The Battle of Plassey | Social Studies (SST) Class 8 PDF Download

The Battle of Plassey:

When Alivardi Khan died in 1756, Siraj-ud-daulah became the Nawab of Bengal. The Company was worried about his power and keen on a puppet ruler who would willingly give trade concessions and other privileges. So it tried, though without success, to help one of Siraj-ud-daulah’s rivals become the nawab. An infuriated Siraj-ud-daulah asked the Company to stop meddling in the political affairs of his dominion, stop fortification, and pay the revenues. 

Fig: Siraj-ud-daulah: The Nawab of Bengal.

After negotiations failed, the Nawab marched with 30,000 soldiers to the English factory at Kassimbazar, captured the Company officials, locked the warehouse, disarmed all Englishmen, and blockaded English ships. Then he marched to Calcutta to establish control over the Company’s fort there. On hearing the news of the fall of Calcutta, Company officials in Madras sent forces under the command of Robert Clive, reinforced by naval fleets. Prolonged negotiations with the Nawab followed. Finally, in 1757, Robert Clive led the Company’s army against Siraj-ud-daulah at Plassey.

Mir Jafar’s Role in Battle of Plassey: One of the main reasons for the defeat of the Nawab was that the forces led by Mir Jafar, one of Siraj-ud-daulah’s commanders, never fought the battle. Clive had managed to secure his support by promising to make him nawab after crushing Siraj-ud-daulah.

The Battle of Plassey became famous because it was the first major victory the Company won in India.

Fig: Battle of Plassey.

After the defeat at Plassey, Siraj-ud-daulah was assassinated and Mir Jafar made the nawab. The Company was still unwilling to take over the responsibility of administration. Its prime objective was the expansion of trade. If this could be done without conquest, through the help of local rulers who were willing to grant privileges, then territories need not be taken over directly.

Fig: Mir Jafar.

Soon the Company discovered that this was rather difficult. For even the puppet nawabs were not always as helpful as the Company wanted them to be. After all, they had to maintain a basic appearance of dignity and sovereignty if they wanted respect from their subjects.

When Mir Jafar protested, the Company deposed him and installed Mir Qasim in his place. When Mir Qasim complained, he, in turn, was defeated in the battle of Buxar (1764), driven out of Bengal, and Mir Jafar was reinstalled. The Nawab had to pay Rs 500,000 every month but the Company wanted more money to finance its wars, and meet the demands of trade and its other expenses. It wanted more territories and more revenue.

By the time Mir Jafar died in 1765 the mood of the Company had changed. Now the Company wanted to take control of local administration as well.

Finally, in 1765 the Mughal emperor appointed the Company as the Diwan of the provinces of Bengal. The Diwani allowed the Company to use the vast revenue resources of Bengal. This solved a major problem that the Company had earlier faced.

From the early eighteenth century its trade with India had expanded. But it had to buy most of the goods in India with gold and silver imported from Britain. This was because at this time Britain had no goods to sell in India. The outflow of gold from Britain slowed after the Battle of Plassey and entirely stopped after the assumption of Diwani.

Now revenues from India could finance Company expenses. These revenues could be used to purchase cotton and silk textiles in India, maintain Company troops, and meet the cost of building the Company fort and offices at Calcutta.

Fig: Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757.

Company Rule Expands:

If we analyse the process of annexation of Indian states by the East India Company from 1757 to 1857, certain key aspects emerge. The Company rarely launched a direct military attack on an unknown territory. Instead it used a variety of political, economic and diplomatic methods to extend its influence before annexing an Indian kingdom.

After the Battle of Buxar (1764), the Company appointed Residents in Indian states. They were political or commercial agents and their job was to serve and further the interests of the Company. Through the Residents, the Company officials began interfering in the internal affairs of Indian states. They tried to decide who was to be the successor to the throne, and who was to be appointed in administrative posts. Sometimes the Company forced the states into a “subsidiary alliance”.

Subsidiary Alliance: According to the terms of this alliance, Indian rulers were not allowed to have their independent armed forces. They were to be protected by the Company, but had to pay for the “subsidiary forces” that the Company was supposed to maintain for the purpose of this protection. If the Indian rulers failed to make the payment, then part of their territory was taken away as a penalty.