Which of the following statements are true of Shah Alam II? 1. He j

Which of the following statements are true of Shah Alam II?

  • 1. He joined Mir Jafar of Bengal to fight the British.
  • 2. He joined Mir Qasim of Bengal and Shuja-ud-Daulah of Awadh to fight the British.
  • 3. He was defeated by the British.
  • 4. He lived at Allahabad as a pensioner of the British.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

2, 3 and 4
1, 2 and 4
1, 3 and 4
2 and 3 only
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2019
Statements 2, 3, and 4 are true regarding Shah Alam II.
– Shah Alam II (reigned 1760-1788 and 1788-1806) joined forces with Mir Qasim, the deposed Nawab of Bengal, and Shuja-ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Awadh, to form a confederacy against the British East India Company.
– This alliance was defeated by the British forces under Hector Munro at the Battle of Buxar in 1764.
– Following his defeat, Shah Alam II signed the Treaty of Allahabad in 1765 with the British. According to this treaty, he granted the Diwani (right to collect revenue) of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa to the British East India Company. In return, he was granted territories of Kara and Allahabad and was promised an annual pension, living for several years as a pensioner of the British in Allahabad.
– Statement 1 is incorrect as Mir Jafar was installed as Nawab of Bengal by the British after the Battle of Plassey and was a puppet ruler; he did not ally with Shah Alam II against the British in 1764.
The Battle of Buxar was a crucial turning point in Indian history, firmly establishing the British East India Company’s dominance in Bengal and opening the way for their eventual control over much of the Indian subcontinent. Shah Alam II’s status was reduced to that of a titular head dependent on the British.