Battle of Plassey Timeline

(June 23, 1757)

The Battle of Plassey was a pivotal military engagement fought on June 23, 1757, between the British East India Company, led by Robert Clive, and the forces of the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah. The Company's victory, aided by the betrayal of the Nawab's commander Mir Jafar, marked the beginning of British political dominance in India and laid the foundation for nearly two centuries of colonial rule. More Less

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Background

Farman of 1717 issued by Farrukhsiyar

Jan 1, 1717

Mughal Emperor Farrukhsiyar issued a farman in 1717 granting trading privileges to the British East India Company. However, continual friction persisted, as the British complained they were prevented from fully enjoying the benefits of the farman.

Image source: Farrukhsiyar

Maratha invasions of Bengal begin

Jan 1, 1741 - Dec 31, 1751

From 1741 to 1751, the Marathas under Raghuji Bhonsle invaded Bengal six times, devastating the region and placing enormous pressure on Nawab Alivardi Khan's rule.

Image source: Bengal Subah

Peace treaty signed between Marathas and Nawab of Bengal

Jan 1, 1751

In 1751, the Marathas signed a peace treaty with the Nawab of Bengal, according to which Mir Habib, a former courtier of Alivardi Khan who had defected to the Marathas, was made provincial governor of Orissa under nominal control of the Nawab of Bengal.

Anglo-French Rivalry

War of the Austrian Succession begins

Dec 16, 1740 - Oct 18, 1748

The War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748) marked the beginning of the power struggle between Britain and France and of European military ascendancy and political intervention in the Indian subcontinent.

Image source: War of the Austrian Succession

French siege of Madras

Sep 1, 1746

In September 1746, Mahé de La Bourdonnais landed off Madras with a naval squadron and laid siege to the port city, capturing it for France during the Anglo-French conflict in India.

Image source: Siege of Madras

Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle restores Madras to Britain

Oct 18, 1748

The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748 forced Dupleix to yield Madras back to the British in return for Louisbourg and Cape Breton Island in North America, temporarily pausing the Franco-British struggle in India.

Image source: Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)

Chanda Sahib besieges Trichinopoly

Jun 1, 1751

In mid-1751, the French candidate for the Nawab's post, Chanda Sahib, laid siege to the British candidate Wallajah's last stronghold at Trichinopoly, where Wallajah was holed up with his British reinforcements.

Image source: Siege of Trichinopoly (1751–1752)

Clive captures Arcot

Sep 1, 1751

On 1 September 1751, 280 Europeans and 300 sepoys under the command of Captain Robert Clive attacked and seized Arcot, the capital of the Carnatic, finding that the garrison had fled the night before. The bold move relieved pressure on Trichinopoly and made Clive's reputation.

Image source: Delhi Gate, Arcot

Seven Years' War spreads to India

May 17, 1756 - Feb 10, 1763

The battle was waged during the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), and, in a mirror of their European rivalry, the French East India Company (La Compagnie des Indes Orientales) sent a small contingent to fight alongside the Nawab against the British.

Image source: Seven Years' War

British victory at Masulipatam secures Northern Circars

Jan 1, 1759

In 1759, the British defeated a larger French garrison at Masulipatam, securing the Northern Circars and further weakening the French position in southern India.

Image source: Machilipatnam

Fall of Pondicherry ends major French resistance

Jan 15, 1761

The struggle continued in areas of the Deccan and Hyderabad, such as Arcot, Wandewash, Tanjore and Cuddalore, culminating in 1761 when Colonel Coote's forces captured Pondicherry, effectively ending French ambitions in India.

Image source: Siege of Pondicherry (1760)

Treaty of Paris returns Pondicherry to France

Feb 10, 1763

The French were returned Pondicherry in 1763 by way of the Treaty of Paris, but they never again regained their former stature in India, leaving Britain dominant on the subcontinent.

Image source: Treaty of Paris (1763)

Treaty of Paris returns Pondicherry to France

Rise of Siraj-ud-Daulah

Alivardi Khan dies; Siraj-ud-Daulah succeeds

Apr 1, 1756

In April 1756, Alivardi Khan died and was succeeded as Nawab of Bengal by his twenty-three-year-old grandson, Siraj-ud-Daulah, whose tensions with the British East India Company soon escalated into open conflict.

