Battle of Plassey, 1757

The battle of Plassey was fought in a mango orchard on the bank of the Hugli River on 23 June 1757, between the British East India Company’s force led by Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Clive against the Bengal Nawabi (Muslim regional polity) Army commanded by the Bengal Nawab (Muslim ruler) Siraj-ud-daulah. This battle is considered to be a turning point in the history of the modern world. The battle was brief but the consequences proved to be far reaching. Despite the volume of ink that has flowed as regards Plassey, historians are still debating over various issues concerning the battle. Was the armed clash between the Company and the Bengal Nawabi inevitable? And who was responsible for this encounter: the “debauch” Siraj or the greedy Company traders? Was the defeat of Siraj foreordained? Did Plassey result in Bengal’s economic decline? Did Plassey signify the foundation stone of British rule in India which gave rise to the largest empire in the nineteenth century? We are clear on one ground. In terms of battle casualties, Plassey was a marginal affair. Only five hundred soldiers on the nawab’s side and fifty in Clive’s army were casualties. However, this armed confrontation’s effect on the social, political, and economic spheres of both Britain and India were enormous. In fact, one British official, just after this battle, coined the term that a “revolution” had indeed occurred in Bengal. The Urdu and Persian speaking Indians used the term “inqilab” (an upsurge that resulted in complete break with the past). Again, it would be simplistic to accept that Plassey was a binary struggle between the British and the Indians. Another European power, the French, were also involved. Plassey also had immense consequences on the trading activities and political interests of the Dutch and French in South Asia. The different dimensions regarding the cause, course, and consequences of the “decisive” battle of Plassey are discussed in the following sections.