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#1
The Battle of Plassey was fought on 23 June 1757 on the banks of the Bhagirathi River at Palashi in Nadia district, Bengal.
#2
The combatants were the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah, and the British East India Company forces led by Colonel Robert Clive.
#3
Plassey marked the transformation of the British East India Company from a commercial trading body into a dominant political and military power in India.
#4
A primary economic cause was the misuse of Dastaks (duty-free trade permits) by Company officials for their lucrative private trade, depriving the Nawab of customs revenue.
#5
Siraj-ud-Daulah strongly opposed the unauthorized military fortification of Fort William in Calcutta by the British during the Seven Years' War.
#6
In June 1756, Siraj-ud-Daulah besieged and captured Calcutta, expelling the British authorities and renaming the city Alinagar.
#7
The controversial "Black Hole" incident was propagated by J.Z. Holwell, alleging that 146 British prisoners were locked in an 18x14-foot cell, resulting in 123 suffocation deaths.
#8
The Treaty of Alinagar, signed on 9 February 1757, temporarily restored British privileges, authorized the refortification of Calcutta, and permitted the Company to mint coins.
#9
Robert Clive entered into a covert conspiracy to overthrow Siraj, bribing the Nawab's commander-in-chief Mir Jafar with the promise of the Bengal throne.
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Other prominent co-conspirators against the Nawab included Jagat Seth (the richest banker of Bengal), Rai Durlabh, and the merchant Omichund (Amir Chand).
#11
During the battle, the massive troops under Mir Jafar, Rai Durlabh, and Yar Lutuf Khan stood motionless, betraying the Nawab on Clive's instructions.
#12
Only a small division of the Nawab's army, led by loyal officers Mir Madan and Mohan Lal, along with French artillerymen under de St. Frais, actively fought the British.
#13
Mir Madan was fatally wounded by British cannon fire, which demoralized Siraj-ud-Daulah and forced his retreat to Murshidabad.
#14
Siraj-ud-Daulah was subsequently captured in Rajmahal and executed by Miran, the son of Mir Jafar.
#15
Mir Jafar was proclaimed the new Nawab of Bengal by Robert Clive, functioning as a client ruler popularly dubbed "Clive's Donkey."
#16
The Company received undisputed sovereign zamindari rights over the territory of 24 Parganas, becoming direct landlords in Bengal.
#17
The British extorted massive financial indemnities totaling more than ₹2.2 crore from the Murshidabad treasury for the Company and individual officers.
#18
Robert Clive personally received a lavish jagir and cash rewards exceeding £234,000, establishing his personal fortune in Britain.
#19
The victory inaugurated the systematic "Drain of Wealth" from the prosperous Bengal province, which financed the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain.
#20
Revenues extorted from Bengal were utilized by the British to maintain large sepoy armies that conquered the rest of India over the next century.
#21
The political puppet arrangement proved unstable, leading to Mir Qasim's accession, the Battle of Buxar (1764), and the Treaty of Allahabad (1765).
#22
Historian Jadunath Sarkar famously wrote of Plassey: "On 23 June 1757, the medieval period of India ended and the modern period began."
Subject Specialist Commentary
Analytical perspective & practical exam advice from the Master10 academic board
Fought on June 23, 1757 in Bengal, the Battle of Plassey transformed the East India Company from a merchant body into a ruling colonial power. Tensions escalated when Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah resisted unauthorized British fortifications at Fort William and the misuse of duty-free trade permits called Dastaks. The battle became famous for intrigue rather than combat: Colonel Robert Clive bribed the Nawab's commander-in-chief, Mir Jafar, whose troops stood inactive during the fighting.
In UPSC, SSC, and State PSC history exams, examiners constantly probe the political aftermath of Plassey. A classic prelims trap confuses Plassey with Buxar: remember that Plassey established British political leverage and granted the 24 Parganas zamindari, but the Battle of Buxar in 1764 yielded formal Diwani revenue rights. For statement questions, remember that loyal commanders Mir Madan and Mohan Lal led the actual resistance, and the vast plunder extorted from Bengal initiated India's economic drain.
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