Battle of Plassey

On 23 June 1757, the British East India Company, led by Robert Clive, won a decisive victory over a considerably larger army of the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies at the Battle of Plassey. The Company was able to gain control of Bengal as a result of the fight. They took control of most of the Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, and Afghanistan during the following hundred years. Plassey, as located on the banks of the Hooghly River, some 150 kilometres (93 miles) north of Calcutta and south of Murshidabad, Bengal's capital at the time, was the site of the fight (now in Nadia district in West Bengal).  The Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah, Bengal's last independent Nawab, and the British East India Company were at odds. He was Alivardi Khan's successor (his maternal grandfather).  The year previously, Siraj-ud-Daulah had become the Nawab of Bengal, and he had ordered the English to halt expanding their fortifications. Robert Clive bribed Mir Jafar, the Nawab's army commander-in-chief, and promised to appoint him Nawab of Bengal. In 1757, Clive defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah at Plassey and took Calcutta. The fight was preceded by Nawab Siraj-ud-invasion Daulah's on British-controlled Calcutta and the Black Hole massacre. Colonel Robert Clive and Admiral Charles Watson led troops from Madras to Bengal and recovered Calcutta. Clive then took command of the attack against the French fort at Chandernagar. The Battle of Plassey was the culmination of tensions and mistrust between Siraj-ud-daulah and the British.

The combat took place during the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), when the French East India Company (La Compagnie des Indes Orientales) dispatched a small detachment to fight against the British, mirroring their European rivalry. Siraj-ud-Daulah made his stand at Plassey with a substantially superior numerical army. Worried about being outmanned, the British devised a plot with Jagat Seths (Mahtab Chand and Swarup Chand), Yar Lutuf Khan Umichand, and Rai Durlabh including Siraj-ud-disgraced Daulah's army leader Mir Jafar. Rai Durlabh, Mir Jafar and Yar Lutuf Khan gathered their forces near the battleground but did not join the fight. Col. Robert Clive's 3,000 men beat Siraj-ud-force Daulah's 50,000 warriors, 40 cannons, and ten war elephants. The flight lasted around 11 hours. It was considered one of the crucial conflicts in the colonial powers' dominance of the Indian subcontinent. The British now had great clout with the Nawab, Mir Jafar and could extract major concessions for prior trade losses and revenue. The British utilized this money to strengthen their military and force other European colonial powers out of South Asia, such as the Dutch and the French, to expand the British Empire.

Since the Anglo-Mughal War, the British East India Company has maintained a significant presence in India, with three main stations: Fort St. George in Madras, Fort William in Calcutta, and Bombay Castle in western India. In England, the Court of Directors chose a president and a council to manage these stations, autonomous presidencies ruled by a president and a council. The British developed a policy of forming alliances with various princes and Nawabs, guaranteeing protection from usurpers and rebels. In exchange for security, the Nawabs frequently made concessions. By the 18th century, there was no longer any rivalry between the British East India Company and its Dutch or Portuguese rivals. Under Louis XIV, the French created an East India Company with two significant outposts in India: Pondicherry on the Carnatic coast and Chandernagar in Bengal, both controlled by the president of Pondicherry. The French were latecomers to the Indian trade, but they soon established themselves and were prepared to usurp Britain's dominance.

