The History Of Bangalore The “Honourable” Company: Britain to Bangalore, Part 2
In this pivotal interlude, Ramjee Chandran explores the transformation of the East India Company from a group of London merchants into a "sovereign merchant" with a global footprint. This episode tracks the shift from commerce to conquest, sparked by the hollowed-out Mughal authority after 1739. From the "transaction" of Plassey to the decisive Battle of Buxar, we witness the moment the Company acquired the Diwani—the right to collect Indian taxes to fund its own wars. This is the story of how the wealth extracted from a starving Bengal provided the military machine that would eventually march toward the gates of Bengaluru.
Key Details from the Script:
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The Shift in Constraints: For most of the 17th century, the Company was constrained by functional Indian states; it only became a territorial threat after Mughal authority collapsed following Nadir Shah's 1739 sack of Delhi .
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Plassey as a Transaction: The 1757 victory was less a battle than a financial conspiracy orchestrated by the banker Jagat Seth, who bribed General Mir Jafar to stand aside .
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The Turning Point at Buxar: The 1764 victory over a coalition of indigenous powers led to the Treaty of Allahabad (1765), where the Company was appointed Diwan of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa .
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Self-Sustaining War: Acquisition of the Diwani allowed the Company to pay for its own wars using Indian revenue rather than British bullion, creating a cycle where Bengal's wealth funded military campaigns in the South .
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The Human Cost: The Company’s systematic extraction led to the 1770 Bengal Famine, where up to half the population perished; despite this, the Company increased revenue collections by ten percent .
- The Target - Mysore: By 1772, the Company realized that coastal ports were not enough to secure trade; their attention turned inland toward the one state on the southern plateau that was not a puppet: Mysore under Hyder Ali.
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The theme music for the show was composed by German-Indian Koln based percussionist, Ramesh Shotham. Ramjee Chandran's photos by Asha Thadani.
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