Mir Jafar

Mir Jafar was the first Nawab of Bengal under British influence. An Arab by birth, he rose to power in the
Nawab’s army and in the battle of Plassey (1756) he conspired with the British to depose Siraj-Ud-Dullah to
become the Nawab himself.

Mir came to India as a penniless adventurer but won confidence of Nawab Alivardi Khan to rise to the post
of Bakshi. He gained reputation as a brave military personnel, playing prominent role in many of Nawab’s
military campaigns. He rescued Nawab’s nephew Saulat Jung in Katak and also defeated the Marathas.
However he proved his cowardliness by escaping from Medinipur on hearing the advances of the Maratha
forces. He then conspired with Ataullah to overthrow the Nawab but the plan was unearthed and he was
dismissed.

Nevertheless that did not stop Mir to carry on with his designs. Alivardi’s grandson Siraj-Ud-Dullah came to
the throne and he again conspired, this time with Shawkat Jang to invade Bengal. However, the treachery
became known to Siraj again and he demoted him and replaced him with Mir Madan as the Bakshi. On 1756.
Siraj won the Cossimbazar factory from the British and then advanced towards Calcutta but the British soon
retaliated and Siraj was compelled to flee to Murshidabd.
He sought help of Mir Jafar who assured him of his help against the British.

In actual, Mir had secretly made a pact with British to overthrow Siraj in lieu of the promise that he would
made the Nawab of Bengal.

The British force under Robert Clive marched to Murshidabad and met Siraj in the Battle of Plassey in 1757.
Mir’s army betrayed Siraj by not fighting for him and Siraj was defeated and killed. Mir was
crowned as the new Nawab of Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal.
 Siraj Ud Daulah
Siraj ud-Daulah was one of the most famous and the last self-governing Nawab of Bengal. Under his reign,
which lasted from April 9, 1756 to June 23, 1757, Siraj ud-Daulah stood his ground against the ‘British East
India Company,’ which had begun capturing parts of Bengal. Siraj ud-Daulah was one of those few Indian
rulers who knew the intention of the British right from the beginning, which prompted him to act against
British colonization in Bengal. Siraj ud-Daulah’s strong resistance against the British led to the famous
‘Battle of Plassey,’ during which the Nawab of Bengal was deceived by a group of his own men, headed by
Mir Jafar. Apart from costing Siraj ud-Daulah his victory against the British, Mir Jafar’s betrayal also went
on to play a crucial role in history as it opened the gates for the British to conquer Bengal and later the
whole of Indian subcontinent.

Childhood & Early Life

Siraj ud-Daulah was born in Murshidabad in the year 1733. He was born into a Nawab of Bengal family to
Mughal aristocrat Ahmed Khan and his wife Amina Begum, who was a Bengali aristocrat. Siraj ud-Daulah
was raised at the palace of the Nawabs and was provided with required training and education needed to be
qualified as a future Nawab of Bengal.

Siraj ud-Daulah was close to his maternal grandfather Alivardi Khan, who took special care of him right
from his birth. He even accompanied Alivardi Khan in one of his military campaigns against the Maratha
forces in 1746. In May 1752, Alivardi Khan, the then Nawab of Bengal, declared Siraj ud-Daulah as his
successor. When Alivardi Khan passed away four years later on April 10, 1756, the 23-year-old Siraj
ud-Daulah became the Nawab of Bengal. However, Siraj’s nomination to the Nawabship gave rise to
jealousy among many, including his relatives.

As the Nawab of Bengal

The new Nawab of Bengal was welcomed by animosity and resentment, which he failed to notice at first as
all the negative feelings were hidden behind the faces of his own relatives, including his aunt Ghaseti
Begum and his cousin Shaukat Jung. As days passed, Siraj ud-Daulah realized that he could face a massive
challenge from his aunt as she possessed serious wealth, which she was using to influence men within the
court. Hence, Siraj ud-Daulah acted by seizing her wealth and placing her under confinement. This initial
and crucial move by the Nawab made sure he faced no rebellion from within the court, at least during the
initial phase of his administration.