The Combat of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748) marked the start of the power struggle between Britain and France and European military dominance and political interference in India. Mahé de La Bourdonnais arrived with a naval force off Madras coast in September 1746 and laid siege to the port city. Madras' defences were weak, and Mahé de La Bourdonnais bombarded the garrison three days before surrendering. Bourdonnais' capitulation conditions stipulated that the settlement would be ransomed in exchange for a monetary payment from the British East India Company. The governor general of the Compagnie des Indes Orientales' Indian territories, Joseph François Dupleix, was opposed to this surrender. Dupleix broke the agreement when Bourdonnais departed India in October. The Carnatic Nawab Anwaruddin Khan intervened in favour of the British, and the united troops proceeded to recapture Madras. Still, the army was quickly destroyed by the French, despite great numerical superiority. The British, led by Major Lawrence and Admiral Boscawen, lay siege to Pondicherry in retribution for the fall of Madras but were compelled to raise it after thirty-one days. In 1748, Dupleix was obliged to hand over Madras to the British in exchange for Louisbourg and Cape Breton Island in North America under the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. Nawab of Bengal Alivardi Khan of the Mughal Empire took a hard line against European mercantile firms in Bengal. The Treaty of Aix-La-Chapelle averted open conflicts between the two powers. Still, they were soon embroiled in indirect warfare as an auxiliary in the feuds of the local rulers. Dupleix selected the conflict to determine who would succeed the Nizam of Deccan and the Nawab of the dependent Carnatic region. Both the British and French submitted candidates for the two positions. Dupleix's candidates stole both thrones through deception and two assassinations in each case. In mid-1751, Chanda Sahib, the French contender for the Nawab's seat, besieged Wallajah's final bastion, Trichinopoly, where Wallajah was holed up by his British troops. A French force led by Charles, Marquis de Bussy, supported him. Captain Robert Clive's force of 280 Europeans and 300 sepoys assaulted and captured Arcot, the Carnatic capital, on September 1, 1751, after discovering that the garrison had left the night before. Chanda Sahib anticipated that he would be forced to divert part of his men to retake the city from the British by doing so. Chanda Sahib dispatched an army of 4,000 Indians and 150 Frenchmen under the command of Raza Sahib. After many weeks of siege, they penetrated the fort's walls in several locations. After receiving a payment to Morari Rao, a Maratha leader stationed in the Mysore highlands, Clive dispatched a message to help Wallajah. When Raza Sahib learned of the approaching Marathas, he wrote Clive a letter urging him to surrender in exchange for a huge quantity of money, but Clive declined. Raza Sahib attempted the last attack on the fort on November 24 but was thwarted when his armoured elephants stampeded in response to British musketry. They attempted numerous times to infiltrate the fort via the breach but were constantly rebuffed and lost. The next day,  Raza Sahib's troops broke the siege, and Raza Sahib's troops retreated, abandoning guns, ammunition, and supplies. The British secured the Carnatic with victories at Arcot, Conjeeveram, and Trichinopoly, and Wallajah ascended to the Nawab's throne in line with a contract with the new French ruler Godeheu. After his army invaded and conquered Bengal's capital, Murshidabad, Alwardi Khan succeeded to the throne of the Nawab of Bengal. Alivardi is reported to have a strong stance toward Europeans in Bengal. He enabled Europeans to improve defences and the British to build the Maratha Ditch in Calcutta during his wars with the Marathas. On the other side, he amassed significant sums of money from them to fund his battle. He was well-versed in the situation in southern India, where the British and French had launched a proxy war against local kings and rulers. Alwardi did not want a scenario like this to happen in his region. Therefore he was cautious in his interactions with the Europeans. However, there was always conflict; the British continually grumbled that they couldn't fully enjoy the Farman of 1717 given by Farrukhsiyar. On the other hand, the British safeguarded the Nawab's subjects, provided permits to native traders allowing them to trade customs-free, and imposed high tariffs on goods entering their areas, all of which were harmful to the Nawab's revenue. Alwardi Khan died in April 1756, and his twenty-three-year-old grandson, Siraj-ud-daulah, took his place. His personality was described as a mix of fierce anger and a lack of comprehension. He was especially sceptical of the enormous profits earned in India by European corporations. When the British and French began to improve their fortifications in preparation for another war, he quickly ordered them to cease such actions because they had been carried out without authorization. When the British refused to stop building, the Nawab led 3,000 soldiers to surround Cossimbazar's fort and factory, capturing many British officials and transporting them to Calcutta. Calcutta's defences were flimsy and ineffective. The garrison fought the Nawab's army of over 50,000 infantry and cavalry with just 180 troops, 50 European volunteers, 60 European militia, 150 Armenian and Portuguese militia, 35 European artillery-men, and 40 volunteers from ships. Siraj's troops captured the city on June 16, and the fort surrendered on June 20 after a brief siege. Siraj entrusted the captives seized during the siege of Calcutta to the officers of his guard, who imprisoned them in the common cell of Fort William known as The Black Hole. One hundred forty-six people were crammed into this cell, 18 by 14 feet (5.5 m 4.3 m) and two tiny windows. It was built by the British to accommodate just six convicts. Only 23 of the 146 people survived the dungeon's opening on June 21; the rest perished of asphyxiation, heat exhaustion, and insanity. The Nawab appears to have been oblivious of the conditions in which his prisoners were confined, ensuing in the deaths of most of the inmates. Meanwhile, the Nawab's troops and fleet were looting Calcutta and the nearby British industry. When news of Calcutta's fall reached Madras on August 16, 1756, the Council dispatched an expeditionary force led by Colonel Clive and Admiral Watson. It further says that any symptoms of discontent or ambition among the Nawab's subjects should be encouraged. Clive was in charge of the ground forces, including 900 Europeans and 1500 sepoys, while Watson was in charge of a naval squadron. On December 15, the flotilla reached the Hooghly River and met with fugitives from Calcutta and the surrounding districts, including the Council's key members, at the village of Falta. The members of the Council constituted a Select Committee of Direction. The troops drove the enemy out of the fort at Budge Budge on December 29. On January 2 1757, Clive and Watson attacked Calcutta, and the garrison of 500 men surrendered after a flimsy struggle. With Calcutta retaken, the Council was re-established, and Council devised a strategy to combat the Nawab. Fort William's defences were reinforced, building a defensive posture in the city's northeast corner.

