Plassey: The Battle in Name, But The Revolution In Nature

In 1599, John Mildenhall reached India. He was the First English trader who landed in India. In the very next year (1600 A.D), the English East India Company was established in Britain to trade with India. It took them almost first one and half centuries (1600-1757) to come into the limelight. However, the mid-eighteenth century witnessed the transformation of the English East India Company from a commercial enterprise to a status of mighty political power. The main reason behind this transformation was the decline of Central Power in India. About Bengal, it was mainly the commercial rivalry between the British and the Nawabs of Bengal, which plotted the battle of Plassey (1757). The deterioration in the administration provided a chance for the English Company to play a significant job in the politics of Bengal. After an easy success at Plassey, the company's priority shifted towards establishing an extended empire in India rather than collecting revenue. The fertile and prosperous region of Bengal played a vital role to maintain its trade and military strength. Moreover, the changing economic condition in Europe, like the advent of the industrial revolution and the weakening of political authority in India provided the Company with a perfect atmosphere to deepen its root in Bengal and then spreading its jurisdiction to other parts of India. In a nutshell, it can be said that the annexation of Bengal upgraded the overall status of the Company in India. The result of Plassey not only multiplied the financial growth of the company but also magnified its political and diplomatic tactics. This is all we have witnessed when they outperformed all their competitors, either they were Indian traders and political powers or European trading companies. The battle of Plassey changed the course of Indian history. It marked the beginning of Modern India [political changes] with the establishment of the political hegemony of East India Company in India.