The British and French East India Companies have been drawn into a confusing situation. The deaths of the rulers of Hyderabad and then Carnatic have led to struggle for succession in each of these states; and in each, ...

In 1756, the ruler (nawab) of Bengal, who had for sometime been casting envious eyes on the busy British port of Calcutta, had occupied the town. The hurried British evacuation had left almost a hundred stragglers ...

In 1761 the south Indian Kingdom of Mysore had come under a very capable ruler, Haider Ali. He had fought alongside the French, and was familiar with French military tactics and discipline. He recruited European ...

In these years the British East India Company has both greatly expanded the territories it governs directly, and even more so extended its influence through a far-ranging network of alliances with numerous Indian ...

For India as a whole, the period between 1820 and 1857 has generally been one of peace. The wide-ranging British dominance has kept the numerous Indian states from waging war with each other, and apart from some small ...

In early 1857, due to carelessness amongst British officers in the Bengal army, new rifles were issued with cartridges which had to be greased with a tallow that was rumoured to contain fat from both pigs and cows. ...

Many of the rebels’ grievances were quickly addressed. The offending cartridges, which sparked the rebellion, had been withdrawn almost immediately. The British government ordered officials in India to abstain from ...