Siraj ud-Daulah then went on to make certain key changes in high government positions. One of his most
trusted officers Mir Madan Khan was made the new Paymaster of the forces (Bakshi) and a Hindu Kayastha
named Mohanlal was elevated to the position of the Nawab’s supreme Diwan. Siraj ud-Daulah’s decision to
promote a Hindu to such a high-ranked position irked the head of the armed forces, Mir Jafar, who took
Mohanlal’s promotion as a personal insult, which he would never forget.

As the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daulah took special interest in the development of the ‘East India
Company’ as he was well aware of the intention of the British from the very beginning. Hence, he could not
stand the sight of the British in Bengal. What increased his animosity towards the British was their decision
to strengthen the fortification around Fort William without seeking the Nawab’s permission. He also
condemned the British for misusing the trade privileges that were granted to them by the Mughals and for
sheltering some of his estranged officers, who had committed certain fraudulent acts. While he was already
mad at the British, the ‘East India Company’ started strengthening its fortification around Fort William
further. When an irate Nawab asked the British to stop, they failed to pay heed to his words, earning the
wrath of the Nawab of Bengal.

Siraj ud-Daulah retaliated by gathering his forces and leading an attack in the British-dominated areas of
Kolkata. He managed to capture Kolkata in June 1756 and then took over the control of Fort William from
the British. After taking over Fort William, Siraj ud-Daulah had the captives confined in a small prison,
which came to be known as the ‘Black Hole of Calcutta.’ According to one of the prisoners named John
Zephaniah Holwell, the prison in which 64 prisoners were held captive was so small that 43 out of the 64
held died of suffocation and heat exhaustion. However, the British chose to strike a peace deal with Siraj
ud-Daulah, who agreed to pardon many officials belonging to the ‘British East India Company.’

British Danger & the Conspiracy Against Him

The jealousy and enmity within Siraj ud-Daulah’s court had never died down. While Mir Jafar was still
angry over Mohanlal’s promotion, the traders of Bengal were not happy with the Nawab’s administration as
they never felt safe about their wealth under Siraj ud-Daulah’s reign. After learning about a conspiracy at
Siraj’s court, which aimed at overthrowing the Nawab, William Watts, the court representative of ‘East
India Company’ informed Robert Clive about the impending conspiracy.

After getting to know that the conspirators were Mir Jafar, Yar Lutuf Khan, Rai Durlabh, Omichund, and
several other officers within Siraj ud-Daulah’s army, the British chose to support the conspirators.
Subsequently, Mir Jafar entered into a treaty with the British, which stated that Mir Jafar would be made the
new Nawab for his support towards the British during their battle against Siraj ud-Daulah. Also, the British
had agreed to pay a huge sum of money to Mir Jafar, should he succeed in helping the British dethrone the
Nawab.

Robert Clive then made his move by sending his troops to launch an attack on Chandernagar. Upon learning
about the attack, Siraj ud-Daulah was infuriated. However, the Nawab was also plagued by the fear of
invasion by Afghans and the Marathas and hence decided to keep a part of his military force in reserve,
anticipating a surprise attack from either the Afghans or Marathas. As a result, he could not send his entire
army to face the British. Meanwhile, the Nawab felt like he needed to strengthen his forces and hence turned
towards the French, who too were looking to oust British from the Indian subcontinent. With support from
the French, Siraj ud-Daulah was now ready to put an end to the British colonization in Bengal and the
ensuing circumstances led to the decisive battle, which came to be known as the ‘Battle of Plassey.’

The Battle of Plassey

The British forces of 3,000 soldiers led by Robert Clive were outnumbered by Siraj ud-Daulah’s army,
which had 50,000 soldiers, 10 war elephants, and 40 cannons. However, Siraj ud-Daulah did not know about
Mir Jafar’s conspiracy against him, which would later prove to be decisive in the battle. During the battle,
Siraj ud-Daulah’s most trusted officer Mir Madan Khan was fatally wounded. Upon learning about Mir
Madan Khan’s demise, Siraj ud-Daulah called upon Mir Jafar and Rai Durlabh to seek their advice. The
Nawab was then advised to withdraw his army and return to Murshidabad. He was further told that the battle
will be taken care by Mir Jafar and his men. Hence, Siraj ud-Daulah mounted a camel and started his
journey towards Murshidabad, along with 2,000 horsemen. Robert Clive took advantage of the situation and
attacked Siraj ud-Daulah’s retreating forces. Not anticipating such an attack, Siraj ud-Daulah’s men fled the
scene. Marred by conspiracy and betrayal, Siraj ud-Daulah eventually lost the battle and was forced to
escape, only to be caught later by Mir Jafar’s men.

