Battle of Plassey (1757)

Foundation of British Rule

Modern History of India

Useful for UPSC, SSC, Railways and various
competition exams

Sumit Choudhary
 To be Discussed
• Overview
• Bengal on the Eve of British Conquest
• Political cenerio of Bengal
• Siraj-ud-daula & Robert Clive
• Causes / Prelude to the Battle
• The Battle of Plassey
• Maps
• Significance of Battle of Plassey
 Overview
• Battle of Plassey was a major turning point in modern
Indian history that led to the consolidation of the British
rule in India.
• This battle was fought between the East India Company
headed by Robert Clive and the Nawab of Bengal
(Siraj-Ud-Daulah) and his French Troop.
• This battle is often termed as the ‘decisive event’ which
became the source of ultimate rule of the British in India.
• Mughal emperor Alamgir-II was ruling the empire when
the Battle of Plassey took place.
 Bengal on the Eve of British Conquest
• Bengal, the richest province of the Mughal Empire included
present day Bangladesh, and its Nawab had authority over
the region constituting present day states of Bihar and
Odisha.
• Exports from Bengal to Europe consisted of raw products such
as saltpetre, rice, indigo, pepper, sugar, silk, cotton textiles,
handicrafts, etc.
• The English East India Company had vital commercial
interests in trading in Bengal, as nearly 60 per cent of the
British imports from Asia consisted of goods from Bengal.
Bengal on the Eve of British Conquest
• During the 1630s, regular contact of the British with
Bengal continued when they established factories in
Balasore, Hooghly, Kasimbazar, Patna and Dacca.
• By the 1690s, the foundation of Calcutta by the English
company completed the process of English commercial
settlement in Bengal.
• The Company paid a sum of Rs 3,000 (£ 350) per annum
to the Mughal emperor.
• Company’s exports approx - £ 50,000 / Year
 Political Situation of Bengal
Murshid Quli Khan
➢ 1700 – Appointed as Diwan of Bengal by Aurangzeb.
➢ 1713 – Appointed as Nayab Shubedar by Farruksiyar.
➢ 1717 – Appointed as Nawab of Bengal , First Nawab of
Bengal.
➢ 1719- Additional – Orissa
➢ He was succeeded by his son-in-law, Shujauddin who ruled till
1739.
➢ After that, for a year (1739-40), Sarfaraz Khan, an incapable
son of Murshid Quli Khan, became the ruler; he was killed by
Alivardi Khan.
 Political Situation of Bengal
Alivardi Khan
• Alivardi Khan ruled till 1756 and also stopped paying
tributes to the Mughal emperor.
• Alivardi Khan ruled for 15 years, during which he fought
off the Marathas.
• He died in April 1756 and was succeeded by his
grandson, Siraj-ud-daula, the son of Alivardi’s youngest
daughter.
Challenges Before Siraj-ud-daula
• He had a rival in his cousin, the Nawab of
Purnea, Shaukat Jang; a hostile aunt, Ghasiti
Begum, a childless widow; a rebellious
commander of the army, Mir Jafar, husband of
Alivardi Khan’s sister; and an alarmed (Hindu)
subject population.
 Robert Clive
• A survey of this period of British rule
cannot be complete without a
reference to Robert Clive, who joined
the army after resigning from a clerk’s
post.
• He was instrumental in laying the
foundations of British power in India. He
was made the Governor of Bengal
twice from 1757 to 1760 and then from
1765 to 1767.
• He administered Bengal under the dual
government system till his return to
England where he allegedly
committed suicide in 1774.
 Causes / Prelude to the Battle
• The officials of the Company made rampant misuse of its
trade privileges that adversely affected the nawab’s
finances.
• The English fortified Calcutta without the nawab’s
permission.
• The Company further tried to mislead him, and
compounded their sin by giving asylum to a political
fugitive, Krishna Das, who had fled with immense
treasures against the nawab’s will.
 Causes / Prelude to the Battle
• The Company, on its part, suspected that Siraj would
drastically reduce its trade privileges in collusion with the
French in Bengal.
• Thus, when Siraj attacked and seized the English fort at
Calcutta, it brought their hostility into the open.
• ‘Black Hole Tragedy’ - Siraj-ud-daula is believed to have
imprisoned 146 English persons who were lodged in a
very tiny room due to which 123 of them died of
suffocation.
 The Battle
• The arrival of a strong force under the command of
Robert Clive at Calcutta from Madras strengthened the
English position in Bengal.
• Clive forged a secret alliance with the traitors of the
nawab—Mir Jafar, Rai Durlabh, Jagat Seth (an influential
banker of Bengal) and Omichand.
• The Battle of Plassey was fought at Palashi, on the banks
of Bhagirathi river near Calcutta on June 23, 1757.
 The Battle
• Siraj-Ud-Daulah’s army with 50,000 soldiers, 40 cannons
and 10 war elephants was defeated by 3,000 soldiers of
Robert Clive.
• The battle ended in 11 hours and Siraj-Ud-Daulah fled
from the battle post his defeat.
• According to Robert Clive, 22 men died and 50 were
injured from the British troops. The Nawab army lost
about 500 men.
• Siraj-ud-daula was captured and murdered by the order
of Mir Jafar’s son, Miran.
Significance of Battle of Plassey
• As a result of this victory, Mir Jafar became the Nawab
of Bengal.
• He gave large sums of money plus the zamindari of 24
pargan as to the English.
• Apart from the British getting political power of Northern
India but only after Nawabs, there were several other
effects in many forms that came out as a result of the
Battle of Plassey. They can be categorised as:
➢ Political Effects
➢ Economic Effects
 Political Effects
• The Battle of Plassey resulted at the end of the French forces.
• Mir Jafar was crowned as the Nawab of Bengal
• Mir Jafar was unhappy with the position and instigated the
Dutch to attack the British in order to consolidate his
foundation.
• Battle of Bedara was fought between the Dutch and British
forces on November 25, 1759.
• The British installed Mir Qasim as the Nawab of Bengal.
• The British became the paramount European power in
Bengal.
• Robert Clive was titled “Lord Clive”, Baron of Plassey and also
obtained a seat in the British House of Commons.
 Economic Effects
• The economy of India was affected severely.
• Post the victory, the British started imposing severe rules
and regulations on the inhabitants of Bengal in the
name of tax collection.
Thank You
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