Princely States in the 18th and 19th century: Awadh by By - Thea Jain and Jahnavi Pujary

Awadh Background

thearavijain — 2020-10-27 03:12:40 UTC

Awadh, also known as Oudh by the British was a princely state in the Indo-Gangetic Plains during the British rule in India. Over time it has had three capitals which are Ayodhya(1722-1740), Faizabad(1740-1775), and Lucknow(1775-1858). It received its name from Ayodhya, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kosala, which was nearly coextensive with present-day Awadh. It was a rich kingdom, and it was able to stay independent from threats like the British, the Marathas, and the Afghans. After India gained its Independence in 1947 Awadh became a part of Uttar Pradesh.

The indigenous authority ruling over the Princely State(Indeginous - initial)

thearavijain — 2020-10-27 04:24:35 UTC

In Awadh different parts of its region were ruled by different governments and empires such as the Mughal Empire, the Delhi Sultanate, the Sharqi Sultanate, the Nawabs of Awadh, the East India Company, and the British Raj.

Nawab of Awadh was the title of the ruler who hegemonized the state of Awadh during the 18th and 19th Centuries. A few of the indigenous authorities that ruled over the state of Awadh between the 18th and 19th centuries were as follows.

Burhan ul Mulk Sa'adat Khan was the title given to Mir Muhammad Amin better known as Saadat Ali Khan who was the first Nawab of Awadh. His date of birth was not recorded but was assumed to be in 1680 and he died on 19th March 1739. He was previously the Nawab of Akbarabad (present-day Agra) and in October 1721 he was dismissed from his rule as Nawab. After being dismissed he traveled to Delhi and in September 1722 he was appointed as the Nawab of Awadh. He had 5 daughters and no sons. He gave his eldest daughter in marriage to his sister’s son Muhammad Muqim who succeeded him as Nawab of Awadh.

Abul Mansur Mirza Muhammad Muqim Ali Khan also known as Safdar Jang ruled as the second Nawab of Awadh from 19th March 1739 to 5th October 1754. His title was Abul-Mansur Khan Safdar Jung, he was born in 1708 and died on the 5th of October 1754.

Jalal-ud-din Haider Abul-Mansur Khan known famously by his titular name Shuja-ud-Daula was the son of Safdar Jang and was the third Nawab of Awadh from 5th October 1754 to 26th January 1775. He was born on 19th January 1732 and died on 26th January 1775.

Muhammad Yahya Mirza Amani known by his titular name Asaf-ud-Daula was the fourth Nawab of Awadh from 26th January 1775 to 21st September 1797 and was also the son of the previous Nawab of Awadh, Shuja-ud-Daula. He was born on 23rd September 1748 and died on 21st September 1797.

Asif Jah Mirza also known by his real name Wazir Ali Khan was the fifth Nawab of Awadh from 21st September 1797 to 21st January 1798 and was the adopted son of Asaf-ud Daula. He was born on 19th April 1780 and he died on 15th May 1817.

The last Nawab we are going to talk about is the sixth Nawab of Awadh Yamin-ud-Daula who is also known by his real name Saadat Ali Khan II. He ruled as Nawab of Awadh from 21st January 1798 to 11th July 1814. He was named after the first Nawab of Awadh Saadat Ali Khan I and he was the second son of Shuja-ud-Daula. He was born in 1752 and he died on 11th July 1814.

Geo-political importance of the State

thearavijain — 2020-10-27 04:27:22 UTC

Awadh was located in Northern India, close to Ayodhya and west of Varanasi, and geographically included the following districts Bahraich, Ambedkar Nagar, Faizabad, Hardoi, Lucknow, Unnao, Rai Bareilly, Barabanki, Gonda, Lakhimpur Kheri, Pratapgarh, and Sultanpur. Situated in the Indo-Gangetic Plain, one of Awadh’s assets was the alluvial soil which was very beneficial, being very fertile. The state was also known as India’s granary, a granary being storage for types of grain. This aspect was key to ensure domination over the Doab, which was a fertile piece of land between two rivers: Yamuna and Ganga. Awadh was also the main trade route between North India and Bengal. The British on entering the princely state had merchants and traders accompanied by them who “sold British or Bengali goods and bought saltpetre and cotton piece-good”.

