1.     Beginning as Traders

o    The East India Company came to India in 1600 with permission from Queen Elizabeth I.

o    At first, their aim was only to trade in spices, cotton, silk, indigo, and other goods.

2.     Competition with Other European Companies

o    The Portuguese, Dutch, and French were also trading in India.

o    The British fought wars with the French (Carnatic Wars) and defeated them, gaining monopoly in trade.

3.     Military Strength

o    The Company maintained a strong private army.

o    With superior weapons and trained sepoys, they could defeat Indian rulers easily.

4.     Use of Diplomacy

o    The British used policies like “Divide and Rule”.

o    They made allies with some Indian rulers while defeating others.

5.     Key Battles

o    Battle of Plassey (1757): Defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah and established control in Bengal.

o    Battle of Buxar (1764): Defeated Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II and Nawabs of Bengal & Awadh. Gained Diwani rights (tax collection).

6.     Expansion Policies

o    Subsidiary Alliance (by Lord Wellesley).

o    Doctrine of Lapse (by Lord Dalhousie).