An army of 650 soldiers led by Captain Coote and Major Kilpatrick attacked and plundered Hooghly, 37 kilometres north of Calcutta, on January 9, 1757. After learning of the invasion, the Nawab rallied his army and marched on Calcutta, arriving with the main body on February 3 and encamping beyond the Maratha Ditch. In Omichund's garden, Siraj established his headquarters. A small army force attacked the town's northern outskirts but was repulsed by a detachment led by Lieutenant Lebeaume, who returned with fifty prisoners. On February 4, Clive decided to make a surprise attack on the Nawab's camp. A force of 600 seafarers, a battalion of 650 Europeans, 100 artillerymen, 800 sepoys, and six six-pounders arrived at the Nawab's camp around midnight. The vanguard came across the Nawab's advanced guard around 6:00, under cover of thick fog, and fired their matchlocks and rockets before fleeing. They went ahead for a little way until they came to a halt in front of Omichund's garden when they heard cavalry galloping to their right. The cavalry approached the British army within 30 yards (27 meters) before the line opened fire, killing several and scattering the remainder. Beyond walking distance, the vision was limited by the fog. As a result, the line advanced slowly, with troops and artillery shooting randomly on each side. Clive planned to attack the Nawab's quarters from a narrow raised causeway south of the garden. However, the route had been blocked by the Nawab's soldiers. As the fog began to clear about 9:00 a.m., the soldiers were overpowered by the Nawab's artillery firing two large cannons from across the Maratha Ditch. Cavalry and musket fire rained down on the British forces from all sides. The Nawab soldiers then marched a mile farther to a bridge crossing the Maratha Ditch and arrived in Calcutta. Clive's troops suffered a total of 57 fatalities and 137 injuries. The Nawab's army suffered losses of 22 distinguished officers, 600 ordinary soldiers, four elephants, 500 horses, a few camels, and many bullocks. The raid frightened the Nawab into signing the Treaty of Alinagar with the Company on February 5, pledging to restore the Company's factories, enable Calcutta's fortification, and restore old privileges. The Nawab withdrew his army back to Murshidabad, his capital.

Concerned by de Bussy's arrival in Bengal and the Seven Years' War in Europe, the Company focused on the French danger in Bengal. Clive intended to conquer Chandernagar, a French town 20 miles (32 kilometres) north of Calcutta. Clive needed to know on whose side the Nawab would intervene if Chandernagar were attacked. Clive saw the Nawab's evasive responses as agreement to the invasion. On March 14, Clive launched an attack on Chandernagar's town and fort. To impede the entrance of the men of war, the French had erected defences on the roads leading to the fort and destroyed numerous ships in the river channel. There were 600 Europeans and 300 sepoys in the garrison. The French had hoped expecting help from the Nawab's soldiers in Hooghly, but the governor of Hooghly, Nandkumar, had been paid to be quiet and prevent the Nawab from re-enforcing Chandernagar. The fort was well-protected, but when Admiral Watson's squadron breached the blockade in the channel on March 23, the fort was subjected to a furious cannonade, aided by two shore batteries. The fort's musket fire severely damaged the naval fleet. The French displayed a truce flag at 9:00 on March 24, and they completed the capitulation at 15:00. Clive opted to stay in Bengal after plundering Chandernagar, despite his instructions to return to Madras. He repositioned his troops to the north of Hooghly. Furthermore, Siraj-ud-Daula thought that the Mughal Emperor Alamgir II had denied the British East India Company permission to strengthen their holdings in the Nawab of Bengal's domains.

