Study the picture and answer the following questions:

(a) Which event is shown in the Picture?

(b) What did the British get from the event in the picture? What other right did the British get from the Nawab of Bengal?

(c) How did the British use these two rights? What were they known as? State any three of its drawbacks?

(a) The event which is shown in the picture is granting of Diwani to the British Governor by Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II.

(b) The British got the Diwani function i.e., the right to collect revenue from Bengal, Bihar and Odisha for an annual payment of Rs. 26 lakhs to the Emperor. From the Nawab of Bengal, they got the nizamat functions, i.e., the military, defence and foreign affairs of Bengal and the right to nominate the Deputy Subehdar or Diwan.

(c) The British used these rights to control the revenues, military, defence and foreign affairs of the provinces. They used to exploit the people by taxing them heavily and maximizing profits for themselves.

They were known as Diwani and Nizamat.

Three drawbacks of these rights were:

1. The people groan under heavy and strict taxation.
2. Indian trade and commerce were worst affected. The Indian artisans and weavers were forced by the company officers to sell their products at cheaper rates.
3. The Nawab had no power to enforce law and provide justice. The Company on its part gave up all the responsibility for administration. The whole administration from top to bottom was corrupt.