Source : Google photo of Siraj-ud-
Daulah ( Last king of Bengal )
Synopsis : Very few know of Siraj- ud-
Daulah who was the last king of Bengal . He was defeated by Robert Clive in the
battle of Plassey on 1757 due to the betrayal of his generals in the battle
field. All those people including Siraj died pitifully in the hands of
assassins or committed suicide thus ending his rule and the start of the
British East India Company that was the precursor to the British empire one
hundred years later.
I have always
wanted to write about Siraj- ud- Daulah. He was a historical figure in
India and so was Robert Clive. Clive's decisive victory over Siraj in
the battle of Plassey was the start of the expansion of the British East India
Co. that later paved the way for England to claim the entire country as its
colony with direct rule from England in 1857.
Siraj Ud Daula
had ordered his army to attack the Fort Williams in Kolkata to put an end to
the British expansion in India and captured the fort with more than 150 British
inside. They were put in a small room where most of them died of suffocation.
This was the infamous Black hole of Fort Williams incident that
Clive later took revenge of during the battle of Plassey.
Robert Clive
became enormously rich through his dealings in India that led him back to
England where he was investigated for his illegally acquired wealth through
shoddy practices there so he committed suicide fearing the consequences of the
parliamentary investigations. Little did he know that they were considering a
promotion for him as the Governor General of the British colonies in North
America as a reward for his services in India.
This is
however, the story of Siraj- ud- Daulah, the last king of Bengal and
Clive's victory. I have sourced this story mostly from Wikipedia that
gives a great deal of detail .
Battle of Plassey :
The Battle
of Plassey was a decisive victory of the British East India Company over
the Nawab of Bengal and
his French allies
on 23 June 1757, under the leadership of Robert Clive. The battle consolidated the
Company's presence in Bengal, which later expanded
to cover much of India over the next
hundred years.
The battle took
place at Palashi (Anglicised version: Plassey)
on the banks of the Hooghly River, about
150 kilometres (93 mi) north of Calcutta and south of Murshidabad, then capital of Bengal (now in Murshidabad district in West Bengal). The belligerents were the
Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah,
the last independent Nawab of Bengal, and the
British East India Company. Siraj-ud-Daulah had become the Nawab of Bengal the
year before, and he ordered the English to stop the extension of their
fortification. Robert Clive bribed Mir Jafar, the commander-in-chief of the Nawab's
army, and also promised him to make him Nawab of Bengal. Clive defeated
Siraj-ud-Daulah at Plassey in 1757 and captured Calcutta.
The battle was
preceded by an attack on British-controlled Calcutta by Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah
and the Black Hole massacre.
The British sent reinforcements under Colonel Robert Clive and Admiral Charles
Watson from Madras to Bengal and recaptured Calcutta. Clive
then seized the initiative to capture the
French fort of Chandernagar. Tensions and suspicions
between Siraj-ud-daulah and the British culminated in the Battle of Plassey.
The battle was waged during the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), and, in a
mirror of their European rivalry, the French East India
Company (La Compagnie des Indes Orientales) sent a small
contingent to fight against the British.
Siraj-ud-Daulah
had a numerically superior force and made his last stand at Plassey. The
British, worried about being outnumbered, formed a conspiracy with
Siraj-ud-Daulah's demoted army chief Mir Jafar, along with others such as Yar
Lutuf Khan, Jagat Seths (Mahtab
Chand and Swarup Chand), Umichand and Rai Durlabh. Mir Jafar, Rai Durlabh and
Yar Lutuf Khan thus assembled their troops near the battlefield but made no
move to actually join the battle. Siraj-ud-Daulah's army with 50,000 soldiers,
40 cannons and 10 war elephants was
defeated by 3,000 soldiers of Col. Robert Clive, owing to the flight of
Siraj-ud-Daulah from the battlefield and the inactivity of the conspirators.
The battle ended in 11 hours.
This is judged
to be one of the pivotal battles in the control of Indian subcontinent by
the colonial powers. The British now wielded enormous influence over the Nawab
and consequently acquired significant concessions for previous losses and
revenue from trade. The British further used this revenue to increase their
military might and push the other European colonial powers such as the Dutch and
the French out
of South Asia, thus expanding the British Empire.