When the Nawab learned about the raid on Chandernagar, he was furious. His old hatred for the British resurfaced, but he now felt the need to fortify himself by forging anti-British alliances. The Nawab was terrified of attacks from the Afghans led by Ahmad Shah Durrani in the north and the Marathas in the west. As a result, he could not deploy his full army against the British for fear of flanking attacks. Between the British and the Nawab, a strong mistrust developed. Siraj began covert discussions with Jean Law, the head of the French plant at Cossimbazar, and de Bussy. The Nawab also dispatched a strong division of his army to Plassey, on the island of Cossimbazar, 30 miles (48 kilometres) south of Murshidabad, under the command of Rai Durlabh. In his court, popular dissatisfaction with the Nawab grew.

In contrast to Alivardi's rule, the Seths, Bengal's traders, constantly feared losing their fortune under Siraj's reign. They had hired Yar Lutuf Khan to defend them if they were ever threatened. Clive was told by William Watts, the Company envoy at Siraj's court, about a plot to topple the monarch. The conspirators were Mir Jafar, the army's paymaster, Rai Durlabh, Yar Lutuf Khan, Omichund, a trader, and many army commanders. Clive submitted the matter to the Select Committee in Calcutta on May 1 after receiving information in this respect from Mir Jafar. The Committee passed a resolution in favour of the partnership. The British and Mir Jafar signed a pact that would elevate him to the throne of the Nawab in exchange for military assistance and the bestowal of enormous quantities of money as recompence for the attack on Calcutta.  Rendering to historian W. Dalrymple, the Jagat Seths offered Clive and the East India Company more than £4 million (around £420 million in today's money), plus an additional 110,000 Rupees per month (nearly £1.43 million in today's money) to pay for Company troops and other landholding rights. Clive disbanded his camp on May 2, sending half of his men to Calcutta and the other half to Chandernagar. Mir Jafar and the Seths wanted the British-Mir Jafar confederacy kept hidden from Omichund. Still, when he found out, he threatened to reveal the plot unless his share was increased to three million rupees (£300,000, or over £3 million in 2019). When Clive learned of this, he proposed a solution to the Committee. To mislead Omichund, he proposed drawing two treaties: one on white paper with no reference to Omichund and the other on red paper with Omichund's requested requirement. The Committee members signed both treaties, but Admiral Watson only signed the genuine one and forged his signature on the fictional one. Mir Jafar signed both treaties and separate agreements for gifts to the army, navy squadron, and Committee on June 4.

Clive was joined by Major Kilpatrick and the remainder of the troops from Calcutta at Chandernagar on June 12. 613 Europeans, 171 artillerymen in charge of eight field pieces and two howitzers, 91 passes, 2100 sepoys (mostly dusadhs), and 150 sailors made up the combined army. On June 13, the army left for Murshidabad. Clive wrote a message to the Nawab's couriers, announcing his intention to march his troops to Murshidabad to discuss their concerns about the pact of February 9 with the Nawab's government's central authorities. The Indian forces marched onshore as the Europeans were pulled up the river in 200 boats with supplies and weaponry. Clive issued Siraj a proclamation of war on June 14. Siraj obtained a promise from Mir Jafar not to join the British in battle on June 15, after ordering an attack on Mir Jafar's palace in suspicion of his alliance with the British. He ordered his entire army to move to Plassey, but the troops refused to leave until Siraj paid their pay arrears in full. Due to the delay, the troops only arrived in Plassey on June 21. By June 16, the British army had arrived in Paltee, 12 miles (19 kilometres) north of Katwa, a strategically vital town and fort.

The river Aji covered it, which had enormous stockpiles of grain and military supplies. Clive dispatched a force of 200 Europeans, 500 sepoys, one field piece, and a light howitzer to seize the fort on June 17, led by Major Coote of the 39th Foot. When the detachment arrived at midnight, they found the town deserted. On the morning of June 19, Major Coote walked to the river's edge and waved a white flag, but the governor responded with a shot and a display of defiance. Coote divided his Anglo-Indian army, with the sepoys crossing the river and firing the walls and the Europeans crossing farther up from the fort. The garrison abandoned their positions and retreated north when they spotted the approaching army. Clive and the remainder of the army arrived at Katwa on June 19, after learning the victory. Clive was in a pickle at this point. The Nawab had made amends with Mir Jafar and sent him to one of his army's flanks.

