THE INDIAN REVOLUTIONS

When Aurungzīb died, he was still ruling with despotic, though not everywhere accepted, authority over a vast empire, with a surface of something like a million square miles and a population of perhaps 170 million subjects. Only the emperor of China could be in any way compared in authority with him. The Mughul empire was not as strong as it appeared, but it was still immensely strong. It was true that Aurungzīb had designated no unquestioned heir; but this had happened in the past and it could be supposed that, among the contending princes, one would show himself indubitably superior to the others and would take possession of the vacant throne. (Actually this did not happen, and there was no obviously suitable candidate for the succession.) There seemed no convincing reason to doubt that the Mughul dominion would have a long and successful future before it.

The Europeans by contrast were a quite insignificant factor in the situation. Only the Portuguese, in some small regions, had made themselves actually possessors of Indian land and of sovereignty where they had settled. The others – French, British, Danes, Dutch – were dependent on the favour of Indian potentates, obtained from them the use of certain lands and duly paid the rent whose payment was the condition of their survival. The idea of European dominion on a large scale was entertained only by a small number of visionaries.

Nothing turned out as had been expected.