QUES . The Battle of Plassey was one of the major steps that brought England to dominate and conquer India. Discuss.

RELEVANCE – UPSC GS MAINS PAPER I ; TOPIC – Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present significant events, personalities, issues .

HINTS:

The victory of British East India company in the Battle of Plassey is one of the important landmark in India
History. The Battle of Plassey revealed the utterly corrupt political situation in Bengal.

Mir Jafar became a mere ‘puppet ruler’ and the power rested with the British. On every matter he depended on the English. The Battle of Plassey paved the way for beginning of their empire.

The British enjoyed the tax benefits, had to compete with no rival foreign merchants and began to use the revenue of Bengal for protecting their military and trade interest.

MirJafar gave 24 Parganas and one crore of rupees to the Company and valuable Siraj presents to the English officers including Clive.It depleted the state exchequer. So much wealth was drained from Bengal that the economy was completely shattered. This is known as the Plassey Plunder.

With the wealth of Bengal the British secured their business and political supremacy.

The Battle of Plassey was one of the major steps that brought England to dominate and conquer India. It
was not only a battle with local authorities but part of the rivalry with France over available markets.

However, European colonial expansion was a part of an even bigger phenomenon that would bind the
peoples and cultures of the world together through dissemination of technology and sharing among
cultures.

In years to come it would bring the Western colonialists to some awareness of their spiritual responsibility for other nations for example, no matter how wide was the gap between the rich and poor in the West, in the East it was even wider. In this respect, the Battle of Plassey can be seen as one step in a sad
but necessary process.

However, the method of colonial conquest cannot be accepted in this age, when the peoples of the world recognize their interdependence and the need to establish a world of mutual prosperity and shared values, by peaceful means.

RELATED EXTRA INFORMATION:

The Battle of Plassey was fought between the British East India Company and Siraj ud Daulah (Nawab of Bengal). Siraj ud Daulah was supported by the French. The battle took place on June 23 . The victory of British East India company in the battle is one of the most important event in Indian History.

Clive did not delay once the conspiracy matured. He brought a few charges against the Nawab and advanced with his forces. The Nawab, too, proceeded to oppose his advance. On the bank of the river Bhagirathi, in the mango groves of a place named Plassey, the opposite forces met each other. The date was the 23rd of June in the year 1757.

On that day was fought the Battle of Plassey between the armies of Siraj ud daulah and Clive. There could be no comparison between the respective forces of the enemies. Because, the Nawab’s army contained 50,000 infantry and 28,000 cavalry. Clive’s army consisted of only 3,000 men, including English soldiers and Indian sepoys.