On the other hand, Mir Jafar had sent Clive communications stating his commitment to maintaining the deal they had signed. On June 21, Clive convened a council of war to discuss the situation with his officers. The issue Clive posed to them was whether, under the current conditions, the army should cross into the island of Cossimbazar and assault the Nawab on its own, or if they should reinforce their position in Katwa and rely the Marathas or other Indian forces for help. Thirteen of the twenty commanders there, including Clive, were opposed to rapid action, while the remainder, including Major Coote, were in favour, noting recent success and the men' good spirits. After an hour of debate, Clive gave instructions to the troops to cross the Bhagirathi River (alternative name for the Hooghly River) on the morning of June 22. They arrived past the hamlet of Plassey about 1:00 p.m. on June 23. They swiftly took over the next mango orchard, Laksha Bagh, 800 yards (730 meters) long and 300 yards (270 meters) broad and surrounded by a ditch and a mud wall. It ran parallel to the Bhagirathi River for most of its length. Clive took up residence in a hunting lodge surrounded by a brick wall on the river's edge, a bit to the north of the grove. The Nawab's entrenchments were roughly a mile from the grove. Clive's army arrived 26 hours before the Nawab's force. Plassey would be reached in two days by a French detachment led by Jean Law. Their army was encamped behind earthen embankments that ran parallel to the river for 200 yards (180 meters) before turning northeast for 3 miles (4.8 km).  At this point along the entrenchment, there was a cannon-mounted redoubt. A small hill with trees located 300 yards (270 meters) east of the redoubt. A small tank (reservoir) was 800 yards (730 meters) towards the British position, while a bigger tank was 100 yards (91 meters) farther south, both enclosed by a massive mound of dirt.

The cannon of the Nawab is mounted on a moveable platform. A huge platform, raised six feet off the ground, containing the cannon, as well as all of its ammunition and the gunners who controlled the cannon, on the stage itself. These machines were pulled by 40 or 50 yokes of the biggest white oxen grown in Purnea, and behind to each cannon walked an elephant trained to help during tough tugs by pressing his forehead on the carriage's rear half. The Nawab's troops emerged from their camp before dawn on June 23 and moved towards the grove. Their army was made up of 30,000 infantry of various types, equipped with matchlocks, swords, pikes, and rockets, and 20,000 cavalries, armed with swords or long spears, with 300 pieces of artillery, primarily 32, 24, and 18-pounders, dispersed throughout. De St. Frais commanded a detachment of around 50 French artillerymen who directed their field guns. Within a mile of the grove, the French took positions at the bigger tank, with four light pieces advanced by two larger pieces. Behind them, the Nawab's loyal generals Mir Madan Khan and Diwan Mohanlal led 5,000 cavalries and 7,000 infantry. The rest of the army, which numbered 45,000 men, formed an arc from the tiny hill to 800 yards (730 meters) east of the grove's southern angle, threatening to encircle Clive's smaller force. Rai Durlabh led the right arm of their army, Yar Lutuf Khan led the centre, and Mir Jafar led the left arm closest to the British. Clive stood on the roof of the hunting lodge, watching the scenario unfold and waiting for news from Mir Jafar. Then, finally, he told his men to move out of the grove and form a line confronting the bigger tank. His army comprised 750 European infantry, 100 Topasses, 2100 sepoys (dusadhs), and 100 artillerymen, with 50 sailors assisting them. Eight 6-pounders and two howitzers made up the artillery. The Europeans and Topasses were stationed in the middle of the line in four divisions, flanked on each side by three 6-pounders. The sepoys were evenly distributed on the right and left sides. Clive stationed two 6-pounders and two howitzers behind some brick kilns 200 yards (180 meters) north of his army's left division to counter the French fire.

The French artillery at the bigger tank fired the first shot at 8:00, killing one and injuring another from the 39th Regiment's grenadier company. As a result, the remainder of the Nawab's artillery opened up with a strong and continuous bombardment. The British advanced field pieces fought the French, while the battalion's artillery fought the rest of the Nawab's artillery. Instead of immobilizing the cannon, their bullets impacted the infantry and cavalry divisions. The British had missing 10 Europeans and 20 sepoys by 8:30 a.m. Clive ordered the troops to retire back to the relative safety of the grove, leaving the forward artillery at the brick kilns. Because of the embankment's protection, the British suffered a significant reduction in casualties.

