When Clive finalised the conspiracy, he wrote a letter to Siraj-Ud-Daulla complaining of the grievances of the Englishmen in Bengal. When Nawab refused to accept them, Clive proceeded toward Plassey with his Anny. The battle took place on June 23, 1757.
It was a battle only in name. The Major part of Nawab army led by Mir Zafar and Rai Durlala took no part in battle. The English lost only 29 soldiers while Nawab lost nearly five hundred. The Nawab was forced to flee.
He was however captured near Rai Mahal and despatched to Murshidabad where he was killed by Milan, son of Mir Zafar. Mir Zafar himself reached Murshidabad on June 24 and Clive declared him Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa after five days.
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Result:
(A) The result of the battle of Plassey was that Mir Jafar was put on the thrown of Bengal. He gave 24 Paraganas and one crore of rupees to the company. He also gave presents to other English officers of the Company. The share of Clive was £ 334,000.
(B) Militarily, the battle of Plassey had no significance. According to K.M. Pannikar “Plassey was transaction in which the rich bankers of Bengal and Mir Jafar sold out the Nawab to the English.”
Because the larger part of the Company’s Nawab’s army had not participated in the battle because of treachery of Mr. Jafar and Rai Durlala. The success of English was not due to military strength but due to conspiracy.
The battle enhanced the company prestige in India. The company had defeated one of the major powers in India. It exposed the political weakness of India.
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It also proved that Hindu traders and Jagirdars were prepared to support even the foreigners against the rulers of the decent Muslim states. Secondly English Company virtually monopolised trading and commerce in Bengal.
The French received from the lost position in Bengal. From Commerce the English proceeded to monopolise political power in Bengal. Politically, it produced for reaching consequence. The English became the defacto ruler of Bengal. Mir Jafar remained a puppet in their hands.
The English utilised the resources of Bengal to enhance their financial and political interest in Bengal. They were also to make brisk trade though it meant complete drainage of resources of Bengal to enhance their financial and political interest in Bengal. They could maintain and equip a large army which played a decisive role in exterminating not only the French in India but also the native rulers.
Mir Jafar-Mir Jafar was the Nawab of Bengal from 1757 to 1760. Even though he owed his position to the company he soon realised the folly committed by him in the war. Throughout this period, he was merely a figure head and real power was in the hands of Clive.
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When he ascended the throne he had no money to meet the previous commitments. At first the company received Rs. 72, 71,660. On 9th August 1757 Rs. 76, 55,358 more were received. The English Company also pressed him for the payments of the installments but he expressed his inability to do so.
His treasury was drained for the presents and bribes, then in the matter being given by Clive himself. As colonel Mallesan has put it the “single aim of the company’s official was to grasp all they could to use Mir Jafar as a golden sack into which they could dip their hands at pleasure.”
The Directors of the Company ordered that Bengal should pay the expenses of the Bombay and Madras presidencies and purchase out of its revenue all the company’s exports from India.
Mir Jafar soon discovered that it was impossible to meet the full demands of the company and its officials, who on their part, began to criticize the Nawab for his incapacity on fulfilling their expectations.
And so on October 1760, they forced him to abdicate in favour of his son-in-law Mir Kasim who rewarded his benifactors by granting the company the Zamindari of the districts of Burdwan, Midnapur and Chitagong, and giving handsome presents totaling 29 lakhs of rupees to hire English officials.