Timeline History

Battle of Plassey

The Battle of Plassey was a battle that took place on June 23, 1757, on the banks of the Bhagirathi River, about 150 km north of Calcutta. It is near Murshidabad, then the capital of the Nawab of Bengal) in India. Pβlash (Bengali: ????), an extravagant red flowering tree Flame of the forest), gives its name to a small village near the battlefield. A phonetically accurate romanization of the Bengali name would be Battle of Palashi, but the spelling "Plassey" is now conventional.
The battle was between Siraj Ud Daulah, the last independent Nawab of Bengal, and the forces of the British East India Company. Siraj-ud-Daulah's army commander had defected to the British, causing his army to collapse. After this defeat, the entire province of Bengal passed to the Company, and this battle is today seen as one of the pivotal battles leading to British Empire in India.
The enormous wealth gained from the Bengal treasury after its victory in the battle allowed the company to significantly strengthen its military might.
The battle was waged during the period when the British and French governments were fighting the Seven Years' War in Europe (1756–1763). The La Compagnie des Indes Orientales sent a small contingent to fight against the British East India Company.


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