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Indian papers of Clive & Carnac

Order Number	9781851171859
Type	archive
Title	The Indian papers of Colonel Clive and Brigadier-General Carnac
E-resource	http://www.britishonlinearchives.co.uk/browse.php?cid=9781851171859
Related names	Clive, Robert Clive, Baron, 1725-1774 Carnac, John, 1716-1800 Bowen, H. V. National Library of Wales
Related titles	Papers of Clive of India Indian correspondence of Brig.-General John Carnac Records of the Raj
Description	Online resource (24,505 images)
Series	Pre-20th-century records on BOA (9781851172153)
Notes	This resource combines the papers of two leading actors in the East India Company in mid-18th century Bengal from the collections of the National Library of Wales. Chiefly in English, but with an array of original correspondence with local figures in Persian and occasionally Bengali, Marathi and Tamil, this resource allows researchers to understand the complex political web in the subcontinent as the power of the Mughal Empire began to wane. It forms an essential resource for those studying the life and career of Robert Clive (1725-1774), a man who stands in the very first rank of historical figures. It is also of the greatest importance to those who wish fully to explore the often hotly debated events that preceded, accompanied and followed the establishment of Britain's Indian empire during the mid-18th century, especially the periods 1756-1760 and 1765-1766. By reproducing in full Clive's English and Persian correspondence, the collection makes it possible to compare firsthand Indian and European accounts of Clive's resounding victory in 1757 at Plassey over the superior French-backed force of the Nawab of Bengal in the aftermath of the notorious 'Black Hole of Calcutta' incident; of the conclusive routing of the Dutch in 1759; or of the ill-fated career of Maharaja Nandakumara (d. 1775), who became chief administrator of revenues through Clive's patronage. First an officer in the private army of the East India Company, and then later twice governor of Bengal, Clive was the leading actor in the political and military events of the 1750s and 1760s that served to lay the foundations of the British Raj. But he was also a highly controversial figure who, during an often troubled lifetime, attracted much unwanted attention from the public, Parliament, and the press. Many in Britain came to revile him and, tainted by accusations of corruption and the abuse of power in India, he was condemned for spending his enormous private fortune on houses, estates and possessions, acquired in an attempt to carve out an elevated position for his family in English landed society. Even in death Clive remained controversial, with many believing that he committed suicide in 1774 at the age of forty-nine. Originally part of the Clive family's Powis estate, this immensely rich and varied collection of papers facilitates close study of a highly complex and enigmatic man, as well as the contested origins of the British Indian empire. In addition the papers contain invaluable material on the economic, social and political history of Britain during the 18th century. And Clive's papers, as well as our understanding of this turning point in the history of British power in South Asia, are complemented here by some 2,000 items of correspondence of Brigadier-General John Carnac, including a few letters in Persian. Carnac joined the army of the East India Company with the rank of Captain in 1758, after seeing service with the 39th infantry regiment. Between 1760 and 1761, as Commander-in-Chief, he fought and ultimately defeated the French supported forces of the Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam II, near Bihar. Made Brigadier-General in 1764, Carnac again assumed the command of the EIC's army, defeating the Marathas in 1765 before handing control back later that year to Robert Clive. This correspondece's emphasis on the years between 1763 and 1766 complements helps to fill the gap in events during Clive's absence from India between March 1760 and April 1765, when he returned to Britain. At the same time, the collection serves to amplify our understanding of Clive's third and final tour of duty, by providing the opportunity to contrast how two senior British figures set about implementing the East India Company's new approach, combining commercial with growing political power. Published with the permission of the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, this fascinating online resource is accompanied by guide comprising a detailed catalogue by the Library's Archival Data Section, introduced by Huw Bowen, Professor of Modern History at University of Wales, Swansea. A further volume is scheduled, containing 'The Persian correspondence in the Clive papers held at the National Library of Wales', translated by Salim al-Din Quraishi, and supplemented, edited and arranged by Roderic Vassie, both former curators of Islamic languages at the British Library. Published August 2009. British Online Archives (BOA) resources are also available on microfilm.
Subject(s)	HBFM : Asian / Middle Eastern history: c 1500 to c 1900 1FK : Indian sub-continent HBCR : British & Irish history: c 1700 to c 1900 (UF Georgian period, Victorian period) 3JF : c 1700 to c 1800
Collection price	£2,660 standard five-year licence

Indian papers of Clive & Carnac

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