Q: Clarify how mid-eighteenth century India was beset with the spectre of a fragmented polity. 2017 10

Introduction:

By the mid-eighteenth century, India was experiencing political disintegration following the decline of the Mughal Empire. The central authority weakened, and regional powers gained autonomy, creating a fragmented and unstable political landscape.

Main Body:

Spectre of fragmented policy in 1750s : 

1. Weakend central power : The Mughal Empire, once a strong centralized power, had lost control over its provinces due to weak rulers, succession disputes, and administrative inefficiency.
2. Regional kingdoms such as the Marathas, Mysore under Hyder Ali and later Tipu Sultan, the Nawabs of Bengal, Awadh, and the Sikh states in Punjab emerged as independent powers, often competing with one another. [ map scope ]
3. Frequent wars between these regional powers created political instability and prevented any unified resistance against external threats.
4. European trading companies, especially the British and the French, exploited this fragmentation by forming alliances with local rulers and intervening in succession disputes, thereby gaining political and military footholds.
• Carnatic wars
5. The fragmented polity made India vulnerable to colonial expansion, exemplified by the British victory at the Battle of Plassey (1757) and subsequent consolidation of Bengal.
6. Economic instability also accompanied political fragmentation, as local rulers extracted revenue from peasants and trade was disrupted by constant conflicts.

Conclusion:

By the mid-eighteenth century, India’s fragmented polity, marked by weakened central authority and competing regional powers, created political instability and economic vulnerability. This disunity was exploited by the British, paving the way for colonial dominance and eventual control over the Indian subcontinent.