When the English East India Company (EIC) was founded in 1600, its ambition was purely commercial — to profit from the lucrative Eastern trade, especially in spices, textiles, and other exotic goods. The Company established its first factory at Surat in 1612, and over the next century and a half, it gradually spread along India’s…
See folks, the story of British Administration in India is not merely about laws, acts, and councils; it is about how an entire subcontinent’s governance system was slowly reshaped under foreign rule, piece by piece, over nearly two centuries. The Backdrop: From Traders to Rulers In the mid-18th century, the English East India Company was…
Tibet – Land of the Lamas and Nominal Chinese Suzerainty Early British Interest – Commercial Curiosity Late 19th Century – The Russian Angle Emerges Many historians believe the “Russian threat” was exaggerated and served as an excuse for British intervention. The 1904 Lhasa Expedition Impact: 1906 Anglo–Chinese Convention 1913–14 Shimla Conference – Drawing the McMahon…
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…