Source : Google
photo of Alivardi Khan , Nabab of Bengal
The Mughal Empire's Nawab of Bengal Alivardi Khan adopted strict attitudes
towards European mercantile companies in Bengal.
Source : Google painting of Mughal emperor Farrukshiyar
Mughal Emperor Farrukhsiyar adopted a lenient policy
towards the British East India
Company. Alwardi Khan ascended
to the throne of the Nawab of Bengal after his army attacked and
captured the capital of Bengal, Murshidabad. Aliwardi's attitude to the Europeans
in Bengal is said to be strict. During his wars with the Marathas, he allowed the strengthening of
fortifications by the Europeans and the construction of the Maratha Ditch in Calcutta by the
British. On the other hand, he collected large amounts of money from them for
the upkeep of his war.
He was
well-informed of the situation in southern India, where the British and the
French had started a proxy war using the local princes and rulers. Alwardi did
not wish such a situation to transpire in his province and thus exercised
caution in his dealings with the Europeans. However, there was continual
friction; the British always complained that they were prevented from the full
enjoyment of the farman of 1717 issued by Farrukhsiyar. The British, however, protected
subjects of the Nawab, gave passes to native traders to trade custom-free and
levied large duties on goods coming to their districts – actions which
were detrimental to the Nawab's revenue
In April 1756,
Alwardi Khan died and was succeeded by his twenty-three-year-old
grandson, Siraj-ud-daulah. His
personality was said to be a combination of a ferocious temper and a feeble
understanding. He was particularly suspicious of the large profits made by the
European companies in India. When the British and the French started improving
their fortifications in anticipation of another war between them, he
immediately ordered them to stop such activities as they had been done without
permission. When the British refused to cease their constructions, the
Nawab led a detachment of 3,000 men to surround the fort and factory of Cossimbazar and took several British
officials as prisoners, before moving to Calcutta. ( Kolkata)
The defences of
Calcutta were weak and negligible so the army of Siraj occupied it on 16 June ,
1756 and the fort surrendered after a brief siege on 20 June.
The prisoners
who were captured at the siege of Calcutta were transferred by Siraj to the
care of the officers of his guard, who confined them to the common dungeon
of Fort William known
as The Black Hole.
This dungeon, 18 by 14 feet (5.5 m × 4.3 m) in size with two
small windows, had 146 prisoners thrust into it – originally employed by
the British to hold only six prisoners.
On 21 June, the
doors of the dungeon were opened and only 23 of the 146 walked out, the rest
died of asphyxiation, heat exhaustion and delirium. It appears that the
Nawab was unaware of the conditions in which his prisoners were held which
resulted in the unfortunate deaths of most of the prisoners. Meanwhile, the
Nawab's army and navy were busy plundering the city of Calcutta and the other
British factories in the surrounding areas.
When news of
the fall of Calcutta broke in Madras on 16 August 1756, the Council immediately
sent out an expeditionary force under Colonel Clive and Admiral Watson.
A letter from the Council of Fort St. George, states that "the object of
the expedition was not merely to re-establish the British settlements in
Bengal, but also to obtain ample recognition of the Company's privileges and
reparation for its losses" without the risk of war. It also states that
any signs of dissatisfaction and ambition among the Nawab's subjects must be
supported.
Clive assumed
command of the land forces, consisting of 900 Europeans and 1500 sepoys while
Watson commanded a naval squadron. He easily retook Kolkata and started the
final push to punish Siraj-ud-Daula that ended in the battle of Plassey later.
Bengal campaign
After retaking
Kolkata, the army of Clive then attacked the surrounding areas outside the city
that Siraj-ud-Daulah failed to protect and retreated back to his capital of
Murshidabad. Clive emboldned by his success now turned his attention to the
French in Chandarnagar where he laid siege and defeated the French.
Conspiracy :
Source : Google painting of
Emperor Alamgir
Siraj believed
that the Mughal Emperor Alamgir II had not given permission to
the British East India
Company to expand its influence in Bengal.
The Nawab was
infuriated on learning of the attack on Chandernagar. His former hatred of the
British returned, but he now felt the need to strengthen himself by alliances
against the British. The Nawab was plagued by fear of attack from the north by
the Afghans under Ahmad Shah Durrani and
from the west by the Marathas.
