The 'Nabobs'

What were the nabobs?

The term 'nabob' referred to employees of the East India Company, who returned to England with immense wealth gained from their activities in India.

Who were the nabobs?

The 'nabobs' were employees of the East India Company who gained wealth from their activities in India. Two particular nabobs who received attention were Robert Clive and Warren Hastings.

Why were the nabobs criticised?

The nabobs were criticised for various reasons.

• ❖ Many 'nabob' employees of the EIC, such as Robert Clive, used their wealth to buy seats in Parliament. By 1784, there were 45 nabobs in Parliament.
• ❖ This annoyed the traditional nobility in Britain, who felt that the nabobs were undermining the political system, and using their wealth to control the government.
• ❖ This led to accusations of corruption against the EIC. Some accusations were true, but others were not.
• ❖ Some nabobs were also criticised for their policies in India, which had caused widespread discontent. Their attitudes during a period of famine had led to hundreds of thousands of deaths by starvation.

What happened to the nabobs?

Because of the criticisms of the nabobs, some British politicians decided to take action.

• ❖ Robert Clive and Warren Hastings were both impeached in Parliament. Although they were both cleared of the charges against them, the damage had been done.
• ❖ The government took the opportunity to limit the powers of the EIC, by passing the 1784 India Act.