PUNJAB · ROHILLAS
JATS · AWADH
MARATHAS
RAJPUTS · GUJARAT
BENGAL
EASTERN POWER
HYDERABAD
MYSORE · CARNATIC · TRAVANCORE
REALM 03 — THE FRAGMENTED MAP
Regional Powers in 18th-Century India
Mughal Weakening → Provincial Autonomy → Regional States → European Intervention
MUGHAL DECLINE ↓
BENGAL | AWADH | HYDERABAD ↓
MYSORE | MARATHAS | RAJPUTS ↓
SIKHS | JATS | ROHILLAS | CARNATIC ↓
REGIONAL COMPETITION ↓
EUROPEAN ENTRY
MICRO-REALM 03.01
The Regionalisation of India
1. MUGHAL WEAKENING
2. PROVINCIAL AUTONOMY
GOVERNORS
ARMIES
REVENUE
- Why regional powers emerged
- Decline of central authority
- Provincial governors
- Local elites
- Independent military power
- Revenue control
MICRO-REALM 03.02 · THE EASTERN POWER
Bengal
MURSHID QULI
SHUJA
SARFARAZ
ALIVARDI
BENGAL AUTONOMY
REVENUE & TRADE HUB
BRIDGE: BENGAL → PLASSEY
- Murshid Quli Khan
- Revenue administration
- Provincial autonomy
- Shuja-ud-din & Sarfaraz Khan
- Alivardi Khan
- Commercial importance & EIC
- Bridge: Bengal → Plassey
MICRO-REALM 03.03 · THE GANGA PLAIN POWER
Awadh
SAADAT
KHAN
KHAN
SAFDAR
JANG
JANG
SHUJA-UD-
DAULA
DAULA
GANGA PLAIN REVENUE & ADMIN
BRIDGE: AWADH → BUXAR
- Saadat Khan
- Safdar Jang
- Shuja-ud-daula
- Awadh's autonomy & Admin
- Revenue & Mughal ties
- Relations with the British
- Bridge: Awadh → Buxar
MICRO-REALM 03.04 · DECCAN SUCCESSOR
Hyderabad
NIZAM-UL-MULK
DECCAN SUCCESSOR STATE
MARATHA PRESSURE
CARNATIC LINK
BRIDGE: HYD → CARNATIC WARS
- Nizam-ul-Mulk
- Hyderabad's emergence
- Deccan administration
- Mughal relationship
- Maratha pressure & Carnatic link
- European rivalry
- Bridge: Hyderabad → Carnatic Wars
MICRO-REALM 03.05 · THE SOUTHERN POWER
Mysore
WODEYAR → HAIDAR ALI
TIPU SULTAN · MILITARY STATE
🚀 EXPANSION & ROCKETRY
BRIDGE: MYSORE → ANGLO-MYSORE
- Mysore's rise & Wodeyars
- Haidar Ali
- Tipu Sultan
- Admin & military development
- Expansion & British clash
- Bridge: Mysore → Anglo-Mysore Wars
MICRO-REALM 03.06 · EXPANDING CONFEDERACY
Maratha Power
SHIVAJI SWARAJYA → PESHWAS
CHAUTH
SARDESHMUKHI
CONFEDERACY
GUJARAT
MALWA
BUNDEL
DOAB
PUNJAB
- Shivaji's legacy & Swarajya
- Peshwas & Confederacy
- Chauth & Sardeshmukhi
- Gujarat · Malwa · Bundelkhand
- Doab & Punjab advance
- Relations with Nizam-ul-Mulk
MICRO-REALM 03.07 · WESTERN KINGDOMS
Rajput States
MUGHAL
CENTRE
CENTRE
RAJPUT
KINGDOMS
AUTONOMY
MARATHA
PRESSURE
PRESSURE
- Post-Mughal weakening
- Relations with Mughal centre
- Regional autonomy
- Maratha pressure
- 18th-century political position
MICRO-REALM 03.08 · PUNJAB FRONTIER
Sikh Power
⚔ SIKH MISLS
PUNJAB FRONTIER
MUGHAL-AFGHAN CONTEXT
- Sikh political consolidation
- Misls
- Punjab
- Mughal-Afghan context
- Regional military power
MICRO-REALM 03.09 · AGRA–BHARATPUR CORRIDOR
Jat Power
DELHI
↔
BHARATPUR
JAT BASTION
↔
AGRA
- Jat political consolidation
- Regional resistance
- Bharatpur
- Relations with Mughal authority
