The East India Company had thought that they had found an ideal puppet in Mir Qasim. Mir Qasim, however, belied the expectations of the Company. Examine critically.

Answer:

Placed on the Bengal throne by the Company in 1760, Mir Qasim was expected to be a pliant puppet; instead he proved an able and independent ruler who resisted Company domination.

Company Expectations

• Mir Qasim gained the throne by displacing Mir Jafar and granting the districts of Burdwan, Midnapore and Chittagong to the Company.
• The Company hoped for a compliant Nawab who would serve its commercial interests.

How He Belied Them

Assertion of independence:

• Shifted his capital to Munger, reorganised the army and finances to reduce dependence on the Company.
• Objected to the misuse of the dastak (duty-free trade permits) by Company servants, which ruined Indian merchants and state revenue.
• Abolished internal duties for all, removing the Company's unfair advantage — provoking conflict.

Outcome

• War followed; defeated, he allied with Awadh and the Mughal emperor, leading to the Battle of Buxar (1764).

Therefore, Mir Qasim was no puppet — his efforts to defend Bengal's sovereignty and revenue against Company abuses belied their expectations, though he ultimately failed militarily.