Therefore, he
could not deploy his entire force against the British for fear of being
attacked from the flanks. A deep distrust set in between the British and the
Nawab. As a result, Siraj started secret negotiations with Jean Law, chief of
the French factory at Cossimbazar, and de Bussy. The Nawab also moved a large
division of his army under Rai Durlabh to Plassey, on the island of Cossimbazar 30 miles
(48 km) south of Murshidabad.
Popular
discontent against the Nawab flourished in his own court. The Seths, the
traders of Bengal, were in perpetual fear for their wealth under the reign of
Siraj, contrary to the situation under Alivardi's reign. They had engaged Yar
Lutuf Khan to defend them in case they were threatened in any way. William Watts, the Company representative at the
court of Siraj, informed Clive about a conspiracy at the court to overthrow the
ruler. The conspirators included Mir Jafar, paymaster of the army, Rai Durlabh,
Yar Lutuf Khan and Omichund, a merchant and
several officers in the army.
When
communicated in this regard by Mir Jafar, Clive referred it to the select
committee in Calcutta on 1 May. The committee passed a resolution in support of
the alliance. A treaty was drawn between the British and Mir Jafar to raise him
to the throne of the Nawab in return for support to the British in the field of
battle and the bestowal of large sums of money upon them as compensation for
the attack on Calcutta. On 2 May, Clive broke up his camp and sent half the
troops to Calcutta and the other half to Chandernagar.
Mir Jafar and
the Seths desired that the confederacy between the British and himself be kept
secret from Omichund, but when he found out about it, he threatened to betray
the conspiracy if his share was not increased to three million rupees (£300,000).
Omichund was given a fake promise by the British they had no itention of
keeping so Omichund lost his mental balance and became insane.
Clive testified
and defended himself before the House of Commons of Parliament on 10 May
1773, during the Parliamentary inquiry into his conduct in India. He justified
his action of treachery to win support of Mir Jafar who was crucial in the
forthcoming battle at Plassey. It was Mir Jafar who betrayed Siraj-ud-Daulah in
the battle field where Siraj lost the battle and fled.
Approach march
Source : Wikipedia
photo of Clive's solitary reflection before the Battle of Plassey
Europeans with
the supplies and artillery were towed up the river in 200 boats. On 14 June,
Clive sent a declaration of war to Siraj. On 15 June, after ordering an attack
on Mir Jafar's palace in suspicion of his alliance with the British, Siraj
obtained a promise from Mir Jafar to not join the British in the field of
battle. He then ordered his entire army to move to Plassey, but the troops
refused to quit the city until the arrears of their pay were released. The
delay caused the army to reach Plassey only by 21 June.
Clive on his
way to Plassey found large stores of grains and military supplies in Katwa Fort
that had been abandoned by Siraj's forces in a hurry. Now his troops in high
spirit and with abundant supplies , Clive pushed on to Plassey where the final
battle took place.
Battle of
Plassey: June
23, 1757
Source : Wikipedia photo of the battle of Plassey
The battle of
Plassey was short lived. The superior army of Siraj-ud-Daulah was defeated by a
very inferior army of Clive because Mir Jafar as their general refused to give
the order to fight at a crucial juncture and advised Siraj to flee.
Death of Mir
Madan Khan:
Only Mir Madan
Khan proved to be loyal to Siraj-ud-Daulah so his troops continued the
fight but he was killed in the battle that convinced Siraj that he must
retreat to his capital.
Source : Wikipedia photo of English guns at The
battle of Plassey, June 23, 1757
The British
losses were estimated at 22 killed and 50 wounded. Of the killed, three were of
the Madras Artillery, one of the Madras Regiment and one of the Bengal
European Regiment. Of the wounded, four were of the 39th Regiment, three of the
Madras Regiment, four of the Madras Artillery, two of the Bengal European
Regiment, one of the Bengal Artillery and one of the Bombay Regiment. Of the
losses by the sepoys, four Madras and nine Bengal sepoys were killed while
nineteen Madras and eleven Bengal sepoys were wounded. Clive estimates that the
Nawab's force lost 500 men, including several key officers including Mir Madan
Khan.
Aftermath:
After losing
the battle Siraj-ud-Daulah tried to escape west while Clive placed Mir Jafar on
the throne and acknowledging his position as Nawab, presented him with a plate
of gold rupees. Eventually Siraj was captured and murdered by the son of Mir
Jafar.
