Mentor’s Comment:

Introduction should explain about the British conquest which was a conquest by chance by taking advantages of opportunities prevailing at that time. Since obtaining the Diwani Right and fortification they slowly take their hold over Indian administrative systems.

Further the main body should mention about the declining of Mughal Empire (first later Mughal) and disintegrating of Mughal territories in autonomous states with independent rulers. These states were initially ruled by capable rulers but slowly followed a series of weak and incompetent rulers which gave Britishers chance to intervene.

Europeans came for trading but ruled for 200 years following various weakness in Indian administrations of that time as they subsequently took over the administration and hence conquest. This was the opportunistic activities of Britishers.

Further conclude based on the points of main part.

Model Answer:

• From the time of the first Later Mughal i.e. Aurangzeb, the Mughal Empire started disintegrating into the large number of autonomous state. They were ruled by either the governors or the military commanders, and some of them even came to have either new or revived old dynasties.
• Each of these states initially had some capable rulers, but in course of time saw a series of weak and incompetent rulers. This gave lot of scope to the European interference in the internal affairs of India of which Europeans taken advantages.
• At the outset it is almost baffling to know that only a handful of English man could conquer and rule over an ancient civilization like India for almost two centuries.
• Like all the other European traders the English also came to India undoubtedly only for trading purpose. But in course of their trading activities, they saw and realized several weaknesses among the Indian powers.  It was a by chance opportunities to which Britishers benefitted.
• The English grabbed each one of these opportunities to become king makers first and even king later. For example, starting from the grant of Diwani Rights by Bengal King, Mysore, Carnatic and even at the centre of later Mughal.
• From 1757-1857 the East India company conquered several parts of India. They succeeded in defeating all the major Indian powers including the Nawabs of Bengal and Awadh, Sultans of Mysore, Leaders of Marathas and Sikh States.  By the mid-19^th century the British became unquestioned masters of India, though nobody could have predicted it even in the mid-18^th
• Hence, the prevailing circumstances at that time facilitated Britishers gradually to gain power without any pre-planned strategy and thought. So we can conclude by saying that ‘The British conquest of India took place in a fit of absent mindness.’