History
Advent of Europeans and British Expansion
Battles of Plassey and Buxar
Plassey (1757) and Buxar (1764) for CGPSC: causes, commanders, Mir Jafar and Mir Kasim, the Treaty of Allahabad (1765) and Clive's Dual Government in Bengal.
Prerequisites
- European Trading Companies in India — Farrukhsiyar’s farman (1717) and the dastak system.
- The Mughal Empire — after 1707, Bengal and Awadh became virtually independent under their Nawabs.
The Hook: A Mango Grove and a Riverbank
Connect
Two small places decided who would rule India for nearly two centuries. Plassey (पलासी), a village with a mango grove on the Bhagirathi, saw a battle in 1757 that was won more by bribery than by gunfire. Buxar (बक्सर), a town on the Ganga in present-day Bihar, saw a real military contest in 1764 against a Mughal emperor and two Nawabs.
If Plassey made the Company a kingmaker, why do historians say it was Buxar that made it a ruler?
Why it matters: Prelims asks dates, commanders and treaty terms; statement questions test who fought on which side at Buxar. Mains GS-I asks for a comparison of the two battles and an evaluation of the Dual Government.
Background: Bengal in the 1750s
- Murshid Quli Khan made Bengal virtually autonomous; his successors included Alivardi Khan (1740–1756).
- Bengal was India’s richest province: textiles, saltpetre, silk, and large land revenue.
- Siraj-ud-daulah (सिराजुद्दौला), Alivardi’s grandson, became Nawab in 1756.
Causes of conflict
- Misuse of dastaks: Company servants used the duty-free passes of 1717 for their private trade, costing the Nawab revenue and hurting Indian merchants.
- Fortification of Calcutta without the Nawab’s permission, in anticipation of war with the French.
- Asylum given by the English to people the Nawab wanted, including Krishna Das (son of Raj Ballabh), who had fled with treasure.
- Court rivals: the English were drawn into intrigues against Siraj by his own nobles and bankers.
The Battle of Plassey (प्लासी का युद्ध), 23 June 1757
| Step | Event |
|---|---|
| June 1756 | Siraj captures Fort William (Calcutta) |
| 20 June 1756 | “Black Hole” incident: English prisoners confined in a small room; deaths claimed by J.Z. Holwell. The numbers are disputed by historians and the account was later used as propaganda |
| Jan–Feb 1757 | Clive and Admiral Watson recapture Calcutta; Treaty of Alinagar (Feb 1757) restores Company privileges |
| March 1757 | English capture French Chandernagore, defying the Nawab |
| Conspiracy | Mir Jafar (commander-in-chief), Jagat Seth (banker), Rai Durlabh, Omichund and others agree to replace Siraj with Mir Jafar |
| 23 June 1757 | Battle of Plassey: Mir Jafar’s and Rai Durlabh’s large contingents stand aside; loyal commanders Mir Madan and Mohan Lal fight; Clive wins |
| After | Siraj captured and killed; Mir Jafar made Nawab |
Results of Plassey:
- Mir Jafar granted the Company the zamindari of the 24 Parganas and paid huge sums to the Company and its officers.
- The Company gained the right of free trade in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa and became the real power behind the throne.
- The French were finished in Bengal.
- Bengal’s revenue began to fund the Company’s wars elsewhere, including the Third Carnatic War.
Plassey was a conspiracy, not a contest
Clive’s force was small (a few thousand men, of whom only a part were Europeans) against a Nawab’s army many times larger. The outcome was decided before the battle by the treachery of Mir Jafar and the bankers. Exact troop figures vary between sources, so CGPSC is more likely to test who betrayed whom than numbers.
Between the Battles: Mir Jafar to Mir Kasim (1757–1764)
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1757–1760 | Mir Jafar cannot meet the Company’s money demands |
| 1760 | Mir Kasim (मीर कासिम) made Nawab; cedes Burdwan, Midnapore and Chittagong to the Company |
| Mir Kasim shifts his capital from Murshidabad to Monghyr, reorganises the army and finances | |
| 1762–63 | He abolishes all internal duties for everyone, removing the Company’s unfair advantage. Conflict follows |
| 1763 | War breaks out; Mir Kasim is defeated in several battles and flees to Awadh; Mir Jafar is restored |
Why Mir Kasim matters in a Mains answer
Mir Kasim was an able ruler who tried to be a real Nawab, not a puppet. His decision to abolish internal duties for Indian merchants as well was legal and fair, but it destroyed the privilege that made the Company’s private trade profitable. The war of 1763–64 therefore shows the clash between Company commercial privilege and Indian sovereignty.
