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UPSC History Notes

Battle of
Buxar
The Battle of Buxar took place in the northeast region of the country on 22nd October 1764 and it was
one of the decisive battles of Indian history. It was the Battle of Buxar which earned the British East India
Company control over Bengal and Bihar. The seeds for this significant battle were sown soon after the
Battle of Plassey.The Battle of Buxar was fought between the British East India Company’s force led by
Hector Munro and the combined forces of Shah Alam II (the Mughal emperor), Shuja-Ud-Daula (Nawab
of Awadh), and Mir Qasim (Nawab of Bengal).The battle came to an end in 1765 with the victory of
the Company and the surrender of Shah Alam II. Following the battle, Robert Clive representing the
Company signed the treaty of Allahabad with Shuja-Ud-Daula and Shah Alam-II.

In this article on the Battle of Buxar, the prelude of the battle, immediate causes, course, and results of the
battle are discussed. This is a very important topic in modern history for UPSC CSE aspirants in the
prelims as well as mains examination.

Battle Of Buxar: Background

• The British Forces' roots got a firm hold on the land of Bengal after emerging victorious in the
Battle of Plassey in 1757. As a consequence of the Battle of Plassey Siraj-Ud-Daulah was
replaced by the British East India Company with Mir Jafar, commander of Siraj-Ud-Daulah as
the puppet emperor.
• Mir Jafar after ascending the throne could not cope with the ever-increasing demands from the
Britishers. He consequently joined hands with the Dutch East India Company and revolted.
• This caused the British to force Mir Jafar to resign with a pension of Rs. 15000 as an annual
pension in 1760.
• Now, British East India made Mir Qasim, Son-in-law of Mir Jafar the new Nawab of Bengal.

Participants in the Battle of Buxar

Get Participants and their respective roles in the Battle of Buxar in the table below;

Participants Respective Roles

He was offended by the English terms "Dastak" and "Farmans." By making an alliance
Mir Qasim
with the Nawab of Awadh and Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II, he planned against them.
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Shuja-ud- He was the Nawab of Awadh. He formed a confederacy with Mir Qasim and Shah Alam
Daulah II.
Shah Alam II He was the Mughal Emperor. He wished to drive the English out of Bengal.
Hector Munro He was a British Army major. He led the English side in the Buxar War.
Robert Clive He signed treaties with Shuja-Ud-Daulah and Shah Alam-II after winning the Buxar War.

Key Reasons That Led To War

• Mir Qasim, a strong and efficient ruler determined to make the affairs of the state better, shifted
the capital from Murshidabad in Calcutta to Munger in Bihar, in 1762.
• He declared himself to be an independent ruler. This angered the British as they wanted him to
be their puppet ruler.
• He also hired foreign country experts to train his army as their strength is very necessary for Mir
Qasim to maintain his independence.
• British East India Company officials misused the Farman of 1717 and Dastak for their personal
gain.
• This act led Mir Qasim to take the extreme step of abolishing all duties on International trade
which gave an edge to his own subjects in trade and keep the British in check.
• He treated both the British merchants and Indian Merchants equally and thus denied any
special treatment to the East India Company causing them huge revenue losses.
• The British demanded preferential treatment over all others.
• All these factors, especially the tussle over the transit duty resulted in the outbreak of war in
1763.

Study in detail about Third and fourth Anglo-Mysore wars here.

Course Of Battle Of Buxar

When the war broke out in 1763, English forces led by Hector Munro, one of the most competent majors
of history, secured continuous victories at Giria, Katwa, Murshidabad, Munger, and Sooty. This crushing
defeat forced Mir Qasim to flee to Awadh and there he formed an alliance with Indian rulers in the hopes
of expelling the British once and for all with Shuja-Ud-Daula, Nawab of Awadh and Mughal Emperor
Shah Alam - II, who wanted to regain Bengal from the Britishers.

Finally, the most important battle that poses a turning point in Indian history happened at Buxar, a small
town on the banks of the Ganga river on October 22, 1764, between the combined forces of Mir Qasim,
Shuja-Ud-Daula and Shah Alam-II against the English forces led by Major Hector Munro. The joint army
was defeated by the English Forces in a neck-to-neck contest.

Also, check out the article on First Carnatic war here.

Events of Battle of Buxar

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• A united force of 40,000 troops from the Mughals, Awadh, and Mir Qasim was ruthlessly
defeated by a British army of 10,000 men in one of the subcontinent's first big defeats.
• One of the fundamental causes of this defeat was a lack of coordination among the major three
diverse allies.
• Major Hector was able to organise the British lines in twenty minutes and stop the Mughals'
advance when Mirza
• Najaf Khan led the Mughal Army's first flank to ambush the British at daybreak.
• Munro split the British Army into columns and followed the Mughal Grand Vizier Shuja-ud-
Daula, the Nawab of Awadh, who retaliated by blowing up his boat bridge after crossing the
river.
• The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II and his troops were forced to abandon the war as a result of
this unanticipated effect.
• The British suffered 847 casualties, while Indian allies lost 2000 troops, according to historian
John Willaim Fortescue.
• Munro then chose to aid the Marathas, who were described as a "warlike race" who had a
steadfast enmity for the Mughal Empire and its Nawabs.

What were the results of the Battle Of Buxar?

