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Murshidabad, a quiet district nestled in the heart of West Bengal, might sound remote to many today but it once stood at the epicentre of a seismic shift in history. It was in this city that the Battle of Plassey unfolded on June 23, 1757 – a day of bloodshed that set the stage for nearly two centuries of British colonial rule.
At the centre of the battle was Siraj-ud-Daulah, the last independent Nawab of Bengal. Born in 1733 into the ruling family of Murshidabad, Siraj came to power as a teenager in 1756. Despite his young age, he found himself pitted against the growing ambitions of the British East India Company. Their presence in India, which had started as a commercial enterprise, was rapidly evolving into something far more territorial.
Tensions between Siraj and the British escalated quickly. Upon ascending the throne, Siraj-ud-Daulah launched an attack on Fort William in Calcutta (now Kolkata), a key stronghold of the British at that time. After the fort fell, 146 British prisoners were reportedly confined overnight in a cramped dungeon, later dubbed the “Black Hole of Calcutta”. Only 23 were said to have survived. Though the account remains controversial, it fanned flames of outrage in Britain and gave the East India Company a moral pretext for retaliation.
But the Company had no intention of relying solely on military strength. Behind the scenes, they were engaged in a more insidious strategy – identifying weaknesses within the Nawab’s court. Their spies discovered that Mir Jafar, Siraj’s military commander, harboured dreams of power. Robert Clive, the Company’s commander, won over Mir Jafar in a secret pact, promising him the Nawab’s throne.
As British forces marched toward Murshidabad, Siraj-ud-Daulah attempted to mount a defence. However, uncertain of loyalty within his ranks and outmaneuvered politically, he arrived at Plassey, a mango grove 27 kilometres from Murshidabad, with a limited force. Crucially, his trusted general Mir Madan died during the engagement, leaving the Nawab isolated. In desperation, Siraj reached out to Mir Jafar, unaware of his pact with the British commander.
Feigning counsel, Mir Jafar urged the Nawab to halt hostilities. Siraj complied, retreating to his camp and acting on Mir Jafar’s signal, the British launched a sudden and devastating assault. The Nawab’s army, leaderless and confused, disintegrated. Siraj fled, only to be captured and killed by Mir Jafar’s son, Miran. Soon after, the throne of Bengal was handed over to Mir Jafar, as promised to him by the British.
However, during Mir Jafar’s reign, unrestrained looting and economic exploitation took place in Bengal and what was once the richest province in India, got drained of wealth, setting a precedent for the colonial policies. Mir Jafar’s alliance with the British proved fatal as he was discarded by them once he ceased to be useful to them.
