Battle of Plassey and the beginning of 200yr British rule in India : With the coming of the British, Bengal became fairly urbanized and commercialized. Indigenous traders along with the foreign commercial companies were engaged in trade and commerce in Calcutta. In fact in the 18th century, through trade and monopolistic control over markets, allowed the British and their

Indian collaborators to amass vast fortunes. It was this money which financed the expansion of Calcutta.It was in 1740, to protect themselves from the Maratha raids the British took permission from Nawab Alivardi Khan to dig a trench around Fort William. Alivardi died in 1756 and was succeeded by his grandson, Siraj-ud-Daula. At that time the Anglo-French rivalry was in full swing. Anticipating another round of Anglo-French struggle in Europe and its extension to India, the English had begun to strengthen the fortification of Fort William and mounted guns on its walls.

This enraged the Nawab as it was done without his consent. Siraj-ud-Daula protested and ultimately attacked Fort William. Fort William was besieged on 15th June 1756 and the British surrendered after a feeble resistance of five days. Calcutta was renamed as 'Alivardi' and it was placed under the charge of Manik Chand. But he was bribed and .

he surrendered Calcutta to the English after a show of resistance. In February 1757, the Nawab made peace with the English official, Robert Clive by the treaty of Alinagar, restoring to the English their former privileges of trade, granting permission to fortify Calcutta and

promising for the compensation for the losses suffered by the English. On 23rd June 1757, the battle of Plassey took place where we see bribery, fraud, worthlessness, treachery and betrayal of one's own Motherland. This battle made the beginning of the nearly 200 year long British rule over India

Prev Page