The East India Company: Laying the Foundations for British Colonial Domination of India, 1752-1774 - Key Data

The sources in this collection demonstrate how the burgeoning commercial and political power of the East India Company developed into British colonial rule of the Indian subcontinent. Drawing upon the papers of two of its influential personalities, Colonel Robert Clive and Brigadier-General John Carnac, the collection offers insights into the ways in which the East India Company became increasingly powerful as a result of the weakening of the Mughal Empire during the eighteenth century. The period covered by this collection witnessed key events such as the pivotal Battle of Plassey in 1757, the “Black Hole of Calcutta” incident, and the British military expedition against the Dutch in 1759. 

Robert Clive joined the East India Company in Madras in 1743. He was appointed governor of Fort St. David in 1755 and later appointed governor of Bengal. Throughout his career in India he amassed vast personal wealth and played a major role in laying the foundations of British rule — his military victory at Plassey secured the British a key foothold in India. John Carnac joined the East India Company with the rank of captain in 1758 and went on to serve as Commander-in-Chief of the East India Company. Throughout 1760–1761 he defeated the French-supported forces of the Mughal Empire. He worked in tandem with Clive — military responsibility passed from one to the other. These figures systematically expanded British influence throughout India.