The growth of the East India Company as a private army
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain why the British East India Company grew in power during the first half of the 18th century.
Key learning points
- Trade was considered important for a country's power in the 18th century.
- The British East India Company and French Compagnie des Indes competed over trade in India.
- The British and French made alliances with Indian successor states.
- The EIC and Compagnie des Indes recruited private armies, mostly made up of sepoys.
- The EIC and Comapgnie des Indes used their armies to fight against one another, and to support their Indian allies.
Keywords
Successor states - a successor state is a smaller country which is formed after a larger country begins to breakdown
Alliance - an alliance is an agreement between two or more countries to work together
Nawab - a nawab was an Indian ruler who declared their loyalty to the Mughal emperor but ruled a local area as they wished
Sepoy - a sepoy was an Indian soldier serving in a European army
Recruited - someone is recruited if they agree to join an organisation, especially an army
Common misconception
The East India Company relied entirely on European soldiers.
The EIC increasingly recruited sepoy soldiers to serve in its army from the late-1740s onwards.
Teacher tip
At the end of the lesson, ask pupils to discuss whether it seemed like the Mughals were still in control of events in India by the middle of the 18th century. Students may be prompted by asking them how involved the Mughal emperors seemed to be in major events like the Carnatic Wars.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Nizam al-Mulk governed in Hyderabad without interference from the Emperors.
Q2.After 1724, which group of people in the Deccan had to swear loyalty to Nizam al-Mulk?
Q3.Bengal was the region of the Mughal Empire.
Q4.The rulers of Bengal used the title...
Q5.When Persian forces invaded the Mughal Empire in the late 1730s, the Nawab of Bengal to send troops to support the Mughal army.
Q6. was sacked by invading Persian forces in the year 1739.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.During the early eighteenth century, the East India Company competed with the Compagnie des Indes to secure alliances with various Indian rulers.
Q2.Why were rival networks of alliances able to develop across India in the early eighteenth century?
Q3.Which important British trading post was captured by the French in 1746?
Q4.Following the First Carnatic War the East India Company and the Compagnie des Indes...
Q5.Indian soldiers serving in European armies became known as...
Q6.The East India Company and Compagnie des Indes supported different sides in a conflict over who should be the Nawab of...
To help you plan your 8 history lesson on: The growth of the East India Company as a private army, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 history lesson on: The growth of the East India Company as a private army, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 history lessons from the The East India Company: when did Mughal authority collapse? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.