The battle of Plassey: A history of betrayal

Today, June 23, marks Historic Plassey Day — a day often described as one of the darkest chapters in the history of Bengal. On this day in 1757, through a conspiracy involving local merchants, traitors, and British profiteers, the sun of Bengal’s independence set for the next 200 years on the fields of Plassey. In a farcical battle that lasted barely an hour, Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah, the ruler of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, was defeated.

Though the Nawab met a tragic end after his downfall, people across the Indian subcontinent still remember him with respect. That is why every year, June 23 is observed as Plassey Day — a day to pay tribute to the fallen Nawab and express collective disdain toward those who betrayed him.

The Battle of Plassey was fought between Bengal's last independent Nawab, Siraj ud-Daulah, and the British East India Company at a place called Plassey. This historic battle took place on June 23, 1757, around 150 kilometers north of Kolkata and south of Murshidabad — then the capital of Bengal — along the banks of the Hooghly River in present-day Nadia district, West Bengal.

The main causes of the battle were rooted in a series of provocations and disrespect by the British after Siraj ascended the throne. These included their failure to offer gifts and pay formal respects to the new Nawab, the unauthorized construction of fortifications in Kolkata despite his objections, the misuse of trade permits (dastaks), repeated violations of prior treaties, the exploitation and abuse of the local populace, and blatant disobedience of the Nawab's orders. The British also misused the trade privileges granted by the Nawab, refused to pay duties and taxes, and deliberately misled and confused the Nawab across various diplomatic fronts.

Despite commanding a formidable army of 50,000 soldiers, 40 cannons, and 10 war elephants, Siraj ud-Daulah’s forces were defeated by Robert Clive’s relatively small force of 3,000 men. The turning point of the battle was the treachery of Mir Jafar, whose betrayal played a decisive role in the Nawab’s defeat. The battle ended within 11 hours, after which Siraj fled the battlefield. According to Clive, the British lost only 22 men and 50 were wounded.

The Nawab's forces lost around 500 soldiers, including several key officers. The outcome of the battle paved the way for direct colonial rule in Bengal. Mir Jafar was installed as the Nawab, but in name only — true power rested with Robert Clive. The French, too, were eventually driven out of the region as a result of this shift in power.

In the aftermath, the British began imposing harsh administrative measures under the guise of tax collection. Though Mir Jafar occupied the throne, it was the British who wielded real authority, securing monopoly control over trade and commerce. This victory marked the beginning of widespread socio-economic and political transformations in Bengal — all aligned with British imperial interests. The long-term consequence of the Battle of Plassey was the eventual establishment of East India Company rule across the Indian subcontinent. Thus, the freedom of Bengal — and indeed India — was crushed under foreign rule.

The Battle of Plassey remains a story of betrayal — a history where a few traitors and conspirators handed over the nation's independence to foreign profiteers. The events of June 23 turned the once-prosperous "Golden Bengal" into a land of ruin.

But the real tragedy of history is this: we do not learn from it. We continue to repeat our mistakes. Our hope is that people will finally draw lessons from the past, move forward with awareness, and march towards a future of progress and justice.