BATTLE OF PLASSEY

BATTLE OF PLASSEY

When the news of the English capitulation over Calcutta reached Madras, the Company authorities decided to send an army to counter the situation. The command of the expedition was given to Robert Clive. He cleverly won over to his side Manik Chand, the officer in charge of Calcutta, and arranged a conspiracy by which Mir Jafar would be made the Nawab. The English further captured the French settlement of Chandranagore in March 1757. On June 23, 1757, the British and the Nawab's forces faced each other on the fields of Plassey (in the Nadia district of the present West Bengal). The Nawab soon left the field and his army was completely routed. On the Nawab's side, Mir Jafar and Rai Durlabh stood still with their large armies, and only a small force under Mohanlal and Mir Madan, backed by a French officer, took part in the battle. Siraj-ud-daula was caught and put to death by Mir Jafar's son, Miran.

As a resUlt of this victory, Mir Jafar became the Nawab of Bengal. He gave large sums of money plus the zamindari of 24 parganas to the English. The Battle of Plassey had political significance for it laid the foundation of the British empire in India, it has been rightly regarded as the starting point of British rule in India. The battle established the military supremacy of the English in Bengal. Their main rivals, the French, were ousted. They obtained a grant of territories for the maintenance of a properly equipped military force, and their prestige increased manifold. But there was no apparent change in the form of government, though the supreme control of affairs passed to Clive, on whose. support the new Nawab, Mir Jafar, was entirely dependent for maintaining his newly acquired position. The sovereignty of the English over Calcutta was recognised, and the English posted a Resident at the Nawab's court.

Mir Jafar, however, was irritated by the interference of Clive. He entered into a conspiracy with the Dutch at Chinsura. But the Dutch were defeated and humbled at Bedara in November 1759. The treachery of Mir Jafar and his failure to make the payments due to the Company, made him distasteful to the English who now made Mir Kasim, the son-in-law of Mir Jafar, the Nawab in return for outstanding dues and three districts of Burdwan, Midnapur and Chittagong.