Q. Which of the following actions were taken by Mir Kasim as the Nawab of Bengal to assert his independence and challenge the authority of the English East India Company?
1.Abolishing all internal duties (tolls) for all traders, both Indian and European, in an attempt to neutralize the unfair advantage enjoyed by the Company’s private trade.
2.Disbanding his existing large army, as he realized its inefficiency, and instead hiring French military officers to train a new, disciplined army.
3.Confiscating the properties of key conspirators of the Plassey coup, such as the Jagat Seths, and punishing them for their past disloyalty.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Answer: D
Notes:
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct. The abuse of the Dastak gave the Company’s private trade an unfair advantage over Indian traders. Mir Kasim abolished all duties to create a level playing field, which the EIC saw as an attack on their privilege.
- Statement 2 is correct. Mir Kasim was determined to build a modern, disciplined army to counter the English. He shifted his capital to Monghyr and hired European (mostly French) experts to train his infantry and artillery.
- Statement 3 is correct. Mir Kasim successfully subdued and eventually executed the primary agents of the Plassey conspiracy, including Ram Narayan (Deputy Governor of Bihar) and the Jagat Seths, to settle old scores and secure his political position.
