British Rule
It was during the British rule, that the Zamindars of Bengal and Bihar became equivalents of the landed aristocracy. Specifically in the laws of 1793, the zamindars were created absolute owners of the estates, and not just representatives of the sovereign rulers It was also during the conquest of Bengal, that the British settlers gained power in India. In 1612, Sir Thomas Roe was instructed by King James I to visit the Mughal Emperor to arrange for a commercial treaty which would give the Company exclusive rights to reside and build factories in Surat and other areas. The British were given the ability to trade in the Indian Empire by Emperor Jahangir.
In 1757, after the Battle of Plassey, the rule of the Nawabs (governor or nobleman) were undermined by the British and later they received the diwani (Vice Royalty) from the Nawabs. In effect, the British now directly controlled Bengal and most of its zamindars who were previously under the Nawabs and the Imperial Mughal rule. The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) saw the transformation of events of 1757 to 1764 where European forces were in a struggle to oust the Indian rulers and establish rule in Bengal, that resulted in direct rule over all of India.
In 1764, the Battle of Buxar, saw the loss of Bengal from the Mughals, as Emperor Shah Alam II became a pensioner of the British after a loss. With him, Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula, the Ruler of Awadh was restored, while Nawab Mir Qasim, the Ruler of Bengal lost his control on Bengal. Murshid Quli Jafar Khan, the Nawab of Bengal governed Bengal, through his feudal chiefs, the Zamindars of Bengal who dominated all the villages in the region.
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