Death & Legacy

Siraj ud-Daulah had managed to escape to Murshidabad, where he summoned a council of trusted men.
From Murshidabad he took a boat and escaped northwards with an intention of escaping to Patna. After
reaching Rajmahal, he went to a deserted garden, where he took shelter for the night. However, he was
identified by one of Mir Jafar’s men, before being arrested subsequently. He was then handed over to Mir
Jafar’s son Mir Meerun, who came up with his execution order in accordance with his father’s treaty with
the British. On July 2, 1757, Siraj-ud-Daulah was killed by Mohammad Ali Beg and his mortal remains
were buried at Khushbagh in Murshidabad.

Though Siraj-ud-Daulah is largely portrayed as a wicked man, he is revered by many for putting up a brave
fight against the British forces. His loss at the ‘Battle of Plassey’ is seen widely as the beginning of British’s
domination in India. Hence, Siraj-ud-Daulah’s resistance against the British forces went down in history as a
prominent and dignified move by an Indian ruler. Siraj-ud-Daulah thus became known as a brave freedom
fighter and is revered largely in present-day West Bengal and Bangladesh. In fact, many educational
institutions in Kolkata and Bangladesh have been named after him. In 1967, a biopic titled ‘Nawab
Sirajuddaula’ was released to honor his bravery.

Mir Qasim
Mir Qasim was the appointed as the Nawab of Bengal replacing his father-in-law Mir Jafar in 1760. Qasim
was ambitious and independence loving and although installed by the British, he rebelled against them.

When Qasim came to the power he had to pay the huge outstanding debts of the former Nawab. He felt that
since he had paid the Company with adequacy, he should be given the sole authority to govern

Bengal. He took strategic administrative measures to keep himself equipped with a disciplined force and
enough fund. He shifted his capital to Munger from Murshidabad. To increase the revenue he reformed the
land revenue structure.

He was also opposed to the fact that the British can trade paying minimum duties whereas the local traders
have to pay a huge sum. He abolished all customs duties to bring an equality. Thus gradually, a rift started
developing between Qasim and the Company and an war was inevitable.

The British defeated Qasim’s army and he had to ran way to Oudh. Qasim had good diplomatic sense and he
ensured the support of Shuja-Ud-Dulla of Oudh and the wandering emperor Shah Alam II.

Now with the combined force he attacked the British but was defeated in the Battle of Buxar. His defeat
meant the establishment of the English as the ultimate power in West Bengal. After the war Qasim went into
hiding before his death in Delhi.

Anglo-French Conflicts in South India!

The political ambition arising out of the weakness of the Indian rulers inspired the Europeans to dream of
building their empires in India.

French first thought of an Empire in India. Dupleix accelerated the process and entered boldly into Indian
politics. The Englishmen were also ready for a political role like the French and therefore when Dupleix
entered into the field with sword in hand the English opposed him equally with sharper sword.

The Anglo French conflict began to occupy the political scene of Southern India.
In the year 1740 there broke out conflict between France and England in Europe over the question of
Austrian succession as to who should sit on the throne of Austria. It was a major conflict famous as the War
of Austrian succession involving bigger powers and continued for long eight years. The echo of the war was
heard on the sea shores of Southern India.

On the Coromandal coast of the Deccan the English at Madras and the French at Pondicherry looked at each
other with suspicious eyes when the news of the European war reached India. They came to arms on the sea
coast.

This conflict appeared as a golden opportunity for Dupleix to satisfy his ambitions in India. Dupleix
proceeded with his army to destroy the English fort at Madras. On the other hand the English was ready for
resistance. The war broke out famous as the First Anglo-French War or the First Cornatic War. Dupleix
attempted to conquer Madras and directed La Bourdonnais the French Admiral to attack Madras from the
sea and to capture Madras Fort. The English at Fort St. George failed to show much of their strength and that
made Dupleix more daring.

