Battle of Plassey 1757

Conquest & political supremacy of British began in India

Background

Royal Farman 1717 where FS1319 gave East India Company - Right to duty free trade in Bengal, Gujarat, Deccan - Right to use Royal Mint - Right to rent 38 villages around Calcutta

But EIC officials misused dastak to evade duty for personal trade. Also sold dastak to other merchants. By 1750s, pvt trade by EIC officials was worth 100K pounds. (50 times their annual salaries)

Reasons for battle

1. Origin of conflict: Murshid Quli Khan allowed duty free trade, but not misuse of dastak or royal mint because Bengal was losing tax revenue.
2. Britain France rivalry: Afraid of French, EIC was fortifying Fort Williams (Calcutta) but without permissions of Alivardi Khan.
3. Role of Siraj ud Daula: acted in haste, stopped all dastak misuse
   • when Brits gave asylum to Krishna Ballabh, fugitive from court charged with fraud by Siraj and Brit did more fortifications in Calcutta, Siraj took over the EIC factory in Kasim Bazar an captured Calcutta and renamed it Alinagar
4. Blackhole Tragedy: 30 Brits killed due to suffocation in overcrowded room

Random tidbit

Later Gov. Holwell in 1760 built Holwell monument in memory. Netaji in 1940 successfully led a movement to destroy it as it was constructed to tarnish image of Siraj.

Events

• RC5760 arrived with royal military from Madras and defeated Siraj, recaptured Calcutta
• Treaty of Alinagar 1757 b/w RC5760 and Siraj restored all privileges of EIC
• Brit destroyed Hoogly port (was imp for French) and defeated French at Chandernagar
• Jagat Seth via Mir Jafar (war commander) bribed EIC & RC5760 to replace Siraj w/ Jafar. There was rivalry b/w Siraj and Ijardars, bankers, merchant, nobles. Also, indian merchants, bankers gained from business with EIC
• MJ ensured that maj of Bengal army does not fight in Battle of Plassey 1757 $⟹$ Siraaj easily defeated, ran away and later beheaded

Impact

1. Now MJ5760,6365 was puppet of EIC $\therefore$ political supremacy and conquest by EIC began
2. Plassey Plunder:
   • economic exploitation and financial gains by EIC after battle
     • 2533K pounds given to royal military for distribution among soldiers, 2.25Cr INR to EIC & 234K pounds to RC5760 along with personal jagir of 35K pounds per annum
   • imposed heavy taxes, trade monopoly, corrupt practices, rampant misuse of dastaks
   • structure of EIC changed as Brit gold no longer necessary. Indian money used to buy indian goods
     • thus drain of wealth began
   • EIC started army building
   • When MJ5760,6365 could not pay mare, EIC replaced him with his son Mir Kasim