History of Marathas EP16 - Rising from the Ashes

It was the arrival of Robert Clive, as the governor of Bengal which was to change the scene in India permanently. It is interesting to note that Robert Clive started his career as a mere clerk in East India Company. Clive met the emperor at Allahabad and got the permission for himself and the East India Company, the Diwani of the three provinces of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. The Diwani gave them the right to collect revenue and dispose of them without the responsibility for the provincial administration and without the appearance of complete annexation. The emperor, the suzerain authority, Shuja of Awadh and the Nawab of Bengal were links of an indivisible chain. The emperor was the central master while the provincial servants in the traditional Mughal hierarchy were Shuja and the Nawab. Now, Clive ensured that he could operate without the interference of any. It was a masterstroke!