MICRO-REALM 03.10 · NORTHWESTERN POWER
Rohillas & Rohilkhand
ROHILKHAND
ROHILLA CHIEFS
AFGHAN NEXUS
⇄
AWADH
RIVALRY
RIVALRY
- Rohilla chiefs
- Rohilkhand
- Afghan political influence
- Relations with Awadh
- North Indian power politics
MICRO-REALM 03.11 · SOUTHERN THEATRE
Carnatic
CARNATIC SUCCESSION DISPUTE
HYDERABAD LINK + TRADE
FRENCH ENTRY
⚡
BRITISH ENTRY
- Carnatic Nawabs
- Relationship with Hyderabad
- European commercial interests
- Succession disputes
- French & British intervention
MICRO-REALM 03.12 · SOUTHERN LANDSCAPE
Travancore & Southern Powers
TRAVANCORE
SOUTHERN CONSOLIDATION
NEIGHBOURS & EUROPEANS
- Travancore
- Regional consolidation
- Southern political landscape
- Neighbouring state ties
- European presence
MICRO-REALM 03.13 · ANALYTICAL MATRIX
Why Did Regional Powers Rise?
POLITICALWEAK CENTRE
ECONOMICREVENUE BASE
MILITARYOWN ARMIES
ADMININSTITUTIONS
SOCIALLOCAL ELITES
GEOGRAPHICFAR FROM DELHI
- Political: Weak centre → autonomy
- Economic: Own revenue base
- Military: Regional armies
- Admin: Autonomous governance
- Social: Local elite networks
- Geographic: Distance from Delhi
MICRO-REALM 03.14 · COMPARISON MATRIX
Same Pattern, Different Paths
BENGALProvincial Autonomy
AWADHSuccessor State
HYDERABADDeccan Successor
MYSOREMilitary-Political
MARATHASConfederacy
RAJPUTSRegional Kingdoms
SIKHSPunjab Power
JATSRegional Power
CARNATICEuropean Entry
- Successor: Bengal, Awadh, Hyderabad
- Consolidation: Mysore, Sikhs, Jats
- Confederacy: Marathas · Kingdoms: Rajputs
- Intervention Theatre: Carnatic
MICRO-REALM 03.15 · LEGITIMACY SPECTRUM
Regional Powers & Mughal Emperor
1. MUGHAL PROVINCE
2. AUTONOMOUS PROVINCE
3. DE FACTO INDEPENDENT
4. INDEPENDENT REGIONAL POWER
- Mughal province → Autonomous
- De facto independent state
- Independent regional power
- Symbolic legitimacy continued
MICRO-REALM 03.16 · THE INTERVENTION DOORWAY
Regional Powers & Europeans
REGIONAL POLITICS + EIC/FRENCH
↓ SUCCESSION DISPUTES
↓ EUROPEAN INTERVENTION
↓ CARNATIC WARS
⚡ BRITISH POLITICAL ASCENDANCY
- Rulers needed: Guns, Experts, Alliances
- Companies sought: Trade, Revenue, Land
- Succession disputes → Intervention
- Carnatic Wars → British Ascendancy
MICRO-REALM 03.17 · SPATIAL ARCHITECTURE
The 18th-Century Power Map
PUNJAB
ROHILLASDELHIAWADH
JATSRAJPUTSBIHAR
MALWABENGAL
MARATHAS
HYDERABAD
MYSORECARNATIC
EUROPEAN COMPANIES
- North: Punjab · Rohillas · Delhi · Awadh
- Belt: Jats · Rajputs · Malwa · Bihar · Bengal
- Deccan & South: Marathas · Hyd · Mysore · Carnatic
- Coast: European Companies
MICRO-REALM 03.18 · FINAL CHAMBER
The Great Transition
- Old Order → Regionalisation
- Marathas + States + Afghans + Companies
- French vs British Intervention
- Next: Realm 04 — Advent of Europeans
← REALM 02: THE FALLING CROWN
03 ✓ THE FRAGMENTED MAP · NEXT: REALM 04 — ADVENT OF EUROPEANS: THE OCEAN GATES OPEN
Proceed to REALM 04 → THE OCEAN GATES OPEN