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The Battles of Plassey and Buxar took place in Bengal between the British and the combined forces of the Nawab of Bengal and the Mughal emperor. Plassey was a battle which took place in Bengal. The British forces were led by Robert Clive and Nawab Siraj-ud -Daulah, who was the last independent Nawab of Bengal, was led by French forces.
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Background
Since the Battle of Buxar, the Mughal emperor had made it illegal for the British to trade in Bengal. The British did not abide by this and continued their business as usual. The Mughal emperor sent a firman to Siraj-ud-Daulah on 26 January 1757 ordering him to crush all “perfidious foreigners”.
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What was the Battle of Plassey?
The Battle of Plassey was a battle fought on 23 June 1757 between the Bengal Army of the Mughal Empire (under Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula) and the English East India Company Army, which was formed in 1615 by the London merchants. The Bengal Army of Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula was stationed at Farrukhabad, where it guarded against any possible incursions from the Marathas from the North. The English East India Company was based in Calcutta, and its main objective at the time was to ensure safe passage for their commercial goods.
The Battle of Plassey is said to be one of the first battles in India where guns played a decisive role. The Scottish general, Robert Clive with the help of his superior numbers and superior firepower succeeded in forcing Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula to surrender.
Significance of The Battle of Plassey
The Battle of Plassey is seen as an important battle which led to the start of colonization by Europeans in India under the British Raj. It is often considered to be a key moment in the decline of Mughals and the start of British rule in India.
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What were the Causes for this Battle of Plassey?
The causes of this battle were a combination of the constant marches of Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula towards Delhi, and the need to pay taxes with his soldiers at Bengal. Further, the causes for the battle of Plassey were:
1) Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula was displeased with the demands of the English East India Company for tax payment for protection. He paid little to nothing for protection and even threatened to end the agreement.
2) There was a lack of British merchandise on offer in Bengal as there were no British factories in the region.
3) An oppressive taxation system forced more and more people to turn against Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula and align themselves with the British East India Company whose products were superior in quality.
What was the Battle of Buxar?
The Battle of Buxar, fought on 22 October 1764 was between the combined army of Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa and the East India Company led by The first Governor General; Warren Hastings. His army consisted mainly of provincial soldiers from Awadh (Oudh). This battle has been seen as an important moment in Indian history as it ushered in an era of direct colonization by Europeans under British Raj. All these three provinces were taken over by Britain via treaty after this battle.
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Significance of The Battle of Buxar:
The Battle of Buxar is seen as a pivotal moment in the history of India as it gave rise to the British Raj, which ruled India till 1947. The province of Bengal was covered by this treaty and therefore managed by the East India Company till 1858, when it came under direct control of the British government through the Government of Bengal Act. This battle also gave rise to more foreign interference in Indian polity and economy which led to massive transfer of power from Indians to foreigners.
What were the Causes for this Battle of Buxar?
The Battle of Buxar was fought between the Government of Bengal’s army and the alliance led by Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal. This battle has been seen as an important moment in Indian history as it ushered in an era of direct colonization by Europeans under British Raj. All these three provinces were taken over by Britain via treaty after this battle. The causes of the battle were:
1) The protection of their commercial interests: The British East India Company had a strong interest in ensuring their commercial activities. They wanted to ensure that the Nawab did not capture Calcutta (the capital of the Nawab of Bengal) and demand taxes for free passage. The British therefore were keen on negotiating treaties with Mir Qasim, who also had similar interests: to protect his trade, collect revenue from Bengal and stop East India company from increasing its influence through trade activities.
2) To ensure peace: The Battle of Buxar was fought between the Government of Bengal’s army and the alliance led by Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal. The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II had no control over the Nawabs, who were ruling their provinces independently. This led to a number of conflicts and battles among them, which were markers of chaos and disorder.
3) The French Threat: The British were afraid that the French might pose a threat to their province (Bengal) as they too had similar interests. The British wanted to ensure that the Nawab did not get any stronger by getting help from the French in his battles against other Muslim rulers or from Marathas.
Battle of Plassey and Battle of Buxar: Differences
1) The Battle of Plassey was fought between the East India Company and the Mughal army. The Battle of Buxar was fought between the East India Company’s army and the Nawab Mir Kasim. The two battles are said to be “incidental allies”.
2) The Battle of Plassey was fought at the close of a long period of Mughal weakening and decay in Bengal. The battle took place in 1757, when the Mughal Empire had been weakened by a series of unsuccessful battles in 1756 and 1757 against the Maratha Confederacy (Wars of succession). Mir Kasim had ventured onto British territory, where he captured Calcutta while under siege from the British, who were led by Robert Clive.
3) The Battle of Buxar was fought in 1764, during the decline of the Mughal Empire. Mir Kasim had made a treaty with the British in 1765, and both parties agreed to protect each other’s commercial interests and to make no alliance against each other.
4) At the time of the Battle of Plassey, Bengal was said to be an “eternal” part of the Mughal Empire. The Nawab Mir Kasim had promised protection to British merchants under a treaty. In contrast, at the time of Buxar, there was no treaty between the British East India Company and Nawab Mir Kasim.
5) The Battle of Plassey was fought by a Mughal emperor Shah Alam II, who was acting as the Supreme Commander of Mughal forces. Its defeat led to a number of battles and conflicts between Nawab Mir Kasim and the British which were dividing the empire into two parts and weakening its authority in Bengal.
Conclusion
The Battle of Plassey and the Battle of Buxar marked important turning points in the history of India. The Battle of Plassey gave rise to British Raj, while the Battle of Buxar led to direct colonization by Europeans. Although both battles were fought between different parties with their own goals in mind, they are often seen as markers of chaos and disorder among the various Mughal rulers, which started a period that led to the downfall of the Mughal Empire.
