Do you think the Battle of Plassey was inevitable?
Do you think the Battle of Plassey was inevitable?
The Battle of Palashi cannot be called just a simple conflict. Its results were more important than many world wars. This war paved the way for the expansion of British rule in Bengal and gradually the British power centered on Bengal was able to dominate the whole of India. British historians have blamed Siraj personally for the fall of Bengal. After Alivardi's death, Siraj became the new Nawab of Bengal in 1756 AD. Modern scholars have attributed the collapse of Mughal rule and the new Nawabi rule of Bengal to structural erosion, and have often blamed the Palashi conspiracy on the greed of European merchants for illicit private trade.
| Arguments in favor | Arguments against |
|---|---|
| The weak Mughal empire was unable to resist the British East India Company's growing power. | The Mughal empire had previously defeated the British and could have continued to resist their advances. |
| The Nawab of Bengal Siraj-ud-Daulah made tactical errors that allowed the British to gain the upper hand. | The Nawab had a larger army and could have defeated the British if he had not made those errors. |
| The British were more organized and disciplined than the Indian forces. | The Indian forces were also well-trained and organized, and could have won if they had not been betrayed by some of their own commanders. |
However, it can be said that the battle of Palashi had its roots in the reign of Alibardi Khan. Nawabi rule in Bengal depended on a complex compromise of interests. These included the Mughal nobility, merchants, native Hindu servants, some British interests were also involved in the case. They were striving for the country's political stability, social stability and economic development of Bengal Suba.
Philip Caulkins has shown how the loosening of the Mughal revenue system allowed indigenous landowners to acquire wealth and with it. It helped in gaining social prestige. They are the revenue of Murshidkuli Khan. took advantage of reforms and created large estates. In the early 18th century, banking institutions were established with a few merchants, which were particularly important.
C. A. Bailey shows in terms of the war economy of the eighteenth century, the new system brought in a lot of liquid cash, which gave rise to a middle-class merchant class. The Jagatshethas gained enormous power and importance in Bengal.
The Palashi Conspiracy was the combined result of several factors. As a result of various external influences on the Nawabs, there was a disintegration in the governance system of Bengal. P. J. Marshall was convinced that the Nawab did not enjoy the necessary monopoly within the province. The fringes of power that the zamindars maintained were humiliating for the government. Zamindars had administrative and judicial responsibilities. Apart from this they used to collect huge amount of revenue. Merchants and bankers also played an important role. Bankers also looked at the repayment side. The Jagat Sethas assisted the Nawabs in revenue collection. Jagat Seth became a major political figure.
According to K. N. Choudhury, merchants became essential intermediaries in the utilization of agricultural surpluses as state revenue. European companies were the main importers of bullion and they built Bengal's economy through maritime trade. Europeans were also associated with friendly trade and they directly or indirectly encouraged the production of commercial crops. The Indian merchant community also became associated with the Europeans and they too were able to exert some influence. Because Europeans established a relationship with merchants and bankers in Indian trade.
P. J. Marshall says, at times an alliance seems to have formed between these merchants and the Nawabs. Europeans played a special role in trade and vice versa they wanted various facilities. They often refrained from paying dues to the Nawab, which the Nawab could not tolerate.
Bengal had to pay the price for all these policies. The stability of the situation in Bengal required the actual distribution of rewards and patronage. Starting from the zamindar of Bengal everyone was given many privileges. The Jagat Seths were also paid by the Nawab for their services. Consequently, imposing restrictions on the East India Company would have been unjust. In other words, the Nawabs of Bengal acquired their advantage in this way. Siraj failed in this. He was very ambitious and he was not willing to exercise any control over his power by favoring various important classes of Bengal and the British. He thought that the power of the Nawab would be reduced in this way. But, Siraj showed great arrogance in maintaining his power and purpose. He eliminated worthy rivals and created an enemy alliance through his activities within a year. Some of his courtiers, some big landlords, Jagat Sethas and Europeans joined this alliance. According to Rajat Roy, this enmity eventually led to an atmosphere of intrigue in the royal court. Referring to the importance of Roy Palashi, the Indian conspirators made a grave mistake in understanding the true character of the British allies and their troops.
According to Sushil Chowdhury, the crisis of 1756–57 can be better understood in terms of the complex relationship between the Council of Fort William and the Nawab's government. In theory, the business of the company should have been the main objective of its employees, but the employees were more interested in the theoretical business than the business of the company. In Bengal. Their purpose was to run private trade. This behavior of company employees resulted in a sub-imperialism in the infrastructure of the commercial corporation.
Chowdhury shows that the breakdown of British private trade in the 1740s and early 1950s. This resulted in the British attacking the French fort at Chandannagar to remove their trade enemy and paving the way for the Battle of Palashi. Many British workers dreamed of establishing a large empire in India started to see Elaborating on his point, Chowdhury said that Bengal was alarmed by the speed Dukhe brought to private trade in Asia. French competition in Asian trade created commercial rivalry. Along with this, the company's market economy increased the company's plight. Because those who borrowed from them did not repay the loan.
Chowdhury, following Nirpen Gupta, states that European merchants played a significant role in importing bullion into Bengal. Finally what he emphasizes is Siraj-ud-Daullah's awareness of the misuse of Dastaq and the construction of forts in Calcutta without the Nawab's permission. As a result, the relationship between the Nawab and the British government became bitter.
They were both rich and powerful. As this controversy shows, the ruling class was internally disintegrating and this was the occasion when an external power interfered with the Nawab's sovereignty. Finally, the two forces conspired to overthrow Siraj. However, following Ray-Marshall, none of the parties to this drama knew the future of the events that took place.
Tags: #Battle of Plassey #Modern