Relationship between Nawabs and Mughals.

thearavijain — 2020-10-27 04:29:23 UTC

The Mughal Emperors were superior to the Nawabs and the Nawabs of Awadh were technically the jagirdars and they also had zat ranks. Around 1555 the second great Mughal, Humayun captured Awadh and made it a part of the Mughal empire. A Persian adventurer known as Saadat Ali Khan or Burhan ul Mulk Sa'adat Khan was then sent to Awadh and he was made Nawab of Awadh; he was the first Nawab of Awadh. While the Nawabs kept changing and they kept passing on their power to their heirs, they would continue to aid the Mughals whenever needed. But then The Battle of Buxar took place and due to their defeat, the Britishers got control over many places and empires including Awadh and The Mughals and they were no longer independent to help the Mughals.

The European Powers having influence over that state

thearavijain — 2020-10-27 04:29:39 UTC

The British were one of the main European powers present in Awadh. Mir Qasim, the last Nawab of Bengal who wished to reinstall royal authority. He introduced several rules and organized a disciplined and well-armed army trained by the Europeans. To raise his finances he tried to check the misuse of permits by the Company’s servants who carried on duty-free private trade. This misuse ruined the dignity of Indian traders through unfairness and deprived Mir Qasim of large profits. The Nawab took the decision of removing all duties on internal trade, hence equating English and Indian merchants. Which infuriated the British who could not take this defeat and wished to overthrow him. In 1763, war broke out between Mir Qasim and the English. Mir Qasim was defeated and escaped back to Awadh. Mir Jafar was given his place on the throne. Mir Qasim then made an alliance with the Nawab of Awadh and Shah Alam II, the Mughal Emperor at the time. The cumulative army had been defeated in the Battle of Buxar,1764. Mir Qasim soon left. The Battle of Buxar is one of the most prominent battles in Indian history. It finally established the British as masters of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa and gave them control over Awadh and the Mughal Emperor.

Methods by which the ruling state lost their ruling power to the European power (Aggressive or Diplomatic?)

thearavijain — 2020-10-27 04:29:56 UTC

When the Mughal Empire lost its control, Awadh was more independent; it was important because it controlled the doab which was the fertile plain between the Ganges and the Yamuna rivers. The third Nawab, Shuja-ud-Daula broke ranks with the British after allying with Mir Qasim, the old Nawab of Bengal. He and Mir Qasim with the Mughal emperor Shah Alam were defeated in the Battle of Buxar on 22-23 October 1764 by the British and were forced to give up parts of his territory. The British started to take more territory after that. The fourth Nawab was Asaf-ud-Daula who shifted the capital from Faizabad to Lucknow in 1775. In 1798 the fifth Nawab Wazir Ali Khan was accused by the British that he did not care for his own people and was forced and replaced by his uncle with the help of the British. Lord Wellesley exploited it to the best possible extent by a treaty of 1801. Saadat Ali Khan II was reduced to a mere puppet king and under the provisions of the treaty. He was forced to give up his own troops and agreed to bear the huge expense of the British army. The final moment came and Awadh was taken over by the English East India Company under the terms of the Doctrine of Lapse on the grounds of internal misrule on 7 February 1856 by the order of the Governor-General of the British East India Company, Lord Dalhousie.

Based on what you identify, write the key features of the Subsidiary Alliance System and the Doctrine of Lapse

thearavijain — 2020-10-27 04:30:15 UTC

The Subsidiary Alliance was a treaty between the Indian princely states and the British which the Indian kingdoms lost their sovereignty to the English. It was formed by Lord Wellesley, the Governor-General of India from 1798 to 1805. The Nawab of Awadh was the first ruler to enter into the subsidiary alliance with the British after the Battle of Buxar.

The doctrine of Lapse was a strategy of the British East India Company under which if the ruler of a princely state or territory under the authority of the Company died without a natural heir, the territory would automatically be annexed to the British empire.

The features of the Subsidiary Alliance -

In return, the British would protect the Indian state against any foreign attack or internal revolt.
The British promised non-interference in internal affairs of the Indian state but this was rarely kept.
The Indian state could not enter into any alliance with any other foreign power.
He could also not employ any other foreign nationals other than Englishmen in his service. And, if he were employing any, on the signing of the alliance, he had to terminate them from his service. The idea was to curb the influence of the French.
The Indian state could also not enter into any political connection with another Indian state without British approval.
The Indian ruler, thus, lost all powers in respect of foreign affairs and the military.

jahnavipujary — 2020-10-27 13:52:52 UTC

Geographical Location of Awadh
, Accessed on 27-10-20, 10:10 am

jahnavipujary — 2020-10-27 13:57:24 UTC

Alluvial Soil
, Accessed on 27-10-20, 7:28

Saadat Ali Khan

thearavijain — 2020-10-27 14:00:21 UTC

<https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q641646> accessed on 27-10-20, 5:30 pm