He made all the English inside the fort captive and kept Madras under his control. The Nawab of Carnatic
was Anwar-ud-din. As both Madras and Pondicherry were situated in his territory he became the master of
both the English and the French. When he saw the foreigners fighting in his territory without his permission
he became angry. Dupleix being a great diplomat pretended that after capturing Madras he would hand-over
the place to the Nawab. When that idea was not going to be materialized the Nawab therefore decided to
teach Dupleix a lesson.

The Nawab with 10,000 soldiers proceeded to punish Dupleix. Dupleix came forward to challenge the
Nawab’s army only with S00 soldiers and this battle was fought within a short distance from Madras. As the
French canons began to roar the Nawab’s army fled away and the French tasted the victory which came so
easily. From the military point of view it was a small battle but it was very significant from the historical
point of view.
It proved the potentiality of the western Military system of warfare. In the direct manner that battle revealed
a much deeper political reality. It also carried significance for the immediate future. After the French
Victory the Indian princes became very anxious to get the foreign military support to fight against their
enemies. They thought it necessary to use the European Soldiers on their sepoys for better result. Such was
the result of the French victory under the command of Dupleix.

The war in Europe came to an end in 1748 after the signing of the treaty at a place Aix-La-Chapelle between
the European powers. According to the provisions of the treaty war in India was brought to an end and
Madras was returned to the English East India Company.

Dupleix felt disappointed and the loss of Madras was a blow to his ambition. But yet he did not give up hope
to drive out the English from India. With that aim in view he immediately entered into the politics of the
south. He wanted to get the benefit of the fluid political situation in Hyderabad and Carnatic region.

Disputes were going on at two capitals in the south for the possession of the throne. In 1748 the Nizam of
Hyderabad Asaf Jah died. For his empty throne quarrel broke out between his son Nasir Jung and grandson
Muzaffar Jang. Dupleix took up the cause of Muzaffar Jang and the English therefore supported Nasir Jang.
Similarly at Arcot the capital of Carnatic there started an alarming dispute between the ruling Nawab
Anwar-ud-din and another claimant Chanda Sahib.

Dupleix helped Chanda Sahib and thus the English came to the side of Anwar-ud-din. Thus the two
European powers took up opposite sides in a contest for throne in Southern India. In the name of their
respective candidates they began their war which is famous as the Second Anglo-French War or the Second
Carnatic war.

In the first phase of the war success was with the French. The combined army of Dupleix and Chanda Sahib
defeated and killed Anwar-ud-din and Chanda Sahib was made the Nawab of Carnatic. Muhammad Ali the
son of dead Nawab Anwar-ud-din fled and took shelter inside the fort of Trichinopoly. Chanda Sahib
proceeded to capture him and beseiged the fort. The supremacy of Dupleix was established over the Carnatic.
It was an insignificant Englishman who changed the course of history.

He was Robert Clive. When the English Company’s hopes were almost lost in the South and everybody was
in despair, Clive the outstanding intelligent man saved the situation. He saw that the French soldiers and
Chanda Sahib were busy at Trichinopoly to destroy Muhammad Ali where as Chanda Sahib’s capital Arcot
remained unprotected, he therefore proposed that the English soldiers should better capture the city of Arcot.

Clive’s proposal appeared sound and others agreed to it. Clive himself took the responsibility to lead the
campaign and with courage and confidence he attacked Arcot and captured it. On receiving the news of the
fall of Arcot Chanda Sahib sent his army to recover it but the army was defeated by Clive. That made the
French soldiers nervous too.

Clive next attacked Trichinopoly and defeated Chanda Sahib and the French. Mahammad Ali was rescued
and brought to Arcot and was made the Nawab there in 1752. Chanda Sahib was killed. That became a
terrible blow to French prestige. On the other hand the whole Carnatic region and the Nawab remained
under the influence of the English. Dupleix was not the man to loose confidence and the war continued. At
this critical time the Government of France directed Dupleix to return in 1754. It shattered the hope of
Dupleix as much as it shattered the French cause.

