Events

Hyderabad was one of the independent Indian states which came under the control of East India Company  without a direct war. It came under British influence by signing the Subsidiary Alliance with the East India Company in 1798. The Hyderabad State was founded by Nizam-ul-Mulk. He was originally appointed as the governor of the Deccan … Read more

Hemu (Hemchandra Vikramaditya) is one of the most surprising figures in Indian history. From 1206 till the decline of the Mughal Empire, for nearly 600 years, Delhi was mostly ruled by Muslim rulers. Hemu was the only Hindu ruler who captured Delhi in 1556, though his rule lasted only about a month. Hemu was not … Read more

The Sikh Gurus were epitomes of sacrifice. They did not bend before the mighty Mughal Empire but chose the path of resistance, sacrifice, and martyrdom. Guru Arjan Dev was executed during the reign of Jahangir, and Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed during the reign of Aurangzeb. The first Sikh Guru to be executed by the … Read more

The French were late entrants to Indian trade through the sea route. The French East India Company was established in 1664. The French established their factories at Surat, Pondicherry, Chandernagore, Yanam, Mahe, and Karaikal. Pondicherry became the main administrative centre of French possessions in India. In the Carnatic region, the French and the English fought … Read more

Portugal was enjoying a monopoly in the spice trade and making huge profits from it in the 16th century. Other European countries did not want to be left behind. Several merchants in London came together and formed the East India Company in 1600 AD, and obtained a royal charter from Queen Elizabeth I. However, it … Read more

If the 16th century was the century of the Portuguese in trade with India, the 17th century belonged to the Dutch. In 1602, the Dutch East India Company, known as the VOC   was formed, and it soon left behind the Portuguese and the English in Asian trade. Dutch trade was much more diversified than Portuguese … Read more

The East India Company had employed a huge number of Indian sepoys in its army. In 1857, the Company introduced the Enfield rifle in India. When Indian sepoys came to know that the cartridges used in this rifle were greased with cow and pig fat, their religious sentiments were deeply hurt. The Indian sepoys resisted, … Read more

If the East India Company emerged as a kingmaker in Bengal after the Battle of Plassey (1757), it became the king itself after the Battle of Buxar (1764). After the Battle of Plassey, Mir Jafar was made the Nawab of Bengal, and the plunder of Bengal began. The East India Company was paid a huge … Read more

The Battle of Plassey in 1757 was an important battle that paved the way for British rule in India. The Second Battle of Tarain in 1192  paved the way for the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate, the First Battle of Panipat in 1526  facilitated the rise of the Mughal Empire, and the battle of palassey … Read more

Babur inherited the throne of Fergana at a young age and aspired to rule over Samarkand. He was initially successful in capturing Samarkand, but in 1501 he was defeated by the Uzbek ruler Shaybani Khan. After this defeat, Babur wandered as a fugitive for several years. In 1504, he moved eastward and managed to take … Read more