18TH CENTURY POLITICAL FORMATION

 

CLASS-VII     HISTORY

CHAPTER: 10         18^TH CENTURY POLITICAL FORMATION

 

MUGHALEMPIRE

•        By 1765: British grabbed territories in East India

•        New political groups emerged in first half of 18^th century (from 1707 that is death of Aurangzeb to 1761 that is 3^rd Battle of Panipat)

 

DECLINE OF MUGHLE RULE

•        Started during end of 17^th century

•        Aurangzeb depleted military and financial resources of kingdom

•        Later Mughals couldn’t check the powers of Mansabdars

•        Nobles appointed as governors (Subadars) -controlled officials of revenue and military administration (diwani and faujdari)

•        Periodic remission of revenue to the capital declined with Governors consolidating control over provinces

•        Peasant and Zamindari rebellion added to the problem- revolt caused by mounting taxes

•        Unable to arrest gradual shifting of political and economic authority into hands of provincial governors

•        Nadir Shah plundered Delhi in 1739 and took away lot of wealth- Rs. 60 lakhs, 1000 gold coins, Rs. 1 crore gold ware, Rs. 50 crore Jewels and peacock throne into rubbles

•        Ahmed Shah Abdali invaded north India five times between 1748-1761

•        Faced competition from other groups

•        Were invaded into Iranis and Turanis (Turkish People)

•        Worst Mughal experience- Farrukh Siyar (1713-1719) and Alamgir II (1754-1759) were assassinated, and two others Ahmadshah (1748-54) and Shah Alam II (1759-1816) were blinded by their nobles

 

EMERGENCE OF NEW STATE

•        By 18^th century: Mughals fragmented into

•        States that were old Mughal provinces like Awadh, Bengal and Hyderabad- powerful and independent ruler- Saadat Khan-Zat rank 6,000 (Awadh), Murshid Quli Khan- Zat rank-7,000 (Hyderabad)

•        States that enjoyed considerable independence under the Mughals as watan Jagirs- several Rajput principalities

•        States under the control of Marathas, Sikhs and Jats

 

HYDERABAD

•        Nizam-ul-mulk Asaf Jah, founder of Hyderabad- powerful members at court of Mughal Emperor Farrukh Siyar- 1^st was governor of Awadh and later Deccan

•        He had full control over Administration

•        Brought skilled soldiers from N. India

•        He appointed Mansabdars and granted Jagirs

•        Mughals confirmed decisions taken by Nizams

•        Engaged in struggle against Marathas to west and with independent Telgu warrior chiefs (nayakas) of plateau

•        They aims to control rich textile areas of coromandal coast in east

 

AWADH

•        Burhan-Ul- Mulk Sa’ Adat Khan was appointed subadar of Awadh in 1722 and founded a state- emerged as break-up of Mughal

•        Controlled Ganga plains and trade route between North India and Bengal

•        Held combined officials of Subadari, Diwani and Faujdari that is political, financial and military affairs

•        Reduced jagirdars- role to prevent cheating- appointed by Mughals

•        He seized Rajput Zamindars and fertile lands of Afghans and Rohilakhand

•         State depended on local mahajans for loans

•        It sold right to collect taxes to bidders

•        “Revenue farmers” (Ijaradars) agreed to pay state a fixed sum of money

 

BENGAL

•        Murshid Quli Khan was appointed as Naib, deputy to governor of the province- seized all power

•        Commanded revenue administration- collected in cash with strictness, those unable to pay were asked to sell lands

•        Transferred all Mughals Jagirdars to Orissa and ordered major reassessment of revenues of Bengal

•        Under Alivardi Khan- Jagir Seth’s banking house become prosperous

Common in Awadh, Hyderabad and in Bengal

•        States established by nobles of Mughal empire- Jagirdari system

•        They contracted with revenue farmers for tax collection- Ijardari

•        Relation with bankers nad merchants who lent money to revenue farmers

 

WATAN JAGIRS OF RAJPUTS

•        Amber and Jodhpur kings- watan jagir (autonomy)