There had been no significant progress after three hours, and neither side's positions had moved. Clive convened a meeting with his employees to plan the next steps. It was decided that Clive would hold the current position until after dark and launch an attack on the Nawab's tent at midnight. Unfortunately, a strong rainfall struck just after the meeting ended. The British protected their munitions with tarps, but the Nawab's troops took no such measures. As a result, their gunpowder was soaked, and their rate of fire slowed, but Clive's cannon remained to fire nonstop. Mir Madan Khan led his cavalry to a charge as the rain began to decrease, thinking that the British guns had been rendered useless by the downpour.

On the other hand, the British repelled the attack with powerful grapeshot, severely wounding Mir Madan Khan and drove his troops back. Throughout the cannonade, Siraj stayed in his tent, surrounded by servants and officials promising him victory. He was greatly upset when he learned that Mir Madan had been gravely wounded, and he tried reconciliation with Mir Jafar by tossing his turban to the ground and imploring him to guard it. Mir Jafar offered his assistance but quickly informed Clive about the incident, pushing him to move further. Rai Durlabh encouraged Siraj to withdraw his army behind the entrenchment and return to Murshidabad, leaving the war to his generals, following Mir Jafar's withdrawal from the Nawab's tent. Siraj followed this suggestion and ordered Mohan Lal's soldiers to retire behind the entrenchment. He then rode a camel and headed out for Murshidabad, escorted by 2,000 horse riders.

The Nawab's army stopped cannonading at 14:00 and began retreating north to their entrenchments, leaving St. Frais and his artillery without backup. When Major Kilpatrick, who had been left in control of the British troops while Clive was sleeping in the hunting lodge, saw the Nawab's soldiers retreating, he saw a chance to cannonade the retreating enemy if he could take St. Frais' position. He took two firms of the 39th Regiment and two field pieces and moved towards St. Frais' position after sending an officer to Clive to explain his conduct. When Clive heard the news, he rushed to the detachment, chastising Kilpatrick for acting without instructions and ordering the remainder of the troops to be brought up from the grove. Clive next led the army against St. Frais' position, captured at 15:00 when the French artillery retired behind the entrenchment's redoubt, preparing for additional combat. As the British troops got closer to the bigger tank, it noticed that the Nawab's army's left arm remained behind the rest. When the division's rear reached a position in line with the grove's northern tip, it turned left and marched towards it. Unaware that it was Mir Jafar's division, Clive assumed his luggage and supplies were being targeted and dispatched three platoons led by Captain Grant and Lieutenant Rumbold and a field piece led by John Johnstone, a volunteer to check their progress. The field piece's fire halted the division's approach, and it remained isolated from the rest of the Nawab's force.

Meanwhile, from the mound of the bigger tank, the British field pieces launched a cannonade on the Nawab's tent. As a result, the Nawab's soldiers and artillery began to emerge from the trenches. Clive moved half of his infantry and artillery to the smaller tank and the other half to a rising terrain 200 yards (180 m) to the left of it, where they began more effectively shelling the entrenchment, confusing the incoming trains. While St. Frais maintained his artillery fire from the redoubt, the Nawab's men fired their matchlocks from trenches, ditches, hollows, and shrubs on the hill east of the redoubt. The British field pieces also repelled cavalry charges. The British force, on the other hand, suffered the majority of their fatalities during this phase. Clive realized the remaining division was Mir Jafar's at this point, and he focused his efforts on conquering the redoubt and hill east of it. Clive planned a three-pronged attack, with two detachments attacking the redoubt and the hill simultaneously, with the main army supporting them in the middle. After the enemy retreated without firing a shot, two companies of grenadiers from the 39th Regiment, headed by Major Coote, seized the hill around 16:30. Across the entrenchment, Coote chased them. After St. Frais was forced to retire, Coote also captured the redoubt.

