Last year, while visiting the district Murshidabad in West Bengal, India, I stopped to take a look at the ground where battle of Plassey was fought. It is situated at a distance of about 50 K.M. from Krishnanagar and is about 162 kms from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose airport of Kolkata.
The Battle of Plassey took place in the village of Palashi, which is located in Nadia district of West Bengal. The village is situated on the banks of the Bhagirath-Hoogly River approximately 150 kilometers north of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) and south of Murshidabad.
This battle was fought on June 23, 1757, between the forces of the British East India Company led by Robert Clive and the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah. Despite being vastly outnumbered—Clive commanded around 3,000 troops against Siraj-ud-Daulah's force of approximately 50,000—the British secured a decisive victory primarily due to the treachery of Mir Jafar and other key commanders in the Nawab's camp. The British had formed secret alliances with Mir Jafar, promising to install him as the Nawab in exchange for support.
It is believed that one of the additional reasons for the defeat was a heavy downpour that rendered the Nawab's artillery ineffective, while the British had protected their weapons. Siraj-ud-Daulah fled the battlefield, was later captured, and executed.
This victory marked the beginning of British political dominance in India. It gave the East India Company control over the wealthy province of Bengal, allowing them to monopolize trade and establish themselves as the preeminent power in India.
France played a supporting role to the Nawab of Bengal during the Battle of Plassey. The French had a strong trading presence in Bengal and were rivals to the British East India Company. At Plassey, a small group of French artillerymen and officers assisted Siraj-ud-Daulah by manning artillery and providing military advice. However, their numbers were limited, and they could not significantly alter the outcome. The French support was overshadowed by the internal betrayal within Siraj-ud-Daulah’s camp that led to a British victory and the decline of French influence in Bengal.
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