Wishesh Magazine November_2018 Wishesh Magazine November 2018 | Page 105

soldiers, 300 cannons and
300 elephants outnumbered
Clive’s forces of 3,000 by
20 times, and yet ended up
deserting or surrendering.
The battle was lost by soldiers
who did not fight and won by
generals or subedars, not
exactly gallant.
In 1756, as Calcutta burned
from Fort William to Fulta,
Emin arrived in London,
working his way as a lascar
‘The Plassey Plunder,’ as
the aftermath of the battle
came to be known, had the
English navy and army each
receiving a tribute of £275,000
(about £32 million today). The
Company annually received
from Jaffar — who supplanted
Siraj ud-Daulah in Bengal —
£3 million (about £308 million),
between 1757 and 1760. As a
clerk in Madras, Clive’s annual
salary was £5, with £40 for
expenses. When he returned
to England in 1767, he was
‘Clive of India,’ with a trade
revenue of £4 million, more
enormous than any European
kingdom then, and had a
personal jagir of £34,567 (£3.5
million today). Clive’s father
and he purchased seats in
the British Parliament, and
a peerage in Ireland, where
his County Clare estate was
renamed ‘Plassey’ for the new
Baron Clive.
Aftermath of the
Battle of Plassey:
22 killed and 50 wounded as
opposed to over 500 for the
Nawab. Following the battle,
Clive saw that Mir Jafar was
made nawab on June 29.
Deposed and lacking support,
Siraj-ud-Duala attempted to
flee to Patna but was captured
and executed by Mir Jafar’s
forces on July 2. The victory at
Plassey effectively eliminated
French influence in Bengal
and saw the British gain
control of the region through
favorable treaties with Mir
Jafar. A pivotal moment in
Indian history, Plassey saw
the British establish a firm
base from which to bring the
remainder of the subcontinent
under their control.
Clive’s army suffered a mere
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