Clive then
demanded restitution to the tune of 22,000,000 Rupees ( 2,750,000 pounds) for
his losses that were insignificant and got paid in gold and jewelries from the
treasury of Siraj that was now under the control of Mir Jafar.
According to
the treaty drawn between the British and Mir Jafar, the British acquired all
the land within the Maratha Ditch and 600 yards (550 m) beyond it and
the zamindari of all the land between Calcutta
and the sea. Besides confirming the firman of 1717, the treaty also required
the restitution, including donations to the navy squadron, army and committee,
of 22,000,000 rupees (£2,750,000) to the British for their losses.
As a result of
the war of Plassey, the French were no longer a significant force in Bengal. In
1759, the British defeated a larger French garrison at Masulipatam,
securing the Northern Circars.
By 1759, Mir Jafar felt that his position as a subordinate to the British could
not be tolerated. He started encouraging the Dutch to
advance against the British and eject them from Bengal. In late 1759, the Dutch
sent seven large ships and 1400 men from Java to
Bengal under the pretext of reinforcing their Bengal settlement of Chinsura even though Britain and Holland
were not officially at war.
Clive, however,
initiated immediate offensive operations by land and sea and defeated the much
larger Dutch force on 25 November 1759 in the Battle of Chinsura.
The British then deposed Mir Jafar and installed Mir Qasim as the Nawab of Bengal. The British were now the
paramount European power in Bengal. When Clive returned to England due to
ill-health, he was rewarded with an Irish peerage, as Lord Clive, Baron of Plassey and
also obtained a seat in the British House of
Commons.
Economic
effects :
The Battle of
Plassey and the resultant victory of the British East India company led
to puppet governments instated by them in various states of India. This led to
an unleashing of excesses, malpractices and atrocities by the British East
India Company in the name of tax collection.
The battlefield
today:
Source : Wikipedia photos of Obelisk near Palashi
battlefield, Bengal, India
Source : Google photo of the Palace
of Siraj Ud Daula in Murshidabad, Bengal, India
Source : Tomb of Siraj Ud Daula in
Murshidabad, Bengal, India
Today a few tourists wander through
the streets of Murshidabad and gawk at the opulent palace and the grounds and
wonder who was Siraj-ud-Daulah. It is now a dimly remembered chapter of the
Indian history that the young generation pays scant attention to. His unpainted
mausoleum will be shown to you where the king sleeps in eternity in a simple
undecorated grave.
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(1) “Firman of 1717”: In 1714, an Englishman,
John Surman, was sent to the Delhi Court to secure commercial facilities for
the company.
He managed to obtain a “firman in
1717” from Emperor Farukhshiyar.
The East India Company obtained
valuable privileges in 1717 under the royal government
What is the Farman? It is a subsidy
granted by Farrukhsiyar, which was achieved by the British East India Company.
The delegation of the Company was very well considered in the royal court of
Farrukhsiyar. In April 1717, the farmer (subsidy) of the emperor was issued,
which complied with all the requests that the Company had made in their
petitions.
Permission was granted to buy 38 villages around the three already
owned by the company (Sutanuti, Gobindapur and Kalikata, the predecessor of
modern Calcutta). The Company also received commercial privileges in Bengal and
additional fortification in Calcutta. This grant was instrumental in the
creation of companies and the colonization of Bengal, which would then be
followed by the rest of India by the East India Company.
The Company was allowed to make
commercial transactions in Bengal, Bombay and Madras duty-free. The Company was
also allowed to mint its own coins.
The Nawabs of Bengal, however,
showed little respect for “the imperial farmer.” He granted the Company the
freedom to export and import its products in Bengal without paying taxes. Right
to issue passes or dastaks for the movements of said assets.
Company employees were also allowed
to trade, but were not covered by this farmer. They had to pay the same taxes
as the Indian merchants. — This “farmer”, grant or subsidy, (Farman) was a
perpetual source of conflict between the Company and the Nawabs of Bengal. All
the Nawabs of Bengal, from Mushid Quli Khan to Alivardi Khan, had opposed the
English interpretation of the “firman of 1717”. They had forced the Company to
pay sums to their treasury, and they firmly suppressed the misuse of the
dastaks.
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