Explanations:The Dual Government system was a significant administrative arrangement established in Bengal in 1765, following the British East India Company's victory in the Battle of Buxar. This system was a compromise between the British and the Nawab of Bengal, Mir Qasim, and later his successor, Mir Jafar. The British East India Company was granted the Diwani rights, which allowed them to collect revenue in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. However, the system was not entirely under British control; it involved both British and Indian officials in the revenue collection process.
Under the Dual Government, the British East India Company appointed a Board of Revenue, consisting of British officials, to oversee the collection of revenue. The Indian officials, known as the Zamindars, were responsible for collecting the revenue from the peasants and remitting it to the British. The British officials had the ultimate authority and could intervene in the revenue collection process if necessary. This system was designed to ensure that the British could collect revenue efficiently while maintaining a facade of Indian administration.
The Dual Government system was a crucial step in the British East India Company's consolidation of power in India. It marked the beginning of the Company's direct involvement in the governance of Indian territories, which eventually led to the establishment of British paramountcy over the Indian subcontinent. The system was in place until 1772, when it was replaced by the Permanent Settlement, which further solidified British control over the revenue collection process in Bengal.
It is important to distinguish the Dual Government from other British policies in India, such as the Subsidiary Alliance and the Doctrine of Lapse. The Subsidiary Alliance was a military and political strategy used to control Indian states by maintaining a British military force within the state and providing military support in exchange for a yearly payment. The Doctrine of Lapse, on the other hand, was a policy that allowed the British to annex princely states if the ruler died without a natural heir. Both of these policies were distinct from the Dual Government, which was specifically focused on revenue collection in Bengal.
Understanding the Dual Government system is essential for comprehending the early stages of British colonial rule in India and the mechanisms through which the British East India Company established its control over Indian territories. This system laid the foundation for the British administration in India and had long-lasting implications for the economic and political landscape of the region.