The Treaty of Allahabad : A paper that changed the course of Indian History

Sushobhita Talukdar,

EIH Intern

One of the most important & defining moment of Indian history which changed the course of Indian history forever in the years to come, was Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II handing over the Diwani rights to Robert Clive. Read on to know why is this event treated as one of the "turning points" in Indian history.

In 1764 the Battle of Buxar was fought between the British forces of the East India Company & the combined forces of Mir Qasim (Nawab of Bengal), Shuja ud-Daula (Nawab of Awadh) & Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II. The British won a decisive victory against the coalition & the war was brought to an end with the signing of the Treaty of Allahabad on the 12th August, 1765.

The Treaty had important ramifications in the history of the Indian subcontinent, as it marked the beginning of the British rule & their social & political involvement in India. According to the terms of the treaty, Shah Alam II gave the British the Diwani rights or the right to collect taxes of Bihar, Bengal & Odisha, giving them access to one of the most fertile regions of the country. The British in return agreed to pay 26 lakhs annually to the Emperor. Although Awadh was returned to Shuja ud-Daula, he had to pay 50 lakhs of war indemnity, and Allahabad & Kora was taken away & he was henceforth made completely dependent on the British. The Treaty was thus significant as the formal step in the establishment of the British rule in India, which in the 1800s would be regarded as the Crown Jewel of the British Empire.

With the signing of the Treaty, Shah Alam II had unknowingly signed away India, because the Treaty ushered the dawn of the British rule in India which would continue for the next two centuries.

Additional Information :

• The Treaty was handwritten by I’tisam ud-Din, a scribe & diplomat to the Mughal Empire.
• William Dalymple in his book The Anarchy mentions that Benjamin West’s painting of Clive & Shah Alam II is deceptive. This is because unlike a grand public ceremony which the painting suggests, the transfer took place privately inside Clive’s tent which was erected on the grounds of the Mughal Fort of Allahabad. Further, the "Silken Throne" was actually Clive’s armchair which was covered with a chintz bedspread & used for the occasion.