Why was the Battle of Plassey so important?

Why was the Battle of Plassey so important?

The Battle of Plassey, fought between Nawab of Bengal, Siraj Ud Daulah and British East India Company is judged as one the pivotal battles leading to the formation of the British Empire in India. The battle took place on June 23, 1757 at Plassey (Palashi), India.




Bengal had a long standing treaty with the East India Company, who held Calcutta. When Siraj Ud Daulah crowned as new Nawab of Bengal in 1756, he ignored the treaty, and occupied Calcutta. The East India Company responded with an Army led by Robert Clive, which recaptured Calcutta, and then caught up with the Nawab’s Army at the village of Plassey.




Clive had just over 3, 000 troops, of whom 2, 000 were Indian, while the Nawab had 50, 000 men, with French artillery. However, most of the Nawab’s Army were led by traitors who had conspired with British. As a result, the Bengali troops of the Nawab fled the battle offering much resistance, and the British were able to overwhelm the French artillery. Clive had won a famous victory for the loss of between 20 and 70 men.