The Battle of Plassey occurred in 1757 between the British East India Company and the Bengal army led by Nawab Siraj-ud-daulah. The battle was triggered by the Nawab's warning to the British to stop their activities in Calcutta and the subsequent imprisonment of British prisoners in the Black Hole, where many died. During the battle, British commander Robert Clive bribed discontented members of the Nawab's army, including Mir Jafar, who then refused to fight. As a result, the Nawab's forces were defeated and the British gained control of Bengal.
Sample essay on the facts about the battle of plassey
1. Sample Essay on The Facts about the Battle of Plassey
The Battle of Plassey occurred on 23rd
June 1757 between the British
and the Indians in Bengal. It took place in Palashi which was a small
village between Calcutta and Murshidabad. This battle is regarded as
one of the most decisive wars in India because it eventually sealed the
rule of British East India Company in Bengal and the defeat of Indian
troupes against colonialism in this region.
What triggered the Battle of Plassey?
The Battle of Plassey was triggered by two major things. The leader of
Bengal, Nawab Siraj-ud-daulah sent a warning to the British to cease
their rule over Calcutta. This is because the British rulers in Calcutta
allowed free trade to flourish and gave tax waivers leading to losses for
Nawab Siraj-ud-daulah.
When the British rulers failed to heed to this warning, the Nawab
decided to attack them and he took captives from the British camp.
These captives were held in a small prison called the Black Hole. Ideally
the Black Hole was supposed to host six prisoners at a time, yet the
Nawab miscalculated and ordered for all the 146 prisoners captured in
the raid to be held in the small prison. This led to the death of most of
these captives with only 23 surviving the ordeal. The British upon
hearing this, decided to attack Nawab Siraj-ud-daulah and capture
Bengal.
What happened during the Battle of Plassey?
One of the advantages that Nawab Siraj-ud-daulah had over his British
enemies was his military prowess. He had a large army of over 50,000
soldiers. In addition to this, the Nawab had also solicited help from the
French who were the archrivals of the British in India. The British were
2. thus compelled to use a different tactic in order to win against this
Nawab.
The leader of the British troupe, Colonel Robert Clive decided to bribe
some of the discontent men in Nawab Siraj-ud-daulah’s camp. Amongst
these included one of the demoted commanders in chief of the
Nawab’s army, Mir Jafar and the Jagat Seths.
When the Battle of Plassey began, the bribed soldiers did not fight
against the British as expected. Instead, some stood and watched while
others abandoned their weaponry and ran away. Nawab Siraj-ud-
daulah’s army thus suffered during this battle. The acts of the traitors
greatly troubled the Nawab and he, too fled during the battle. This led
to the British winning the Battle of Plassey and subsequently occupying
the Bengal territory.
What were the consequences of the Battle of Plassey?
After the Battle of Plassey, Mir Jafar was instituted as the new Nawab
of Bengal. He helped the British in capturing his predecessor, Nawab
Siraj-ud-daulah who was later killed. Apart from taking over Bengal, the
British also signed a treaty that required the Indians to pay them for
any previous losses in terms of trade gains. The amount signed for was
more than 2million pounds. However, Nawab Siraj-ud-daulah’s wealth
was not enough to pay the British off hence this debt was split into two.
The traitors who helped the British were not paid anything and one of
them, Ochimund, went insane upon learning about their fate. The
defeat and subsequent rule of Bengal by the British also thwarted any
hopes of the French gaining authority in India.
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