By 17:00, the British had taken control of the entrenchment and the camp abandoned by a dispersing force. At 20:00, the British forces marched 6 miles (9.7 km) beyond Daudpur and came to a stop 6 miles (9.7 km) beyond Daudpur. The British suffered 22 fatalities and 50 injuries, according to estimates. Nawab's troops slew three men from the Madras Artillery, one from the Madras Regiment, and one from the Bengal European Regiment. Four members of the 39th Regiment, three members of the Madras Regiment, four members of the Madras Artillery, two members of the Bengal European Regiment, one member of the Bengal Artillery, and one member of the Bombay Regiment were among the injured. The sepoys lost four Madras and nine Bengal sepoys, nineteen Madras, and eleven Bengal sepoys wounded. The Nawab's troops, according to Clive, lost 500 soldiers, including several senior commanders.

Clive got a letter from Mir Jafar on the evening of June 23, requesting a meeting. Clive answered that he would see Mir Jafar the next morning at Daudpur. Clive hugged Mir Jafar and greeted him as the Nawab of Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha arrived at the British camp at Daudpur in the morning. He then instructed Mir Jafar to hurry to Murshidabad to prevent Siraj from fleeing with his riches. On the evening of June 24, Mir Jafar and his soldiers arrived at Murshidabad. In the aftermath of rumours of a probable assassination attempt on his life, Clive landed in Murshidabad on June 29 with a guard of 200 European troops and 300 sepoys. Clive was escorted to the Nawab's palace, where Mir Jafar and his officers greeted him. Clive seated Mir Jafar on the throne and gave him a plate of gold rupees, recognizing his status as Nawab. On June 23, Siraj-ud-daulah arrived in Murshidabad at midnight. He convened a council, advising him to surrender to the British, others to continue fighting, and others to continue fleeing. Siraj disguised himself and went northwards on a boat with his wife and precious jewellery around 22:00 on June 24. With the help of Jean Law, he planned to flee to Patna. On June 24, around midnight, Mir Jafar dispatched numerous groups in pursuit of Siraj. Siraj arrived at Rajmahal on July 2 and sought refuge in an abandoned garden. Still, he was soon found and betrayed by the local military governor, Mir Jafar's brother, by a man who had previously been caught and punished, Siraj. Because a council led by Mir Jafar could not decide his destiny, he was turned over to Mir Jafar's son, Miran, who had Siraj killed that night. The next morning, his remains were paraded through the streets of Murshidabad before being interred at Alivardi Khan's mausoleum. According to the contract, the British obtained all of the lands within the Maratha Ditch and 600 yards (550 meters) beyond it and the zamindari of all of the territory between Calcutta and the sea, signed between the British and Mir Jafar. The pact also compelled the British to pay 22,000,000 rupees (£2,750,000) in reparation for their losses, including payments to the navy squadron, army, and Committee. However, because Siraj-ud-daulah turned out to be considerably less than expected, a meeting of the Seths and Rai Durlabh on June 29 agreed that he should pay one-half of the sum right away two-thirds in coin, one-third in jewels and other treasures. However, as the conference came to a close, Omichund learned that he would receive nothing in exchange for the pact, which drove him mad.

Political Effects

The French were no longer a strong power in Bengal as a result of the Plassey War. The Northern Circars were secured in 1759 when the British beat a bigger French force at Masulipatam. By 1759, Mir Jafar had realized that the British could no longer accept his status as a British subordinate. He began pushing the Dutch to fight the British and drive them out of Bengal. Even though Britain and Holland were not formally at war, the Dutch dispatched seven big ships and 1400 troops from Java to Bengal in late 1759 under the pretence of strengthening their Bengal outpost of Chinsura.

On the other hand, Clive launched a rapid attack on land and water, defeating the considerably larger Dutch army in the Battle of Chinsura on November 25, 1759. As a result, Mir Jafar was ousted by the British, and Mir Qasim was appointed as the Nawab of Bengal. In Bengal, the British were now the dominant European power. Clive was honoured with an Irish peerage as Baron Clive of Plassey and a seat in the British House of Commons when he returned to England owing to illness. The fight continued in places like Arcot, Wandewash, Tanjore, and Cuddalore in the Deccan and Hyderabad, culminating in 1761 when Col. Eyre Coote beat a French force led by de Lally and assisted by Hyder Ali in Pondicherry. The Treaty of Paris restored Pondicherry to the French in 1763, but they never regained their former status in India. In the years to come, the British would effectively control the subcontinent.

Economic Effects

The Battle of Plassey and the British East India Company's subsequent triumph led to puppet administrations in several Indian kingdoms.