The
Battle of Plassey
[2]
was a major
battle
that took place on 23 June 1757 at
Palashi
,
Bengal
. It was an important
British East India Company
victory over the
Nawab of Bengal
and his
French
allies
. It was part of the Third Carnatic War, and of the worldwide
Seven Years' War
in which France and its allies fought Britain and its allies. British victory let the British East India Company take control of the eastern part of the
Indian subcontinent
. In the next hundred years their area of control grew over the rest of India.
European settlements in India from 1501-1739
The battle took place at Plassey, Bengal on the
river
banks of the
Bhagirathi-Hooghly River
, a distributary of the
Ganges
. The fighting took place about 150 kilometres (93?mi) north of
Calcutta
. This was near
Murshidabad
which was the
capital
of Bengal at the time. Plassey is the
anglicised
version of Palashi. The battle was between
Siraj ud-Daulah
, the last
independent
Nawab
of Bengal, and the British East India Company.
The
Nawab of Bengal
at the period was Siraj-ud-daulah. He:
- Refused to grant the company concessions.
- Demanded large tributes for the company's rights.
- Denied rights to
mint coins
.
- Halted it from extending its fortifications.
The following reasons also led to immense anger to the Company causing it declare was over the
Bengal Nawabs
.
The battle took place after the attack and
plunder
of Calcutta by Siraj-ud-daulah and the
Black Hole of Calcutta
tragedy.
The troubles between Siraj-ud-daulah and the British led to the Battle of Plassey. First, the British had strengthened the fortification around the?
Fort William
?without telling the Nawab. Secondly, they abused the trade privileges granted to them by the Mughal rulers, which caused heavy loss of customs duties for the government. Third, they gave shelter to some of his officers, for example Krishnadas, son of Rajballav, who fled?
Dhaka
?after misappropriating government funds. Hence, when the East India Company started further enhancement of military preparedness at Fort William in Calcutta, Siraj asked them to stop. The Company did not stop, so Siraj-ud Daulah retaliated and captured?
Kolkata
?(Shortly renamed as Alinagar) from the British in June 1756. The Nawab gathered his forces together and took Fort William.
The British sent more soldiers under Colonel
Robert Clive
and Admiral
Charles Watson
from
Madras
to Bengal. The British retook control of Calcutta. Clive then took control of the French
fort
of
Chandernagar
. The battle was fought during the
Seven Years' War
(1756?63). The
French East India Company
sent a small group to fight against the British. Siraj-ud-Daulah had more soldiers and chose to fight at Plassey. The British were worried about having fewer soldiers. They formed a
conspiracy
with Siraj-ud-Daulah's
demoted
army
leader
Mir Jafar
as well as others such as
Yar Lutuf Khan
and
Rai Durlabh
. Mir Jafar, Rai Durlabh and Yar Lutuf Khan brought their soldiers near Plassey but did not actually join the battle. Siraj-ud-Daulah's army was beaten by about 3,000 soldiers of Col. Robert Clive, and Siraj-ud-daulah fled from the battlefield.
This is thought to be one of the most important battles for the control of the
Indian subcontinent
by the
colonial
powers. The British now had
influence
over the Nawab. They also got a lot of
revenue
from trade. The British used this revenue to increase their
military
power. They pushed the other
European
colonial powers such as the
Dutch
and the
French
out of South Asia. This was a sign of the expansion the
British Empire
in Asia.
As a reward for his treachery, Mir Jafar was made the Nawab of Bengal. Former Nawab Mutsheed Kiki Khan directed all landowners of Bangla, Bihar and odisa
a not to sell any plot of lands to British East India Company.
- ↑
Harrington, pp. 81?82
- ↑
Bengali
:
?????? ?????
,
Polashir Juddho