•        18^th century: Rajput rulers extended control over near by regions

•        Ajit Singh, ruler of Jodhpur was involved in politics

•        Influential Rajput families claimed Subadari of rich provinces of Gujrat and Malwa

•        Raja Ajit Singh of Jodhpur- held governorship of Gujrat and Sawai Raja Jai Singh of Amber was governor of Malwa and offices were renewed by emperor Jahandar Shah in 1713

•        Nagaur conquered by Jodhpur

•        Amber seized Bundi

•        Raja Jai Singh founded new capital at Jaipur and was given the subadari of Agra in 1722

•        Maratha campaign started in Rajasthan since 1740s

 

SEIZING INDEPENDENCE- SIKHS

•        Guru Gobind Singh fought against Rajputs and Mughals before and after Khalsa in 1699

•        After 1708, Khalsa rose in revolt against Banda Bahadur leadership- established administration between Sutlej and Yamuna- removed coins in names of Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh - Banda Bahadur was captured in 1715 and executed in 1716

•        Shikhs organized themselves under bands called Jathas, and later on Misls- combined army was Dal Khalsa

•        Rakhi was introduced – after protection to cultivators on payment of tax of 20% of the produce

•        Khalsa aimed to rule- Raj Karega Khalsa, introduced own coins in 1765 with same inscriptions as under Banda Bahadur

•        Resisted Mughals and later Ahmad Shah Abdali who seized Punjab and Sarkar Sirhind from Mughals

•        18^th century: Extended from Indus to Jamuna

•        Maharaja Ranjit Singh: Reunited these groups and established his capital at Lahore in 1799

 

SEIZING INDEPENDENCE- MARATHAS

•        Shivaji with powerful warriors

•        Highly mobile, peasant pastoralists – backbone of Maratha

•        After Shivaji- family of Chitpavan Brahmanas served Shivaji’s successors as Peshwa ( principal minister), Poona became capital of Maratha kingdom

•        Peshwa- Good military organization

•        Malwa and Gujrat were seized from Mughals by 1720s

•        By 1730s, Marathas were recognized as overlord of entire Deccan peninsula. He possessed the right to levy chauth and sardeshmukhi in the entire region

•        Raided Delhi in 1737 and spread to rajasthan and Punjab in the north; into Bengal and Orissa in east; and into Karnataka and the Tamil and Telgu countries in the south

•        Other became hostile towards Marathas and did not support Marathas during 3^rd Battle of Panipat in 1761

•        Agriculture was encouraged and trade received- Maratha chiefs (Sardars) like Sindhia of Gwalior, Gaekward of Baroda and Bhonsle of Nagpur raised powerful armies

•        Malwa: Ujjain expanded under Sindhia’s patronage and Indore under Holkar’s – these functioned as commercial centers

•        Silk from Chanderi was found in Poona, Maratha capital

•        Burhanpur had trade between Agra and Surat, expanded to Poona and Nagpur in South and Lucknow and Allahabad in East

SEIZING INDEPENDENCE- JATS

•        Consolidated power during 17^th – 18^th century

•        Churaman (leader) – controlled regions west of Delhi and between Delhi and Agra

•        They became the virtual custodians of Agra city

•        Panipat and Ballabhgarh- trading centres

•        Suraj Mal- king of Bharatpur (strong ruler)- may people took refuge in Bharatpur on invasion of Nadir Shah

•        Jawahir Shah had 30,000 troops of his own and hired 20,000 Maratha and 15,000 Sikh troops to fight Mughals

•        Bharatpur fort: Traditional in nature

•        Dig fort: Elaborate garden palace combing styles seen at Ambar and Agra (ideas from Shah Jahan)

 

FRENCH REVOLUTION

•        18^th century: common man did not participate in govt. affairs

•        Middle classes, peasants and artisans fought against special rights enjoyed by clergy and nobility

•        Believed no group should have privilege based on birth

•        Social position must be based on merit

•        Idea of equal law and opportunity for all

 

 

 

 

 

THE END