Battle of Plassey- Important Notes for Exams

Battle of Plassey (1757)

The Battle of Plassey was fought between Siraj-ud-daulah of Bengal and the British supported by Jagat Seth and commander in chief of Bengal, Mir Jafar.

Events leading to battle of Plassey

Major event-

Black hole tragedy

To impose his authority, Siraj-ud-daulah launched an offensive. He marched towards Fort William and ordered to lock up all the people in a small room. Due to small dimensions of the room, only a few people could survive. 

As a result, to compensate for this loss, the Treaty of Alinagar was signed between Robert Clive and Siraj. Also, all the privileges of the British in Bengal were restored.

Minor events and strains

• Siraj did not pay heeds to dictates of Jagat Seth which offended the Jagat Seths
• Siraj also made Bengal an open competitive economy. Unlike before, the British didn’t get any privileges and this sowed the seeds of rivalry in British minds.
• The company wanted to have an absolute monopoly over the resources of Bengal to boost their trade.
• An asylum was provided to Nawab’s enemy Krishna Das.
• The British continuously ignored their obligations to pay taxes, duties and charges.
• The British on the pretext of rivalry with the French, started to fortify Fort William which was seen as a challenge to his authority by Siraj-ud-daulah.

Result-

A web of intrigue was created by Robert Clive with the support of Jagat Seth and commander in chief of Bengal forces, Mir Jafar.

Siraj ud daulah was defeated in this battle and Mir Jafar was declared the next Nawab.

Consequences of battle of Plassey

Battle of Plassey was a huge victory for British and it led to following consequences:-

• It boosted the British Prestige and undermined the Indian authority.
• The British were paid war indemnity of 275000 pounds immediately.
• In a period of 3 years, between 1757 to 1760, 2.25 crore Rs was received by the British which was used by them to build their Navy and military bases. 
• They also received zamindari rights of 24 Pargana.
• Mir Jafar was crowned as the next Nawab of Bengal.

Bengal seriously suffered from this battle and the glory of Bengal was lost. Bengal, which had huge foreign reserves due to an impressive balance of trade, was now importer of goods from China. 

Practice questions

Prelims based:

1. Which of the following were not the consequences of Battle of Plassey

A. British received Zamindari rights of 24 Pargana 

B. War indemnity of RS 275000 pounds was paid by Bengal

C. Mir Jafar became the next Nawab of Bengal

D. The British got the diwani rights of Bihar and odisha.

2. Treaty of Alinagar was signed between

A. Siraj ud daulah and Wellesley

B. Siraj-udaulah and Robert Clive

C. Mir Jafar and Robert Clive

D. None 

Answers

1. D
2. B

Mains 

1. When was the battle of Plassey fought and what were its consequences?
2. What all events led to the Battle of Plassey?
3. Give a detailed account of Battle of Plassey and Battle of Buxar. 

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