Year 8 - History
The growth of the East India Company as a private army
The East India Company: when did Mughal authority collapse?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils learn about the arrival of the East India Company on the fringes of the Mughal Empire. They examine how the East India Company's power and influence grew, and how they, along with various Indian rulers, destabilised Mughal power over India.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain why the British East India Company grew in power during the first half of the 18th century.
Key Notes
- Trade was considered important for a country's power in the 18th century.
- The British East India Company and French Compagnie des Indes competed over trade in India.
- The British and French made alliances with Indian successor states.
- The EIC and Compagnie des Indes recruited private armies, mostly made up of sepoys.
- The EIC and Comapgnie des Indes used their armies to fight against one another, and to support their Indian allies.
Vocabulary To Learn
- successor states: a successor state is a smaller country which is formed after a larger country begins to breakdown
- alliance: an alliance is an agreement between two or more countries to work together
- nawab: a nawab was an Indian ruler who declared their loyalty to the Mughal emperor but ruled a local area as they wished
- sepoy: a sepoy was an Indian soldier serving in a European army
- recruited: someone is recruited if they agree to join an organisation, especially an army
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- The East India Company relied entirely on European soldiers.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.
Trade was considered important for a country's power in the 18th century. The British East India Company and French Compagnie des Indes competed over trade in India.
2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'successor states'
a successor state is a smaller country which is formed after a larger country begins to breakdown.
3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.
Mistake: The East India Company relied entirely on European soldiers. Correction: The EIC increasingly recruited sepoy soldiers to serve in its army from the late-1740s onwards.
More Lessons In This Unit
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