Delve into the British conquest of Bengal, focusing on its significance, the conditions in Bengal on the eve of conquest, and the roles of Ali Vardi Khan and Siraj-ud-Daula.

Bengal on the Eve of British Conquest: Economic Power and Political Influence

• Bengal, the richest province of the Mughal Empire, included present-day Bangladesh, and its Nawab had authority over regions that are now Bihar and Odisha.
• Exports from Bengal to Europe consisted of raw products like saltpetre, rice, indigo, pepper, sugar, silk, cotton textiles, and handicrafts.
• The English East India Company had vital commercial interests in trading with Bengal, as nearly 60% of British imports from Asia consisted of goods from Bengal.
• By the 1630s, regular contact between the British and Bengal continued when they established factories in Balasore, Hooghly, Kasimbazar, Patna, and Dacca.
• In the 1690s, the foundation of Calcutta by the English East India Company completed the process of English commercial settlement in Bengal.
• The Company paid an annual sum of Rs 3,000 (£350) to the Mughal Emperor, who allowed them to trade freely in Bengal.
• In contrast, the Company’s exports from Bengal were worth more than £50,000 per annum.
• In 1700, Murshid Quli Khan became the Dewan of Bengal and ruled until his death in 1727.
• He was succeeded by his son-in-law, Shujauddin, who ruled until 1739.
• Afterward, Sarfaraz Khan, an incapable son of Murshid Quli Khan, ruled for a year (1739-40) before being killed by Alivardi Khan.
• Alivardi Khan ruled until 1756 and also stopped paying tributes to the Mughal Emperor.
• Under the rule of these rulers, Bengal experienced unprecedented progress.
• The region of Bengal was fortunate enough to escape the challenges faced by the rest of India, including inter-border disputes, the Maratha invasions, Jat revolts, and external invasions by Nadir Shah and Ahmed Shah Abdali.
• The population of Calcutta rose from 15,000 (in 1706) to 100,000 (in 1750), and other cities like Dacca and Murshidabad became highly populous.
• Many Bengal Governors strongly resented the special privileges enjoyed by the English Company, as it led to significant losses to the provincial exchequer.
• The friction between the English commercial interests and the Bengal government became the main cause for conflict between the two.
• During a brief period (1757-1765), power gradually transferred from the Nawabs of Bengal to the British, who defeated the former.

Alivardi Khan and the English: Political and Military Tensions

• In 1741, Alivardi Khan, the Deputy Governor of Bihar, killed the Nawab of Bengal Sarfaraz Khan in battle, securing his own position as the new Subahdar of Bengal by paying a large sum of money to the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah.
• Alivardi Khan ruled for 15 years, during which he successfully resisted the Marathas.
• The English took advantage of the Maratha incursions in Bengal, obtaining permission from the Nawab to dig a ditch and erect an entrenchment around their settlement at Fort William.
• Later, Alivardi Khan turned his attention to the Carnatic region, where European companies had usurped power, and was urged to expel the Europeans from Bengal.
• He died in April 1756 and was succeeded by his grandson, Siraj-ud-daula, the son of Alivardi Khan’s youngest daughter.

Challenges Before Siraj-ud-daula: Internal and External Struggles

• At just twenty years old, Siraj-ud-daula inherited many troubles from his grandfather.
• He faced rivals like his cousin, the Nawab of Purnea Shaukat Jang; a hostile aunt, Ghasiti Begum; a rebellious army commander, Mir Jafar; and a restless Hindu population.
• A dominant group in his court, including Jagat Seth, Omichand, Rai Ballabh, and Rai Durlabh, was opposed to him.
• To these internal struggles were added threats from the growing English commercial activities in Bengal.
• Impulsive by nature and lacking experience, Siraj-ud-daula felt insecure, leading to decisions that proved counter-productive.
• He defeated Shaukat Jang and killed him in battle, stripped Ghasiti Begum of her treasures, and dismissed Mir Jafar, appointing Mir Madan in his place.
• A Kashmiri officer, Mohan Lal, was appointed overall administrator, functioning almost like a prime minister.