Introduction
The succession of Siraj-ud-Daulah as the Nawab of Bengal in 1756 brought to the fore an escalating conflict between sovereign authority and the expanding economic assertiveness of the British East India Company. This confrontation quickly progressed from trade disputes to armed clashes, culminating in the historic Battle of Plassey on 23 June 1757.
Abuse of Commercial Privileges
The Mughal imperial farman of 1717 had granted the English East India Company the privilege of duty-free trade in Bengal. However, Company servants routinely misused trade permits (dastaks) for their private internal trade. This practice not only deprived the Nawab's exchequer of vital customs revenues but also placed native merchants at an unfair competitive disadvantage.
Unauthorised Fortifications and Sovereignty Disputes
Anticipating the outbreak of the Seven Years' War with France, the British began repairing and expanding the fortifications of Fort William in Calcutta without obtaining the Nawab's permission. Siraj-ud-Daulah viewed this unauthorised militarisation within his realm as an overt challenge to his territorial sovereignty and ordered an immediate halt, which the British defied.
Sheltering of Political Fugitives and Diplomatic Insolence
The Company antagonised the young Nawab by giving asylum in Calcutta to Krishna Das, son of Rajballabh, an influential noble who had fled Murshidabad after embezzling state revenues. The British further insulted the Nawab by dismissing his diplomatic envoys and refusing to hand over the fugitive.
Military Escalation and the Treaty of Alinagar
- Siege of Calcutta (June 1756): In retaliation to British defiance, Siraj-ud-Daulah marched on Fort William and captured Calcutta, expelling Company officials. The British amplified the controversial 'Black Hole tragedy' narrative to mobilise military reinforcement from Madras.
- Recapture by Robert Clive (January 1757): Forces under Robert Clive and Admiral Watson recaptured Calcutta and compelled Siraj-ud-Daulah to sign the Treaty of Alinagar in February 1757, restoring British trade privileges and granting permission to fortify Calcutta and coin money.
- Breach of Bengal's Neutrality: Disregarding the Nawab's explicit orders, British troops attacked and seized the French settlement at Chandernagore in March 1757, openly violating the state's territorial integrity.
Courtly Intrigue and Internal Subversion
Recognising the fissures within the Murshidabad court, Robert Clive orchestrated a secret conspiracy with disaffected elites, including the army commander Mir Jafar, wealthy financiers the Jagat Seths, and Rai Durlabh. The conspirators agreed to depose Siraj-ud-Daulah in exchange for political and financial concessions to the Company, directly precipitating the confrontation at Plassey.
Conclusion
The Battle of Plassey was less a decisive military conquest than a commercially engineered coup facilitated by courtly betrayal. It fundamentally altered the nature of the British East India Company, transforming it from a mercantile enterprise into the de facto political arbiter of Bengal and inaugurating formal British colonial hegemony in India.