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Source 2 After the defeat at Plassey, Sirajuddaulah was The Nawab assassinated and Mir Jafar made the nawab. The Company complains was still unwilling to take over the responsibility of administration. Its prime objective was the expansion of In 1733 the Nawab of trade. If this could be done without conquest, through the Bengal said this about help of local rulers who were willing to grant privileges, the English traders: then territories need not be taken over directly. Whentheyfirstcame Soon the Company discovered that this was rather into the country they difficult. For even the puppet nawabs were not always petitioned the then as helpful as the Company wanted them to be. After all, government in a they had to maintain a basic appearance of dignity and humble manner for sovereignty if they wanted respect from their subjects. liberty to purchase What could the Company do? When Mir Jafar a spot of ground to build a factory house protested, the Company deposed him and installed Mir Qasim in his place. When Mir Qasim complained, he in upon, which was no turn was defeated in a battle fought at Buxar (1764), sooner granted but driven out of Bengal, and Mir Jafar was reinstalled. they built a strong fort, surrounded it The Nawab had to pay Rs. 500,000 every month but with a ditch which the Company wanted more money to finance its wars, has communication and meet the demands of trade and its other expenses. with the river and It wanted more territories and more revenue. By the time Mir Jafar died in 1765, the mood of the Company mounted a great number of guns had changed. Having failed to work with puppet upon the walls. nawabs, Clive declared: “We must indeed become They have enticed nawabs ourselves”. several merchants Finally, in 1765 the Mughal emperor appointed the and others to go Company as the Diwan of the provinces of Bengal. The and take protection Diwani allowed the Company to use the vast revenue underthemandthey resources of Bengal. This solved a major problem that collecta revenue the Company had earlier faced. From the early eighteenth which amounts to Rs. 100,000… they century, its trade with India had expanded. But it had rob and plunder and to buy most of the goods in India with gold and silver imported from Britain. This was because at this time carry great number Britain had no goods to sell in India. The outflow of of the king’s subjects gold from Britain slowed after the Battle of Plassey, and of both sexes into slavery into their entirely stopped after the assumption of Diwani. Now own country … revenues from India could finance Company expenses. These revenues could be used to purchase cotton and silk textiles in India, maintain Company troops, and meet the cost of building the Company fort and offices at Calcutta. Company officials become “nabobs” (nawabs) What did it mean to be nawabs? It meant of course that the Company acquired more power and authority. But it also meant something else. Each company servant began to have visions of living like nawabs. 14 OUR PASTS – III Reprint 2024-25