Subsidiary Alliance and Doctrine of Lapse

  1. The Subsidiary Alliance was introduced by Lord Wellesley in 1798 as a strategic tool to expand British influence in India.
  2. Under the alliance, Indian rulers were required to maintain British troops in their territories and pay for their upkeep.
  3. In return, the British promised protection from external threats and internal rebellions.
  4. The system effectively made the allied state a vassal of the British East India Company.
  5. The ruler had to accept a British Resident in their court, limiting their sovereignty.
  6. States

Anglo-Mysore and Anglo-Maratha Wars

  1. The Anglo-Mysore Wars (1767–1799) were a series of four wars between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Mysore.
  2. The wars were fought during the reigns of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, who resisted British expansion.
  3. The First Anglo-Mysore War (1767–1769) ended with the Treaty of Madras, restoring territories to both sides.
  4. The Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780–1784) resulted in the Treaty of Mangalore, one of the few instances of Indian victory against the British.

Battle of Plassey (1757)

  1. The Battle of Plassey was fought on 23rd June 1757 between the forces of the British East India Company and Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula of Bengal.
  2. It marked the beginning of British colonial rule in India.
  3. Siraj-ud-Daula, the last independent Nawab of Bengal, opposed the increasing dominance of the East India Company in Bengal.
  4. The British were led by Robert Clive, who played a key role in securing their victory.
  5. Mir Jafar, one of Siraj-ud-Daula’s commanders, betrayed him and aligned with the B

Rise of Regional Powers

  1. The decline of the Mughal Empire in the 17th century led to the emergence of regional powers across India.
  2. These regional kingdoms were characterized by strong local governance and resistance to central authority.
  3. The Marathas, under Shivaji Maharaj, established a powerful empire in the Deccan.
  4. The Rajputs, especially in Rajasthan, retained their influence by maintaining semi-autonomous states.
  5. Mysore, under rulers like Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, emerged as a significant power in South I

Sikh Empire

  1. Sikh Empire was established in the early 19th century by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
  2. The roots of the empire trace back to the Sikh Gurus, especially Guru Nanak (1469–1539), who founded Sikhism.
  3. Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru, transformed Sikhs into a military force with the creation of the Khalsa in 1699.
  4. After the death of Guru Gobind Singh, Banda Singh Bahadur led the Sikhs in uprisings against the Mughal Empire.
  5. Banda Singh Bahadur introduced agrarian reforms

Maratha Empire

  1. Maratha Empire emerged as a dominant power in India during the 17th and 18th centuries.
  2. Shivaji Maharaj (1627–1680) was the founder of the Maratha Empire.
  3. Shivaji established a well-organized and disciplined administration based on the principles of justice and welfare.
  4. The Coronation of Shivaji in 1674 at Raigad marked the formal beginning of the Maratha Empire.
  5. Shivaji created a powerful navy to protect the western coastline from foreign invasions.
  6. He introduced Ashta P

Aurangzeb and Decline

  1. Aurangzeb (1658–1707) ascended the throne after defeating his brothers, including Dara Shikoh, in a bloody succession war.
  2. Aurangzeb adopted a policy of strict Islamic orthodoxy, reintroducing the jizya tax on non-Muslims in 1679.
  3. He expanded the empire to its greatest territorial extent, covering almost the entire Indian subcontinent.
  4. His military campaigns in the Deccan, against the Marathas and other regional powers, drained the empire's resources.
  5. Aurangzeb’s religious policies, incl

Jahangir and Shah Jahan

  1. Jahangir (1605–1627 CE) was the fourth Mughal Emperor, succeeding his father Akbar.
  2. Jahangir was originally named Prince Salim and took the title Nur-ud-din Muhammad Jahangir upon his ascension.
  3. His reign is noted for political stability, economic prosperity, and a flourishing of the arts.
  4. Jahangir was a patron of Mughal painting, which reached new heights under his rule, emphasizing naturalism and portraiture.
  5. His court painter, Ustad Mansur, was famous for his depictio

Babur and the First Battle of Panipat

  1. Babur was the founder of the Mughal Empire in India.
  2. He was a descendant of Timur from his father’s side and Genghis Khan from his mother’s side.
  3. Babur ascended the throne of Fergana (modern Uzbekistan) at the age of 12 in 1494.
  4. After losing Samarkand multiple times, Babur turned his attention toward India.
  5. The political situation in India was fragmented, with the Lodhi dynasty in decline.
  6. Babur invaded India for the first time i