1757Reputable sourceWell documented
The Battle of Plassey
On the timeline · around 1757 ·
What happened
On 23 June 1757 an East India Company army under Robert Clive, only about 3,000 strong, defeated the far larger army of the Nawab of Bengal at Plassey — a victory secured largely by bribing the Nawab's commander, Mir Jafar, to betray him. The Company installed a puppet ruler and seized control of Bengal's revenues.
Why it matters
Plassey transformed the East India Company from a trading firm into a territorial power and is often taken as the beginning of British rule in India. The wealth of Bengal now flowed to the Company and its shareholders.
Sources
- National Army Museum. Battle of Plassey · Reputable source