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Birth
He was born on 29 September 1725 in England and died at the age of 49 years at London England in 1774.
Early Education
Robert Clive was a difficult child and went to different schools like merchant Taylors school London, at the age of 18 Clive went into the service of east India company at Chennai.
Service/Early Life
In the initial part of his service he was moody, quarrelsome but brave, when he led bravely a diversion against Chanda’s sahib who was a French ally base at Arcot in 1751. He finally, with just 200 Europeans and 300 Indians, captured Arcot and held it for 53 days by using his skills of guerilla tactics. This finally allowed him to contest against the then French commander Joseph Dupleix. This episode made him a brilliant and superb exponent of guerilla tactics.
Battle Of Plassey
In 1756 his fortune turned and he fought for the fortification of the main city Calcutta with trade issues. His ventures to defeat Siraj- ud -daulah, nawab of Bengal brought him to limelight during 1756 and 1757. Thus the nawab of Bengal had to restore the company privileges, pay and other economic facilities back to the east India company, not only this he sponsored and supported a new ruler, which was his candidate mir Jafar who was elderly but general of nawab Siraj ud daulah By this he defeated Siraj ud daulah in the famous battle of Plassey on 23, June 1757.This win made Robert Clive the virtual master of Bengal and greed set on him since then.
Further to this in 1758 Clive secured the northern Sarkar region from the French garrison.
Tenure Of Corruption And Greed
He was less skillful on his settlements with the company, he received 234,000 pounds in cash, title of Mughal nobility, a jagir with annual rental of 30000 pounds, this very example towards the corruption and ruining of both Bengal as well as the company. Since company and Clive become paramount powerful he did things which benefited him and east India company but actually ruined the economic structure of Bengal, though he was charged with corruption and duplicity , he was able military personnel and understood statesman ship, on returning to England in 1760, he was conferred with peerage as baron Clive in Ireland in 1762 and was knighted in 1764.
Thanks to Bengal he became the richest self-made man in Europe estimated to be worth over 100 million pounds in today’s terms.
Though he was ‘a heaven born general, as William Pitt felt, he also a member of parliament from Shrewsbury, and with the wealth made from India tried creating a political career, but he made a lot of enemies within company too, who jealous of his income and tried to ruin his career many a times.
Battle Of Buxar
In 1765 the famous battle of Buxar was fought and won by Robert Clive. Thus, by this win Clive secured the rights of Diwani of Bengal and Bihar, the Diwani of Bengal Bihar was organized through deputy nawab appointed by the company. This system was termed as Clive dual system, which made the company the virtual ruler of India’s two richest provinces.
Reforms
- Robert Clive another important task was reforming the company service terms and he overruled the Calcutta council. He reestablished discipline, by asking all company employees to sign a covenant not to receive more than 1000 rupees without the consent of the governor.
- As the company officials were not adequately paid Robert Clive tried his hand forming a trading company in which salt monopoly was utilized and company servants received shares according to their ranks, but these measures were partially successful.
- Clive dealt with the army also with rigor, he cut down swollen allowances and faced white mutiny of discontented officers and for a time was left alone in the company.
Failures
- Clive left Calcutta in January 1767, but not before making many enemies. An active group led by lord Chatham feared the corrupting influence on English public life.
- Clive was vilified for failing to meet the standards expected of a governor. The satirists referred to him as “lord vulture” and “the madras tyrant”
- Clive was charged for his greed, misappropriation of company assets, but in 1773 he defended himself with vigor and conviction, also complaining that he was being treated like a sheep stealer. However, in parliament declared “he rendered great and meritorious services to his country”.
- This was his last win, but with his shaken health, he died at his own house in London in 1774.
Conclusion:
Clive was vilified for failing to meet the standards expected of a governor. The satirists referred to him as “lord vulture” and “the madras tyrant”
Robert Clive’s talents were outstanding, but probably the environment then was to get east India company a foothold in India at any costs, which actually set a beginning for the east India company and British empire in India.
