The Battle of Plassey in 1757 resulted in the establishment of British colonial dominance in the Indian subcontinent, writes SAUNAK MOOKERJEE
The year 1757 is significant in the history of Bengal because of the emergence of British rule in this region and the beginning of the anticipated decline of the Mughal Empire in the East. Although a lot has been written about Nawab of Murshidabad Siraj ud Daula’s defeat by the British representative Robert Clive of the British East India Company by Western historians such as Vincent Smith, very little is known about the historical accounts by Bengali regional historians, who detail the positive attributes, intelligence and skills of a regional king called Raja Krishnachandra of Nadia, a district in the state of West Bengal with a highly influential cultural history.
It is located about a hundred kilometres from Kolkata and over ninety kilometres from Murshidabad. Vincent Smith in his famous work The Oxford History of India (first published in 1919 by Oxford Clarendon Press) mentions characters such as Siraj ud Daula, Clive, Amin Chand, and Mir Jafar as principal figures while Kumudnath Mullick, a Bengali regional historian, through his work makes it clear that without having King Krishnachandra as the chief of the conspiracy assembly, chosen by Murshidabad elites, to negotiate with the English, it would have been a difficult task to defeat Nawab in the battle of Plassey.
The Bengali historian Kumudnath Mullick informs: Siraj ud Daula ascended the throne in 1756 after the death of the famous Nawab of Bengal Alivardi Khan. Unlike his grandfather, Alivardi, Siraj was rude to his well-wishers, ministers or officials at prominent positions in his kingdom. As a result, they became his enemy and decided to hatch a conspiracy by taking sides with the British. Meanwhile, Siraj had given shelter to the ruler of Dhaka Rajballab. Rajballab’s family was also given shelter in Murshidabad by the Nawab.
Rajballab rose against the East India Company and this was appreciated by Nawab. The information of Rajaballab’s shelter reached British East India. The intention of spreading the information was to overthrow Siraj ud Daula and appoint Siraj’s uncle Mir Jafar as the Nawab of Murshidabad. It is said that the conspiracy was hatched at Jagat Seth’s house. The plan to replace Siraj with Mir Jafar was supported by rich merchants and significant people of Murshidabad such as Jagat Seth, Raja Mahendra (Durlabhram), Raja Ramnarayan and Raja Krishnadas. Since the decision to overthrow Nawab resulted in debate, they took advice from Raja Krishnachandra, the ruler of Nadia. A letter was sent to King Krishnachandra. King Krishnachandra immediately called upon suggestions from the distinguished ministers in his court such as Kaliprasad Singha. The information in the letter read: “The cruelty inflicted by Nawab of Murshidabad has resulted in people leaving their house and property in fear of Nawab. Nawab does not take suggestions from anyone. As the situation at Murshidabad is worrisome we thus approach you for a solution. We hope that you will be able to offer us a solution but this will be possible if your Majesty can meet us at Murshidabad.” Kaliprasad was nominated to attend the meeting.
Krishnachandra decided to travel to Murshidabad only after the return of Kaliprasad. He was invited at Jagat Seth’s house in Murshidabad where prominent people of the assembly gathered and Raja Krishnachandra was made the chief.
Initially, some Muslim elites of the assembly offered him several suggestions but the farsighted and able ruler Krishnachandra arrived at a decision- “In my opinion, we need to unite our armies and they must be led by capable generals. We must also unite with the English as they are powerful and their support will help us to overthrow the present Nawab and thus accomplish our mission. Moreover, I maintain a cordial relationship with the English, hence I can attempt to persuade them to accept our proposal.” This information has not been mentioned in any historical account or texts but it has been known through word of mouth among the people living in Nadia that Krishnachandra, after discussions at Murshidabad, arrived at Kalighat in Kolkata to worship Goddess Kali and also met the British. This meeting was the first step towards the freedom of the people living in oppression under Siraj at Murshidabad. The meeting resulted in the establishment of trust between the English and Mir Jafar. Jafar was provided three thousand soldiers for the Battle of Plassey against Nawab. These soldiers were sent to Nadia where they were stationed for a while and later were joined by Krishnachandra’s soldiers. The name of this regiment came to be known as Lal Paltan.
On 22nd June 1757, the soldiers reached Murshidabad after crossing the river Bhagirathi and jungle Lakshabag near the river. The Bengali term for Plassey is ‘Polashi’ since the adjoining region where the battle was fought had several ‘Polash’ trees. Nawab reached with thirty-five thousand soldiers, fifty thousand horsemen and forty cannons. However, the number did not matter to the enemy soldiers as most of them were led by Nawab’s generals, Mir Jafar and Durlabhram.
On Thursday 23rd June 1757 both the forces met each other at Plassey. Amid the heavy firing of cannons, neighing of horses and brutal killing it seemed for a while that Mir Jafar did not keep up the trust of the British. They anticipated that if Jafar did not keep up the promise then they either win over Bengal or leave it having been badly defeated and crushed.
However, the anticipated outcomes of the battle are much different from what Smith provides. A gist of his account: Clive has been praised as a soldier turned statesman. His real claim to fame is neither as a statesman nor soldier but as a dynamic leader of men.
He had, says Roberts, ‘a certain rough-hewn, almost elemental force and tireless energy which made him a true pioneer of empire.’ He had the gift of inspiring others, the ability to improvise and the strength to persevere in all the circumstances. Mir Jafar became a party to the Seths and Hindu officers and Clive took action.
There followed the treaty by which Mir Jafar promised to confirm the Company’s privileges, to pay a million pounds as compensation for the loss of Calcutta and half a million pounds to its European inhabitants. By private agreement, in addition, there were to be large consolations for the Chief Company officers.
Clive left Calcutta on 22nd June: his army of eight hundred Europeans and two thousand two hundred Indians faced the Nawab’s motley and disaffected fifty thousand. Despite previous South Indian experience Clive was doubtful of the issue and showed on the eve of the battle almost the only sign of the irresolution in his life.
The battle was little more than a cannonade and was settled first by Kilpatrick’s unauthorized advance and then by Siraj’s headlong fight.
Mir Jafar, like Stanley of Bosworth, looked on from a distance, appearing cautiously the next day to reap the expensive fruits of his circumspect treachery. On the 28th Clive installed him on the mansard at Murshidabad and four days later Siraj, captured by the new Nawab’s (Mir Jafar) son Miran, was executed. A new era had begun.
(The author is a freelance writer, views are personal)