The Battle of Buxar (बक्सर का युद्ध), 22 October 1764
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | 22 October 1764 |
| Place | Buxar, on the Ganga (present-day Bihar) |
| Company commander | Major Hector Munro |
| Indian alliance | Mir Kasim (deposed Nawab of Bengal) + Shuja-ud-daula (Nawab of Awadh) + Shah Alam II (Mughal emperor) |
| Result | Decisive Company victory |
Treaty of Allahabad (इलाहाबाद की संधि), August 1765
Clive, back in India as Governor of Bengal (1765–1767), signed two agreements:
| With | Terms |
|---|---|
| Shah Alam II | Granted the Diwani (दीवानी) (right to collect revenue) of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa to the Company. Company to pay the emperor ₹26 lakh a year. Kara and Allahabad given to the emperor for his upkeep |
| Shuja-ud-daula | Awadh returned to him except Kara and Allahabad; he paid ₹50 lakh as war indemnity; Company guaranteed his frontier (Awadh became a buffer state) |
Dual Government (द्वैध शासन) in Bengal, 1765–1772
| Function | Who held it | Who actually exercised it |
|---|---|---|
| Diwani (revenue, civil justice) | Company | Indian deputy diwans: Muhammad Reza Khan (Bengal) and Shitab Rai (Bihar) |
| Nizamat (police, criminal justice) | Nawab | Nawab’s deputy, nominated by and dependent on the Company |
Result: power without responsibility for the Company, responsibility without power for the Nawab. Revenue collection was harsh; trade and agriculture suffered; the Bengal famine of 1770 (during 1769–70) killed a very large part of the population (estimates of up to a third are often cited). Warren Hastings ended the Dual Government in 1772, and the Company took over revenue collection directly.
Plassey versus Buxar
| Point | Plassey (1757) | Buxar (1764) |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | Won through conspiracy and treachery | A real military victory |
| Enemy | One Nawab (Siraj) | Combined forces of Bengal, Awadh and the Mughal emperor |
| Commander | Robert Clive | Hector Munro |
| Political result | Company became kingmaker in Bengal | Company became the legal revenue authority (Diwani) of Bengal, Bihar, Orissa |
| Wider result | French eliminated in Bengal | Awadh and the emperor dependent on the Company; the Company now a pan-north Indian power |
Memory Tricks
Dates: 57 - 60 - 64 - 65 - 72
Plassey 1757 → Mir Kasim 1760 → Buxar 1764 → Allahabad (Diwani) 1765 → Dual Government ends 1772.
Read it as “fifty-seven to seventy-two: fifteen years from kingmaker to ruler”.
Buxar's three losers: 'K-S-S'
Mir Kasim (Bengal) + Shuja (Awadh) + Shah Alam II (Mughal). One Company commander: Munro.
Allahabad money: '26 to the emperor, 50 from Shuja'
The Company paid ₹26 lakh a year to Shah Alam; Shuja paid ₹50 lakh to the Company.
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| Treaty of Alinagar (1757): Siraj restores Company privileges | Treaty of Allahabad (1765): Diwani granted after Buxar | |
| Clive: Plassey (1757), Arcot (1751), Treaty of Allahabad | Munro (Hector): Buxar (1764). Not Thomas Munro of ryotwari | |
| Diwani: revenue + civil justice | Nizamat: police + criminal justice | |
| Mir Jafar: traitor at Plassey, Nawab 1757–60 and 1763–65 | Mir Kasim: Nawab 1760–63, fought at Buxar | |
| Muhammad Reza Khan: deputy diwan, Bengal | Shitab Rai: deputy diwan, Bihar |
Common Mistakes
MCQ traps
- “Siraj-ud-daulah fought at Buxar.” He was killed in 1757. Buxar’s Bengal party was Mir Kasim.
- “Clive commanded at Buxar.” It was Hector Munro; Clive returned in 1765 and signed the Treaty of Allahabad.
- “The Company paid ₹50 lakh to Shuja.” The reverse: Shuja paid the indemnity.
- “The Diwani was granted by the Nawab of Bengal.” It was granted by the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II.
- “Dual Government was introduced by Warren Hastings.” He ended it (1772); Clive introduced it.
Practice
All questions below are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.
Level 1: Foundation
- The Battle of Plassey was fought on ______ and the Battle of Buxar on ______.
- Who were the two deputy diwans under the Dual Government?
- To which place did Mir Kasim shift his capital?
Answers
- 23 June 1757; 22 October 1764.
- Muhammad Reza Khan (Bengal) and Shitab Rai (Bihar).
- From Murshidabad to Monghyr.
Level 2: Prelims MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements about the Battle of Buxar:
- The Company’s forces were commanded by Robert Clive.
- The Mughal emperor Shah Alam II fought against the Company.
- It was followed by the grant of the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa to the Company.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
(b) 2 and 3 only. Hector Munro commanded at Buxar. Shah Alam II was part of the alliance with Mir Kasim and Shuja-ud-daula, and the Treaty of Allahabad (1765) granted the Diwani.
