Company Officials become “Nabobs”
The term “nawabs” signified not only increased power and authority for the East India Company but also sparked ambitions among its servants. Each Company official began to envision a lifestyle akin to that of nawabs. After the Battle of Plassey, where the Company gained significant victories, actual nawabs of Bengal were compelled to offer land and substantial sums of money as personal gifts to Company officials. Figures like Robert Clive exemplified this trend, amassing vast fortunes in India. Clive’s wealth, accumulated during his tenure in India, was staggering, reaching £401,102 by the time he left in 1767.
Despite his initial intentions to combat corruption within the Company, Clive himself faced scrutiny by the British Parliament over suspicions regarding his wealth. While some officials, like Clive, succeeded in acquiring wealth, many succumbed to disease and warfare in India. However, the aspiration for wealth persisted among Company officials, stemming from humble origins and driven by the desire for a comfortable life upon returning to Britain. Those who returned with riches were mockingly labeled “nabobs,” an Anglicized term derived from “nawab.” Seen as social climbers and upstarts in British society, these nabobs flaunted their wealth, drawing ridicule in plays and cartoons.
Trade in Bengal By East India Company | Class 8 History Notes
Trade-In Bengal by East India Company: According to the syllabus of NCERT Class 8, History – Chapter 2: From Trade to Territory: The Company Establishes Power: With the demise of Aurangzeb, the mighty Mughal Empire began to fracture, paving the way for the rise of regional powers across the Indian subcontinent. In the wake of Aurangzeb’s death in 1707, Mughal governors and influential zamindars started to assert their control, leading to the fragmentation of central authority in Delhi.
This period of political turbulence set the stage for the emergence of a new force on the horizon by the latter half of the eighteenth century. As the Mughal Empire weakened, an entity known as the East India Company began to make its mark, heralding significant shifts in trade, governance, and ultimately, the destiny of the Indian subcontinent.
Trade in Bengal By East India Company – Class-8 Notes