The issue of contention between Nawab Mir Kasim and East India Company were :

(i) Misuse of Dastak by Company's employees for their private trade.
(ii) Fortification of Calcutta.
(iii) Political asylum given to Krishndas by the company.

Which of the above is/are correct?

Question

The issue of contention between Nawab Mir Kasim and East India Company were :

(i) Misuse of Dastak by Company's employees for their private trade. 
(ii) Fortification of Calcutta. 
(iii) Political asylum given to Krishndas by the company.

Which of the above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 1:

The primary and most explosive issue of contention between Nawab Mir Kasim (who ruled Bengal from 1760 to 1763) and the East India Company was the gross misuse of the 'Dastak.' The Dastak was a trade permit granted to the Company by the Mughal Emperor, which exempted the Company from paying transit duties (tolls) on its goods for official trade. However, the Company's employees began fraudulently selling or issuing these Dastaks to Indian merchants and using them for their own massive private trade, which was entirely illegal. This practice not only corrupted the Company’s servants but, more importantly, severely depleted the Nawab's treasury of customs revenue. Mir Kasim, committed to restoring financial stability and sovereignty, strongly resisted this economic drain, leading him to abolish all internal duties for everyone in Bengal in 1763, an act that enraged the Company and directly resulted in war (culminating in the Battle of Buxar). Thus, point (i) is the central cause of the conflict.

The incorrect option is 2 (i) and (iii):
Point (iii), the political asylum given to Krishnadas, son of Mir Jafar, was a major issue of contention between the Company and **Mir Kasim's predecessor, Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah**, not Mir Kasim. This incident was one of the immediate provocations leading to the Battle of Plassey (1757). While Mir Kasim certainly dealt with issues of sovereignty, the immediate spark for his war was economic, centered on the Dastak.

The incorrect option is 3 (Only (ii)):
Point (ii), the fortification of Calcutta, was also a major point of conflict with **Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah** in 1756, when he attacked Calcutta partly due to the unauthorized fortification by the British. Although the Company continued to maintain Calcutta's fortifications, this was not the *central* new issue that initiated the specific military conflict with Mir Kasim, which was primarily driven by his attempts to curb Dastak abuse and restore duties.

The incorrect option is 4 (i), (ii) and (iii):
As established, points (ii) and (iii) were critical factors leading to the fall of Siraj-ud-Daulah and the Battle of Plassey (1757). The conflict with Mir Kasim (1760-1763) was defined by new challenges, specifically his attempts to check the **Misuse of Dastak (i)**, which the Company was unwilling to surrender, leading directly to open warfare.