Colonial India. Asian History - About.com |
Maharajah of Mysore. Krishnaraja Wodeyar.vanamalaarts.org |
Nawab Asaf-Ud-Dowlah of Awadh, India,en.wikimedia.org |
Kingdom of Awadh, India.en.wikipedia.org |
Kingdom of mysore1784 AD. en.wikipedia.org |
Quick Take - As It Happens - WordPress.com |
Arcot (1855), Jhansi (1854), Kannanur (1819), Kozhikode (1806), Kurnool (1839), Nagpur (1854, Pañjab (1849), Sambalpur (1849), Satara (1848), Surat(1842), Tanjore (1855), etc. The British East India company captured the various kingdom under the above policy just because of the fact the rulers did not have a legal heir, The tricky doctrine of lapse did not recognize an adopted son or daughter as legal and legitimate successor to the throne after ruler's death. It Had been a tradition among the childless Hindu parents to adopt a male or female kid as a legal successor and the law recognized it.The British, who were on a land grabbing spree, purposely excluded recognition of legal adoption as a clause in the new policy. As a result, many Rajahs lost their kingdom and the crown for no reason and there was no justification on the part of the British rulers to take away the land and the royal privileges they had been enjoying for centuries. The belligerent kings could not succeed and made a vain attempt to fight the mighty British to get back their kingdoms.
Fall of the kingdom of Awadh:
Awadh (now constituting part of Uttar Pradesh) was one of the richest and last territories to be annexed. In 1801, a ''Subsidiary Alliance'' (introduced by Lord Wellesley, British Governor-General in India from 1798 to 1805) was imposed on Awadh, and in 1856 the kingdom was taken over. Reason: Governor-General Dalhousie declared that the territory was being misgoverned and there was no semblance of proper and orderly governance and British rule was needed to ensure proper and effective administration.
The Company officials, cunning as they were, even began to hatch plans as to how to bring the Mogul dynasty down to the ground for good. They started off with the removal of the Mogul king's name from the coins being minted by the Company. In 1849 Governor-General Dalhousie announced that after the death of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the family of the king would be shifted out of the Red Fort and given another place in Delhi to reside in. In 1856, Governor-General Canning decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last Mughal king and after his death none of his descendants would be recognized as kings – they would just be called princes and their decision was final and irrevocable. Now the coast was clear for the unscrupulous and obnoxious British to take over the vast Indian subcontinent completely.
''Shakespeare's most diabolical, disgusting and nauseating character 'Iago' (of Othello) is just a pygmy before these Goliaths of scheming and corrupt autocratic British company officials.''
These two diabolical doctrines hatched by the foxy British Bobs were also among so many reasons that culminated in the form of a big rebellion called the Sepoy Mutiny (revolt) in 1857. The hospitable people of India were sick and tired of these nefarious and back-stabbing attitude of the company officials. Now, their emotional feelings, hatred and stoic sufferings were full to the brim.
Ref:
Wolpert, Stanley. A New History of India; 3rd ed., pp. 226-28. Oxford University Press, 1989.
Rajput Provinces of India - Udaipur (Princely State)