Question

The battle of Plassey was of immense historical importance. It paved the way for the British mastery of Bengal and eventually of the whole of India. Discuss

Answer 1

Approach:

• Give a brief about the battle of Plassey.
• Highlight the benefits of winning the war for Britishers.

1. The beginnings of the British political sway over India may be traced to the Battle of Plassey in 1757 when the East India Company defeated Siraj-ud-daulah, the Nawab of Bengal. The battle of Plassey was followed by ‘ a night of eternal gloom for India’. This war brought with it a lot of benefits for the East India Company which paved the way for British consolidation in India.Economic Benefits: The company was granted undisputed right to free trade in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. It also received the zamindari of the 24 Parganas near Calcutta. The victory of Plassey enabled the company and its servants to amass untold wealth at the cost of the helpless people of Bengal.
2. It paved way for the direct political intervention of the East India Company. The same strategy of finding allies within a kingdom, using economic instruments to weaken a country’s political negotiating power etc were tried out successfully in different parts of the country after taking inspiration from the battle of Plassey
3. Pan-India Rule: It boosted the British prestige and at a single stroke raised them to the status of a major contender for the Indian Empire.
4. Strong Army: The rich revenues of Bengal enabled them to organise a strong army. This strong was further used to expand the British political influence to rest of the Indian states.
5. Eliminated Competition: This also confirmed that the British were now the only colonial power left in the South. They pushed the Dutch and the French out of the Southern part of India. This made the company rule effectively.

The Battle of Plassey was a decisive victory of the British East India Company. The battle consolidated the Company's presence in Bengal, which later expanded to cover much of India over the next hundred years.