Q2. Match List I with List II:
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| A. Treaty of Alinagar | 1. Grant of Diwani |
| B. Treaty of Allahabad | 2. Restoration of Company privileges by Siraj-ud-daulah |
| C. Mir Kasim | 3. Ended the Dual Government |
| D. Warren Hastings | 4. Cession of Burdwan, Midnapore and Chittagong |
- (a) A-1, B-2, C-4, D-3
- (b) A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4
- (c) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
- (d) A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3
Answer and explanation
(c) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3. Alinagar (Feb 1757) restored privileges; Allahabad (1765) gave the Diwani; Mir Kasim ceded the three districts in 1760; Hastings ended the Dual Government in 1772.
Q3. Under the Treaty of Allahabad (1765), Shuja-ud-daula:
- (a) received ₹26 lakh a year from the Company
- (b) lost Awadh to the Company permanently
- (c) paid ₹50 lakh to the Company and got back Awadh except Kara and Allahabad
- (d) received the Diwani of Bihar
Answer and explanation
(c). Awadh was restored to Shuja, minus Kara and Allahabad which went to Shah Alam II, and he paid ₹50 lakh as war indemnity. The ₹26 lakh a year was payable to Shah Alam II.
Q4. Which of the following best explains why Mir Kasim came into conflict with the Company?
- (a) He allied with the French at Chandernagore
- (b) He abolished internal duties for all traders, ending the Company’s advantage
- (c) He refused to cede the 24 Parganas
- (d) He imprisoned English soldiers in the Black Hole
Answer and explanation
(b). By abolishing duties for Indian merchants too, Mir Kasim removed the edge Company servants enjoyed through dastaks. The 24 Parganas were given by Mir Jafar, and the Black Hole incident is linked to Siraj-ud-daulah (1756).
Q5. Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched?
- (a) Battle of Plassey — Hector Munro
- (b) Dual Government — introduced by Warren Hastings
- (c) Black Hole incident — J.Z. Holwell
- (d) Treaty of Allahabad — Lord Cornwallis
Answer and explanation
(c). Holwell wrote the account of the Black Hole incident (1756). Plassey was Clive’s battle; Clive introduced the Dual Government and signed the Treaty of Allahabad; Hastings ended the Dual Government.
Level 3: Mains Answer Writing
Q1. (150–200 words) “Plassey made the English a power in Bengal; Buxar made them the masters of north India.” Examine.
Model answer outline
- Intro: Two battles seven years apart transformed a trading company into a territorial power.
- Plassey (1757): won through Mir Jafar’s betrayal; Company became kingmaker; 24 Parganas, free trade, huge payments; French eliminated in Bengal. But the Nawab was still nominally sovereign.
- Buxar (1764): a genuine military victory over Bengal, Awadh and the Mughal emperor together; showed Company military superiority.
- Treaty of Allahabad (1765): Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, a legal right from the emperor; Awadh a buffer state; emperor a pensioner.
- Consequences: Dual Government, drain of Bengal’s revenue, famine of 1770; resources for expansion elsewhere.
- Conclusion: Plassey opened the door; Buxar and the Diwani gave the Company the legal and financial base for an all-India empire.
Q2. (60 words) What was the Dual Government? Why was it abolished?
Model answer outline
- Clive’s system (1765–72): the Company held the Diwani, the Nawab the Nizamat, but Indian deputies ran both under Company control.
- Power without responsibility; oppressive revenue collection; decline of trade; famine of 1770.
- Warren Hastings abolished it in 1772 and the Company took direct charge of revenue.
Quick Revision Table
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Siraj-ud-daulah | Nawab 1756–57; captured Calcutta June 1756 |
| Black Hole | 20 June 1756; Holwell’s account; numbers disputed |
| Treaty of Alinagar | February 1757 |
| Plassey | 23 June 1757; Clive vs Siraj; Mir Jafar’s betrayal |
| Conspirators | Mir Jafar, Jagat Seth, Rai Durlabh, Omichund |
| Loyal commanders | Mir Madan, Mohan Lal |
| Mir Kasim | Nawab 1760; ceded Burdwan, Midnapore, Chittagong; capital Monghyr |
| Buxar | 22 October 1764; Hector Munro vs Mir Kasim + Shuja + Shah Alam II |
| Treaty of Allahabad | August 1765; Diwani; ₹26 lakh to emperor; ₹50 lakh from Shuja |
| Dual Government | 1765–1772; Reza Khan, Shitab Rai |
| Bengal famine | 1769–70 |
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
- Bengal’s wealth and the misuse of dastaks set the Company against the Nawabs.
- Plassey (1757) was won by conspiracy and made the Company a kingmaker.
- Mir Kasim’s abolition of internal duties led to war and Buxar (1764), a genuine military victory.
- The Treaty of Allahabad (1765) gave the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa: legal control of revenue.
- Dual Government (1765–72) meant power without responsibility; Warren Hastings ended it in 1772.
What’s Next
- Expansion Policies — from ring fence to subsidiary alliance and lapse
- Economic Impact of British Rule — the drain that began with Bengal’s revenue
- Constitutional Development (1773–1950) — the Regulating Act of 1773 followed the Bengal crisis
- British Expansion — Quick Revision
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