Phase 1 – Sikkim and the British: From Allies to Protectorate Gorkha Expansion and the British Intervention British motives for befriending Sikkim: Growing Strains in Relations Sikkim Becomes a British Protectorate 1890 – Anglo–Chinese Convention of Calcutta Note on British Protectorates: Phase 2 – Sikkim and Independent India 1950 – Treaty of Protection 1970s –…
When the British East India Company began ruling parts of India, relations with Bhutan were tense and often hostile. The Bhutanese conducted frequent raids into the Dooars plains—fertile lowlands on the Bengal–Assam border—which were part of British-controlled territory. Early Contact – Treaty of 1774 Tensions Rise Again The Duar War & Treaty of Sinchula (1865)…
To understand why Britain kept interfering in Afghanistan during the 19th century, we must remember the “Great Game”—the rivalry between the British Empire (controlling India) and the Russian Empire (expanding into Central Asia). By the 1830s, the British feared that: So, they wanted Afghanistan to remain a friendly buffer state—but on their terms. This led…
Once the British had established firm control over India, their eyes naturally shifted to the surrounding region. Nepal and China could be managed diplomatically and militarily, but Burma—today’s Myanmar—was a different matter. Burma was not a passive neighbour. It had an ambitious, expansionist ruling house—the Konbaung dynasty (1752–1885)—and it was already looking outward for conquests….
Let’s start in the 18th century. Gorkha Conquests in the West (1767 onwards) After this victory, the Gorkhas expanded their power from Bhutan in the east to the Sutlej River in the west, building a strong military reputation. Nepal–Sikh Conflict – Clash of Mountain and Punjab Power How it Started (1805–1809) Ranjit Singh had a…
When we talk about the foreign policy of India during British rule, it’s very important to remember one thing: India was not making its own foreign policy.It was the British who were ruling India, so whatever “India’s foreign policy” was at that time, it was actually the foreign policy of the British Empire—designed to protect…
If we look at Indian history between Plassey (1757) and the Revolt (1857), one question naturally comes up:“How could a foreign trading company — that came to buy and sell — end up ruling over such a vast and ancient civilisation in less than a hundred years?” The answer lies not in one single reason…
By the mid-19th century, under Governor-General Lord Dalhousie (1848–1856), the British pursued a determined policy of territorial expansion to bring maximum area under direct British rule.Two key instruments were used: Doctrine of Lapse First Case: Satara (1848) – King Appa Sahib died without a natural heir and had adopted a son without British approval. States…
By 1818, the British had already defeated the Mysore Sultanate and dismantled Maratha power. The entire Indian subcontinent, except Punjab and Sindh, was either: The next four decades would see the British move into the north-west, annexing Sindh, Punjab, Awadh, Central Provinces, and many smaller states — completing the conquest of India. The Global Context…
By the early 19th century, it was clear that the decline of Indian powers was not due to one single defeat, but because of deep, systemic weaknesses that the British understood and exploited. Constant Intrigue and Warfare Among Indian States Factionalism Within the Administration Failure of Resource Mobilisation The Pindari Factor and the Pindari War…
