The Battle of Plassey (1757): The Beginning of British Political Power
- Context
- The British East India Company (EIC) initially traded under the declining Mughal Empire, competing with the French in Bengal.
- Conflict with Nawab of Bengal
- The Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula opposed British fortifications at Calcutta and attacked Fort William.
- Robert Clive’s Strategy
- Clive allied with Mir Jafar, a commander in the Nawab’s army, who betrayed his ruler during battle.
- Outcome
- British victory at Plassey (1757) secured Bengal, India’s richest province.
- Significance
- The EIC gained political control, access to vast revenues, and a base for expanding across India.
Definition
Robert Clive
- British commander who led victory at Plassey
Definition
Mir Jafar
- Indian general who supported the British in exchange for becoming Nawab.
The Battle of Plassey (1757)
Causes
- Competition between British and French traders for control of Bengal’s wealth.
- The EIC’s fortification of Calcutta without local approval.
- Rising tension with Siraj-ud-Daula, who viewed the British as a threat to sovereignty.
- British manipulation of local rivalries among Indian elites.
- Desire for economic dominance and secure trade privileges.
Consequences
- Bengal became a puppet state under Mir Jafar.
- The EIC gained the right to collect land revenue (diwani) after 1765.
- Massive transfer of wealth from Bengal to Britain.
- Sparked economic drain and decline of local industries.
- Marked the beginning of British territorial expansion in India.
Anglo-Mysore Wars (1767–1799): Resistance in the South
- Background
- The Kingdom of Mysore under Haider Ali and later Tipu Sultan emerged as a strong regional power.
- Conflict
- Mysore allied with France, threatening British interests in southern India.
- Four Wars (1767–1799)
- Series of conflicts between Mysore and the British East India Company.
- Death of Tipu Sultan
- Killed in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799) during the siege of Srirangapatna.
