You're listening to an Airwave Media Podcast. Hello and thank you for joining the American Revolution.

This week episode 306, the war in India.

Last week we looked at the Spanish takeover of Menorca in the Mediterranean Sea.

While we in America think of the Revolutionary War in terms of fighting in America, that fighting also launched a larger war

worldwide. When the European powers went to war, that meant open season on all of their

colonies and outposts around the world.

By 1781, Britain was at war with France, Spain, and the Netherlands.

While Britain had lots of colonies and outposts to defend, it was not just fighting a defensive war.

The government was always looking for vulnerable enemy real estate or ever it could seize some.

By the 1780s, the Indian subcontinent provided many such targets.

By this time, India had been a target of European colonization for nearly three centuries.

The Portuguese established their first trading posts there in 1498.

India at the time was made up of several kingdoms that were often at war with one another.

Europeans of course took advantage of these divisions to establish alliances and

build a system of control. By the early 1600s, both the Dutch and the English had established themselves on the

subcontinent. Within a few decades, the Danes and the French also established themselves, and

later even Sweden and Austria carved out some areas of control.

As they did in other parts of the world, these European powers battled with both locals and each other for greater control.

A Dutch power centered around Ceylon, a large island along the southeast coast of India.

In addition, the Dutch had also settled several areas along the coast of the continent itself.

The British East India Company held large areas of influence throughout India,

but was particularly strong in the northeast area known as Bengal. They were also big in Madras.

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