Image source: Siraj-ud-Daulah

News of fall of Calcutta reaches Madras

Aug 16, 1756

When news of the fall of Calcutta to Siraj-ud-Daulah's forces broke in Madras on 16 August 1756, the Council immediately sent out an expeditionary force under Colonel Clive and Admiral Watson to retake the city.

Image source: Battle of Plassey

Expeditionary force assembled under Clive and Watson

Aug 20, 1756

Clive assumed command of the land forces, consisting of 900 Europeans and 1500 sepoys, while Watson commanded a naval squadron dispatched from Madras to recover Calcutta from the Nawab of Bengal.

Image source: Robert Clive

British recapture Calcutta

Jan 2, 1757

Clive and Watson moved against Calcutta on 2 January 1757, and the garrison of 500 men surrendered after offering a scanty resistance. Clive defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah's forces and captured Calcutta back from the Nawab.

Image source: Siege of Calcutta

Storming and sack of Hooghly

Jan 9, 1757

On 9 January 1757, a force of 650 men under Captain Coote and Major Kilpatrick stormed and sacked the town of Hooghly, 23 miles north of Calcutta, extending the British offensive against the Nawab's territory.

Image source: Hooghly district

Road to Plassey

Treaty with Siraj confirms firman of 1717

Feb 10, 1757

Besides confirming the firman of 1717, the treaty required the restitution, including donations to the navy squadron, army and committee, of 22,000,000 rupees (£2,750,000) to the British for their losses suffered when Calcutta fell.

Conspiracy formed with Mir Jafar and the Jagat Seths

May 1, 1757

Dalrymple and the Jagat Seths offered Clive and the East India Company more than £4m (£420m as of 2019), an additional 110,000 rupees a month (£1.43m as of 2019) to pay for Company troops, and other landholding rights in exchange for placing Mir Jafar on the throne.

Image source: Mir Jafar

Omichund threatens to betray the conspiracy

Jun 1, 1757

Mir Jafar and the Seths desired that the confederacy between the British and himself be kept secret from Omichund, but when he found out about it, he threatened to betray the conspiracy if his share was not increased to three million rupees (£300,000, over £3m in 2019).

Image source: Omichund

Clive's force marches toward Plassey

Jun 13, 1757

The combined force consisted of 613 Europeans, 171 artillerymen controlling eight field pieces and two howitzers, 91 topasses, 2100 sepoys (mainly dusadhs) and 150 sailors, marching up the Hooghly River to confront Siraj-ud-Daulah's much larger army.

Battle and Aftermath

Battle of Plassey

Jun 23, 1757

On 23 June 1757, the British East India Company under Robert Clive won a decisive victory over the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah, and his French allies. Treachery by Mir Jafar and other commanders ensured the Nawab's defeat despite his overwhelming numerical advantage.

Mir Jafar grows resentful of British dominance

Jan 1, 1759

By 1759, Mir Jafar, installed as Nawab after Plassey, felt that his position as a subordinate to the British could not be tolerated, leading him to seek support against his former allies.

Dutch send fleet to Bengal

Nov 1, 1759

In late 1759, the Dutch sent seven large ships and 1400 men from Java to Bengal under the pretext of reinforcing their Bengal settlement of Chinsura, even though Britain and Holland were not officially at war.

Image source: Battle of Chinsurah

Battle of Chinsura defeats Dutch forces

Nov 25, 1759

Clive initiated immediate offensive operations by land and sea and defeated the much larger Dutch force on 25 November 1759 in the Battle of Chinsura, cementing British supremacy in Bengal.

Company takes complete control of Bengal

Jan 1, 1773

The victory at Plassey helped the British East India Company take complete control of Bengal in 1773, transforming the Company from a trading enterprise into the ruler of one of India's wealthiest provinces.

Image source: Bengal Presidency

Key Facts

The Battle of Plassey took place on June 23, 1757, near the town of Plassey in Bengal, India.
Robert Clive led the British East India Company's forces to victory against a much larger army commanded by Siraj-ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal.
The betrayal by Mir Jafar, the Nawab's military commander, who secretly conspired with the British, was crucial to Clive's victory.
The battle established the East India Company as the dominant power in Bengal and marked the start of British territorial expansion in India.
Following the victory, Mir Jafar was installed as a puppet ruler, giving the Company significant control over Bengal's politics and wealth.

Source

This Battle of Plassey timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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