British defeat the Dutch
Eliminated Dutch competition
1760
Mir Qasim becomes Nawab of Bengal
Attempts reforms against EIC
1764
Battle of Buxar – British defeat Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daula & Shah Alam II
Secured political supremacy in Bengal
1765
Treaty of Allahabad – Shah Alam II grants Diwani rights
EIC gains revenue rights over Bengal, Bihar, Orissa
1765
Robert Clive introduces Dual System of Government
Administrative control without direct governance
Phase 2: Mysore Wars (1767–1799) – Southern Challenge to British Power
Year
Event
Significance
1767–69
First Anglo-Mysore War
Ended with Treaty of Madras
1780–84
Second Anglo-Mysore War
Ended with Treaty of Mangalore
1790–92
Third Anglo-Mysore War
Ended with Treaty of Seringapatam – Tipu cedes territory
1799
Fourth Anglo-Mysore War – Death of Tipu Sultan
Mysore brought under British control
Phase 3: Maratha Wars (1775–1819) – Struggle for Western India
Year
Event
Significance
1775–82
First Anglo-Maratha War – Treaty of Salbai
Temporary peace
1802
Treaty of Bassein with Peshwa Baji Rao II
Allowed British intervention in Maratha affairs
1803–05
Second Anglo-Maratha War
British gain large territories
1817–19
Third Anglo-Maratha War – Peshwaship abolished
Complete Maratha defeat
Phase 4: Annexation of Border Regions (1843–1849)
Year
Event
Significance
1843
Annexation of Sindh by Sir Charles Napier
Incorporated into Bombay Presidency
1845–46
First Anglo-Sikh War – Treaty of Lahore
British gain control over key territories
Dec 1846
Treaty of Bhairowal
British regency over Punjab
1848–49
Second Anglo-Sikh War
Annexation of Punjab
Phase 5: Expansion by Policy – Doctrine of Lapse (1848–1856)
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