• Mir Qasim abandoned his troops and escaped from the battlefield.
• Shah Alam-II and Shuja-Ud-Daula surrendered to the British.
• The English became the uncontested rulers of Northern India and announced themselves as
contenders for power and supremacy throughout India.
• Robert Clive, who played an important role in the battle, signed two important treaties with
Shuja-Ud-Daula and Shah Alam-II called the Treaty of Allahabad in 1765.
• After the war, Mir Jafar was again made the puppet ruler by the English.
• Mir Jafar also surrendered the districts of Burdwan, Midnapore, and Chittagong to the English to
maintain their army.
• The British traders were also granted preferential duty exemptions on trade in Bengal except on
salt with a duty of 2 percent.
• After the demise of Mir Jafar, his minor son Nizam-Ud-Daula was made the emperor. But the
British maintained the real power of administration by appointing Naib-Subedar of their choice.
• Later Nizam-Ud-Daula became a pensioner of the British by signing a treaty with RS.53 lakhs
per year.
• In 1772, the British East India Company completely abolished the pension scheme and took
over the administration of Bengal directly their hands.

Check out the article on Third Carnatic war here.

Treaty Of Allahabad

Lord Robert Clive signed two important treaties with Shuja-Ud-Daula and Shah Alam-II at Allahabad
after the Battle of Buxar in 1765.

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The first treaty of Allahabad with Shuja-Ud-Daula, the Nawab of Awad

• Shuja-Ud-Daula was forced to cede Allahabad and Kara to Shah Alam-II.

• He also agreed to pay an indemnity of Rs.50 lakhs to the East India Company.
• His full possession of the estate was handed over to Zamindar of Banaras, Balwant Singh.
• Even though the Shuja-Ud-Daula was defeated, Awadh was never annexed but left as a buffer
state to protect against foreign invasion.

Second treaty of Allahabad with Shah Alam

• Shah Alam was to reside under Company’s protection at Allahabad which he got from Shuja-
Ud-Daula under the first treaty of Allahabad.
• The districts of Bihar and Orissa were to be ceded to the company.
• Shah Alam had to provide a Farman granting Diwani rights of Bengal to the company. In return
for the Nizamat function, that is defence, police, and justice administration, Shah Alam had to
pay Rs.53 Lakhs per annum to the Company for the Districts of Bihar, Orissa, and Bengal.

Study in detail about First Battle of Tarain here!

Dual Government of Bengal

After winning the Battle of Buxar, Robert Clive created the "Dual Government" system of government in
Bengal in 1765. This structure gave the British political and economic authority but no administrative
duties. They enjoyed complete military dominance as well as the authority to levy taxes in Bengal. The
Nawab, on the other hand, was forced to carry out the administration's duties without any real authority.
Additionally, he lacked financial means because the Company was in charge of collecting the revenue.
The nawab received a small portion of the money, which was insufficient to maintain law and order.

As a result, Britishers kept enjoying the duty-free trade and Indian merchants were to pay around 40% of
revenue, and peasants started turning into beggars. England became the most wealthy country in the world
around the 19th century.

Battle Of Buxar: Importance In History

According to Sir James Stephen, as the beginning of British supremacy in India, "the victory of Battle of
Buxar on October 22, 1764, deserves far more credit than the Battle of Plassey."

The British were able to defeat the combined forces of the Mughal empire, the Nawabs of Bengal, and the
Nawab of Awadh in this conflict. As a result, the British East India Company rose to prominence in the
area. This is seen as the beginning of the British empire's plan to conquer all of India.

The reasons for the importance of the battle of Buxar, particularly in Bengal, are mentioned below:

• It demonstrated the English's continued military dominance and revealed the fundamental
frailties of the native troops.
• The defeat of Mir Kasim marked the end of the independent Nawab's power.
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• Although the Battle of Plassey in 1757 saw the British East India Company put an end to the
Nawab of Bengal's independence, the Battle of Buxar, which took place after the Treaty of
Allahabad in 1765, gave the Company complete political control over the Awadh Mughal
empire.
• It opened the door for Shah Alam II, the Mughal Emperor, to grant Diwani to the East India
Company.
• After the British won the Battle of Buxar, they crowned rulers of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. As a
result, they gained power and influence over Awadh and the Mughal emperor.
• British East India was able to establish a firm foothold in India during the Battle of Buxar and lay
the foundation for its colonial authority, which remained until 1947.

Also check out the article on Difference Between War and Battle for UPSC Preparation!

Key Facts About Battle Of Buxar

• The battle of Buxar was fought in 1764 between the combined forces of the Nawab of Oudh, the
Nawab of Bengal, the Mughal Emperor and the English forces.
• The English did not take control of Awadh even after Shuja-Ud-Daulah was destroyed following
the Battle of Buxar because it would have required the Company to defend a vast land border
against Maratha and Afghan incursions.
• Shuja-Ud-Daulah established Awadh as a barrier state between English and foreign intrusions
by growing into a staunch British ally.
• Shah Alam-II, the second Mughal emperor, became an important "rubber stamp" for the
Company thanks to the Treaty of Allahabad. The Farman of the monarch also validated the
Company's political triumphs in Bengal.
• The outcome of the fight of Plassey was reaffirmed in the battle of Buxar. If diplomacy and
treachery were used to win Plassey, the British power and strength were on display in Buxar.
The Nawab of Awadh was converted into a grateful subordinate.
• The Emperor of the Mughals received a pension from the Company. For the Company, doors to
Delhi and Agra were open. The Nawabs of Bengal and Awadh did not raise further objections to
the Company's dominant position. British became a major force in Northern India and rivals for
countrywide control after their victory at Buxar

Also, study the Second Anglo-Maratha war in detail with this link!

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