Canberra, 15 May 2023 The 18th century was one of enormous changes for the English East India Company—it was during the first half of this century that the Company started to evolve from being a global trader to becoming a State by itself. This period also witnessed increasing government oversight of its revenue and political […]
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Tag Archives: Gujarat
Europeans in India Part 8 The English East India Company Section III: Early Decades – The Steady March
March 17, 2023 
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Canberra, 17 March 2023 The East India Company’s beginnings in India were not very promising, mainly because of the concerted Portuguese opposition and the inability of the English to obtain permission from the Mughal Viceroy of Gujarat to erect a factory in Surat. The Portuguese were opposed to any new arrivals in India and made […]
Continue readingEuropeans in India Part 7 The Dutch Enter the Fray Section II Commercial Activities – Gujarat, The Coromandel & Bengal
January 29, 2023 0 Comments
Canberra, 29 January 2023 The Dutch arrived in India and faced great opposition from the Portuguese, who pushed back with force. The animosity was such that they moved on to the Far-East and established themselves in today’s Indonesia. From their base in the archipelago, they made gradual and initially surreptitious inroads into South Asia, initially […]
Continue readingEuropeans in India The Portuguese Part 4 Governance, Policies and Operations
January 5, 2023 0 Comments
Canberra, 5 January 2023 There are two viewpoints regarding the Portuguese attempt to establish a ‘State’ in the Indian sub-continent, headquartered at Goa. One, a sort of sweeping assessment, states that the defeat of the Arab coalition at Diu in 1509 by Almeida ended all threats to Portugal’s hegemony in the Indian Ocean region. The […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 20 The Prominent Feudatories of the Empire Section V: The Gaekwads of Baroda
September 11, 2022 0 Comments
Canberra, 11th September 2022 The Gaekwads were hereditary Patels of Davdi, a village near Talegaon in Pune district. From the time of the Maratha conquest of Gujarat, they were in the direct service of the Senapati, Khande Rao Dabhade. The Senapati was also a hereditary position and equal in status to the Peshwa, being the […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 14 Peshwa Balaji Rao Section I: A Hesitant Start
January 7, 2022 0 Comments
Canberra, 7 January 2022 On the untimely death of Baji Rao, the Deccan faction in the Maratha court once again attempted to stop the hereditary appointment of the Chitpavan Brahmin Bhat family as Peshwas. This faction was led by Raghuji Bhonsle, who was also one of King Shahu’s favourite nobles. Raghuji had been at loggerheads […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 13 Peshwa Baji Rao I Section IV A Peshwa Fades Away
December 26, 2021 0 Comments
Canberra, 26 December 2021 The Marathas always faced obstacles in establishing strong control over the coastal region of Konkan. The Sidis, and later the Portugues, individually contested the control over this narrow, but strategically important coastal strip. The control of Konkan translated to the control of the lucrative seaborne trade that also included horses and […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 13 Peshwa Baji Rao I Section I: Taking Charge
November 24, 2021 0 Comments
Canberra, 24 November 2021 Two weeks after his father’s death, 22-year-old Baji Rao succeeded as the Peshwa, assuming office on 17th April 1720. There was opposition to his appointment because of his extreme youth and a demonstrated penchant for military adventures. He was also known for his characteristically open and direct manner of dealing with […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 83 Shah Jahan Section IV The War of Succession 2. Civil War
January 1, 2021 0 Comments
Canberra, 1 January 2021 The four sons of Shah Jahan had started preparing for the inevitable succession struggle even before he actually fell ill. Each one attempted to win over as many nobles as possible to their individual camps; and the nobles responded in the only manner they would—attempting to side with the prince who […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 81 Akbar Sect IV The Conquering Emperor 6. The North-West and the Deccan
August 22, 2020 0 Comments
Canberra, 22 August 2020 Even when the rebellion in Bengal was raging without an end in sight, and it was thought that the East would be lost to the Empire, Akbar did not march to Bengal. Though all his military instincts—which were highly developed—prompted him to rush to the East, he held back, for the […]
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