At Hyderabad too the diplomacy of Dupleix became successful. Through treachery he got Nasir Jang killed
and raised Muzaffar Jang to the throne. When Muzaffar was killed within a short time by some of his
enemies Dupleix placed Salabat Jang over the throne. To protect him General Bussy was placed at
Hyderabad with a French army. But this success in Hyderabad was equally failed in the Carnatic front by
Clive. Dupleix’s fall became Clive’s opportunity. More ambitiously he looked over a wider horizon. The
time was also opportune for him.

In 1756 there broke out a bigger war in Europe famous in history as the Seven Years War. Once again
England and France appeared in opposite sides to fight as enemies. As a echo of the war the French and the
English took up arms and fought. That war is famous as the Third Anglo-French War or Third Carnatic War.
That war was not confined only to the South India but spread to other parts of the country.

The result was primarily decided on the Soil of Bengal. There was no competent leader after Dupleix in the
French camp and the English Company had the opportunity to get Clive to guide the destiny. His uncommon
leadership paved the way for the greatness of his countrymen as an empire builder in the East.

In 1757 the English captured the French territory Chandarnagore in Bengal. In that year Clive defeated
Siraj-ud-daula, the Nawab of Bengal Bihar and Orissa in the battlefield of Plassey and laid the foundation
stone of the British Empire in India. For a little longer however the French and the English continued to
fight in the south. Count Lally the French general fought with English from Pondicherry.

The Nizam of Hyderabad was fighting in the side of the French and the French general Bussy was in the
capital of the Nizam with his army to protect the Nizam. All-in-a-sudden Count Lally recalled Bussy from
Hyderabad and the influence of the French on the Nizam came to close for all times to come. Lally was
brave but lacked efficiency. At last in 1760 Lally was badly defeated in the battle-field of Wandiwash by the
English general Eyre Coot. That brought the decline of the French influence and hope in India.

The French East India Company never rose again as a political force against English East India Company.
The Seven Years War came to an end in 1763 in Europe. With that closed the Third Anglo-French conflict
or the Third Carnatic War in India. The French retained a few such places as Pondicherry as their centres of
trade and their political role did not revive. With the fall of the French the whole of India turned to be a
political play ground for the British. They began to build their British Empire.

It was Dupleix who began the real political venture in India. Similarly it was Clive who brought the density
for the English. The history of the French and the English in India would be incomplete without having a
study on the personalities of those gifted sons of two European nations.

Joseph-François Dupleix
Joseph-François Dupleix, (born 1697, Landrecies, France—died Nov. 10, 1763, Paris), colonial
administrator and governor-general of the French territories in India, who nearly realized his dream of
establishing a French empire in India.

His father, François, a director of the French East India Company, sent Dupleix on a voyage to India and
America in 1715. His father’s influence led to his appointment (1720) to the superior council of Pondicherry
(now Puducherry), the capital of French India. He was made superintendent of the French factory (trading
station) in Chandernagore, Bengal, in 1731 and 11 years later was appointed governor-general of all French
establishments in India. When fighting between France and Britain broke out in the War of the Austrian
Succession in 1744, the French proposed neutrality in India, but this was rejected by the British. In 1746,
with the help of a French fleet, Dupleix seized Madras (now Chennai) but failed to capture the neighbouring
British fort of St. David. He twice defeated armies sent to relieve Britain’s ally, the nawab Anwār al-Dīn of
the Carnatic (modern Karnataka state).
The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ended the war in Europe in 1748 and restored Madras to the British, but
Dupleix embarked on further schemes for French aggrandizement in India. Sensing the military weakness of
the various contending princes in south India, he forged local alliances with them that were aimed at ruining
the British East India Company. He supported Chanda Sahib’s claim to the nawabship of the Carnatic, and,
when the British supported a rival candidate, a largely private war ensued (1751) between the two
companies. Mostly as the result of the exploits of Dupleix’s chief rival, the brilliant young British soldier
Robert Clive, all the French forces except those in the Deccan were defeated. Dupleix’s grand schemes
continued to topple for two more years, and French finances were exhausted in the struggle.

In 1754 Dupleix was recalled to Paris, where he unsuccessfully sued the French East India Company for
money he claimed he had spent on its account. Dupleix remained discredited in France and died in despair,
obscurity, and relative poverty. He had displayed great talents as an organizer, diplomat, and imaginative
political visionary, but he had lacked military acumen and the ability to work with others.