Plassey and the shift in alliances
The Company exploits divisions at the Bengal court and wins a victory whose political effect exceeds the fighting actually delivered.
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War
British Conquest of Bengal
1757 — 1765
A company victory becomes fiscal sovereignty
Military history
The strategic problem
The British conquest of Bengal cannot be reduced to Plassey or Buxar. The East India Company turns alliances, trained troops and a commercial position into political power, then into control of revenue. Buxar matters because it confirms on the battlefield a balance of power prepared by treaties and local rivalries.
Mir Qasim’s challenge
The nawab seeks to restore military and fiscal autonomy. The break with the Company gathers several opponents, but their objectives remain hard to coordinate.
Buxar and the diwani
The victory at Buxar gives the Company a superior military and diplomatic position. The ensuing treaty grants it the collection of revenue in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
Explore
2 published battles, in chronological order
Military history
Sources
Contemporary archivesEast India Company records on Plassey and Buxar
The Company’s correspondence, dispatches and administrative decisions.
Imperial historyP. J. Marshall, Bengal: The British Bridgehead
Institutions, finance, alliances and the transformation of power in Bengal.
Narrative overviewWilliam Dalrymple, The Anarchy
Actors, political violence and the transition from commercial company to territorial power.