Nabob was a term of derision applied in the 18th century to those East India Company servants who had amassed fortunes in India, sometimes unscrupulously, which they then used for bettering their economic and social positions in England. The term is corrupted from the Persian title nawab, which originally designated governors administering Indian provinces for the Mogul emperors. Rulers of some Muslim Princely States continued to use the title during the British Raj period. Research Nabob
Robert Clive, LordClive and Baron of Plassey, was the principal founder of the British Empire in India. He is also known as Clive of India. He was born in 1725 at Market Drayton and died in 1774. As a child he formed a protection racket and demanded money from the local shop keepers.
When he was nineteen years old he entered the East India Company's service at Madras as a writer, but in 1747 quit the civil for the military service. It was a perilous time for British interests in India. The French under Dupleix had gained important privileges and large grants of territory, and in alliance with Chunda Sahib, nabob of Arcot,were threatening the very existence of the British establishments.
In 1751 Robert Clive, who had already a reputation for skill and courage, marched on the large city of Arcot with 200 British troops and 300 Sepoys, and took it, although strongly garrisoned, without a blow, withstood a siege by Ghunda Sahib for nearly two months, and at last routed the enemy, took possession of important posts, and returned to Madras completely victorious.
In 1753 he sailed to England to recover his health, and was received with much honour. Two years later he was back in India, in his governorship of St David's, from which he was soon summoned to command the expedition sent to Bengal, where the nabobSuraj-ud-Dowlah had attacked the British, destroyed their factories, taken Calcutta, and suffocated over 120 of his prisoners in the Black Hole. Robert Clive soon took possession of Calcutta and brought Suraj-ud-Dowlah to terms, but having no trust in the loyal intentions of the nabob he resolved to dethrone him. With the help of Meer Jaffier, one of the nabob's officers, he effected his purpose, and in the Battle of Plassey completely overthrew Suraj-ud-Dowlah's forces. Meer Jaffier now became the new nabob, and Robert Clive was made governor of Calcutta. Here he was equally successful against the encroachments of the Dutch, defeating their forces both by sea and land.
Robert Clive now visited England again, where his success was highly applauded without much inquiry as to the means; and in 1761 he was raised to the Irish peerage with the title of LordClive, Baron of Plassey. In 1764 fresh troubles in India brought him back, but now as president of Bengal, with command of the troops there. Before his arrival, however, Major Adams had already defeated the Nabob of Oude, and Robert Clive had only the arranging of the treaty by which the Company obtained the disposal of all the revenues of Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa.
In 1767 he finally returned to England. In 1773 a motion supported by the minister was made in the House of Commons, that 'LordClive had abused the powers with which he was intrusted;' but it was rejected for a resolution that 'LordClive had rendered great and meritorious services to his country.' His health was by this time broken, and in one of his habitual fits of melancholy he committed suicide on November the 22nd, 1774.
Robert Clive was of a reserved temper, although among his intimate friends he could be lively and pleasant. He was always self-directed and secret in his decisions, but inspired those under his command with the utmost confidence, owing to his bravery and presence of mind. In private life he was kind and exceedingly liberal. He married the sister of the astronomer - royal Dr. Maskelyne. Research Robert Clive
Warren Hastings was the first governor-general of India. He was born in 1732 at Daylesford in Worcestershire and died in 1818. He was the grandson of the rector of Daylesford. He was educated at Westminster School, and in 1750 he set out for Bengal in the capacity of a writer in the service of the East India Company. When stationed at Cossimbazar he was taken prisoner by Surajah Dowlah on the capture of the place in 1756. Having made his escape, he served as a volunteer under Clive in 1757.
He was representative of the Company at Moorshedabad from 1758 to 1761. In the latter year he moved to Calcutta, having obtained a seat in the Bengal Council, but returned to England in 1764. As he lost the bulk of his means by unfortunate Indian investments, he again entered the Company's service, and sailed for India in 1769. In consequence of the misgovernment of the Nabob of Bengal the Company had deprived him of all real power, and now wished to have the country more directly under their control. Warren Hastings was its chief instrument in this undertaking, and in 1772 became president of the Supreme Council of Calcutta. Mohammed Reza Khan, the administrator of the revenues of Bengal, was now accused by an unprincipled character named Nuncomar of corruption and abuses of power. In this prosecution William Hastings acted as the tool of the Company. Mohammed and Shitab Roy, dewan of Behar (who had been similarly accused), were afterwards honourably acquitted, but meantime the reorganization desired by the Company had been carried out.
In 1773 the Company's powers were considerably modified by an act of parliament and William Hastings now received the title of Governor-general of India. As the majority of the Council disapproved of William Hastings' past policy, Nuncomar, his old ally, took advantage of the circumstance to accuse him of peculation in 1776. The accusations were favourably received by the Council, when Nuncomar was suddenly accused by a Calcuttamerchant of forgery, was tried, and executed - a fate which he undoubtedly deserved.
In 1776 the directors of the Company petitioned government for his removal from the Council, but William Hastings resigned, and a successor to him was appointed. In 1777 one of the members of the Council died, and William Hastings,having thus procured a casting vote, withdrew his resignation, and returned to office. He now displayed extraordinary resource in meeting dangerous movements on the part of the Mahrattas, the Nizam of the Deccan, and Hyder Ali of Mysore, and to procure the needful money was less than scrupulous in his treatment of the rulers of Benares and Oude. He thus gave good grounds for censure, and a motion for his recall was passed in the House of Commons.
Fox's India Bill was thrown out in 1783, but next year Pitt's bill, establishing the board of control, passed, and William Hastings resigned. He left India in 1785, and was impeached by Burke in 1786, being charged with acts of injustice and oppression, with maladministration, receiving of bribes, etc. This celebrated trial, in which Burke, Fox, and Sheridan thundered against him, began in 1788, and terminated in 1795 with his acquittal, but cost him his fortune.
The Company in 1796 settled on him an annuity of 4000 pounds a year, and lent him 50,000 pounds for eighteen years-free of interest. He passed the remainder of his life in retirement at Daylesford, which he purchased. Research Warren Hastings
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Nabob
