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Plassey: The Battle that Changed the Course of Indian History
The Battle of Plassey, fought on 23 June 1757, changed the course of Indian history forever. When the short, sharp hostilities between the forces of the nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-daulah, and East India Company troops led by Robert Clive, an ambitious soldier of fortune, ended, Britain was on its way to becoming the dominant force in the region.
The eighteenth century was a time of great political churn in the subcontinent. After the death of Emperor Aurangzeb, the Mughal empire began to slowly fracture. In the east, the nawabs of Bengal, who ruled in the name of the Mughals, took the opportunity to break free. By the middle of the century, Siraj-ud-daulah succeeded his grandfather, Alivardi Khan, to the throne of Bengal. The young nawab clashed frequently with the Company as it looked to aggressively expand and safeguard its interests. Their skirmishes led inexorably to Plassey, a decisive battle in a mango orchard by the banks of the Bhagirathi-Hugli.
But what was Plassey all about, besides a young nawab who stood in the way of a company’s business plans and a country’s dreams of conquest? Was it really a battle or was it won before it began? What were the politics of the time that permitted Plassey? Why did the British so desperately want Bengal? Who were the faces beyond a callow Siraj and a crafty Clive, the two main combatants? What are the stories behind the spurned general, the ambitious and hateful aunt, the rude and covetous cousin, the insulted banker, the grasping merchant? And how was—is—Plassey seen? By the victors and the vanquished? The colonizer and the colonized? Why does Plassey remain such a fascinating story even today?
Using multilingual sources and a multidisciplinary approach, Sudeep Chakravarti answers all these questions and a myriad others with great insight and nuance. Impeccably researched and brilliantly told, Plassey is the best account yet of one of the turning points in Indian history.
The eighteenth century was a time of great political churn in the subcontinent. After the death of Emperor Aurangzeb, the Mughal empire began to slowly fracture. In the east, the nawabs of Bengal, who ruled in the name of the Mughals, took the opportunity to break free. By the middle of the century, Siraj-ud-daulah succeeded his grandfather, Alivardi Khan, to the throne of Bengal. The young nawab clashed frequently with the Company as it looked to aggressively expand and safeguard its interests. Their skirmishes led inexorably to Plassey, a decisive battle in a mango orchard by the banks of the Bhagirathi-Hugli.
But what was Plassey all about, besides a young nawab who stood in the way of a company’s business plans and a country’s dreams of conquest? Was it really a battle or was it won before it began? What were the politics of the time that permitted Plassey? Why did the British so desperately want Bengal? Who were the faces beyond a callow Siraj and a crafty Clive, the two main combatants? What are the stories behind the spurned general, the ambitious and hateful aunt, the rude and covetous cousin, the insulted banker, the grasping merchant? And how was—is—Plassey seen? By the victors and the vanquished? The colonizer and the colonized? Why does Plassey remain such a fascinating story even today?
Using multilingual sources and a multidisciplinary approach, Sudeep Chakravarti answers all these questions and a myriad others with great insight and nuance. Impeccably researched and brilliantly told, Plassey is the best account yet of one of the turning points in Indian history.
410 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 7, 2021
Undue emphasis is placed on a skirmish outside a mango orchard on the banks of a distributary of the Ganges, as a pivotal event in the histories of England and India. The subsequent battle of Buxar, where the remnants of the moghul army and its allies were comprehensively routed by the British (in Clive’s absence, without recourse to subterfuge, treason and conniving), or the 1857 uprising were more momentous events.
I am no historian but this is how I see it – it was a rainy day, most of the forces chose not to fight, the French had an axe to grind with the English and were the most enthusiastic fighters, the fight barely lasted a few hours with the loss of less than six hundred men.
Page 274
The downfall of the cruel and dissolute Siraj-ud-Dawla was inevitable, given his unpopularity and the Machiavellian intrigues of the declining incestuous moghul empire. The greedy and rapacious, albeit disciplined, English just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
Altogether, the book is interesting to read, cryptic and chatty at times, rambling occasionally into superfluous trivia.
I am no historian but this is how I see it – it was a rainy day, most of the forces chose not to fight, the French had an axe to grind with the English and were the most enthusiastic fighters, the fight barely lasted a few hours with the loss of less than six hundred men.
Page 274
The first shot was fired at 8 a.m.Page 289
It was 8 p.m.Fifteen pages of "battle" in a book of 392 pages.
And just like that, the Battle of Plassey was over.
The downfall of the cruel and dissolute Siraj-ud-Dawla was inevitable, given his unpopularity and the Machiavellian intrigues of the declining incestuous moghul empire. The greedy and rapacious, albeit disciplined, English just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
Altogether, the book is interesting to read, cryptic and chatty at times, rambling occasionally into superfluous trivia.
June 24, 2020
A dramatic read which brings a vivid picture of what happened over 250 yrs ago. Well researched on archival text and almost 25% based on "Siyar-ul-Mutaqherin" presents a compelling story on the Nawab of Bengal, business development, its glorious years , rivalry and decline. The author had carefully set the stage of the war that eventually led to the decline of the nawab of bengals after lost battle of Plassey. Most importantly it uncovers a grey area few historians consider about Mir Jaffar as a key conspirator and how he acted before and during the war. According to them he never actually was involved in the conspiracy and was merely a watcher being a pious and honest man. The author hints about this at later part of the book, however doesn't endorse the same.
At a point, Siraj vicious character is clearly reflected in the book, also it keeps the black hole of calcutta an open topic whether it actually happened or not. As the war drama continues the staging up of the battlefield appears to be a bit exaggerated. According to descendants of the local natives Siraj was captured in disguise on a run near a river in Bhagwangola and not in Rajmahal but there is little to no supporting evidence on this.
Overall this book based on research on credible references and Sudeep's reflection is enticing to the readers and can act as as a standard text of the war that changed the course of India.
At a point, Siraj vicious character is clearly reflected in the book, also it keeps the black hole of calcutta an open topic whether it actually happened or not. As the war drama continues the staging up of the battlefield appears to be a bit exaggerated. According to descendants of the local natives Siraj was captured in disguise on a run near a river in Bhagwangola and not in Rajmahal but there is little to no supporting evidence on this.
Overall this book based on research on credible references and Sudeep's reflection is enticing to the readers and can act as as a standard text of the war that changed the course of India.
May 26, 2020
My review of the book can be read here:
https://nuktacheen.blogspot.com/2020/...
https://nuktacheen.blogspot.com/2020/...
September 17, 2021
The battle between the forces of the Nawab of Bengal and the East India Company at Plassey was a landmark event for it marked in a way the beginning of the British reign in India. It is thus a piece of history worth reading about. The real drama lay in the events that occurred before the battle, where the ambitious Robert Clive was up against the young Nawab, Siraj. Author Sudeep Chakravarti dedicates most of the book to set the right political mood before the Plassey battle, how the English grew gradually bolder to widen their presence in India. The book while well-researched lacks the narrative flow that makes books of history so charming. It is more like a start-and-stop affair with every page carrying references to other books and sentences being put in quotes. At times it appears like a doctorate thesis report! Nonetheless, while the book is not easy to read, it covers a lot of details on the key characters and their actions that eventually culminated in the battle at Plassey which makes it an informative piece of reading.
January 22, 2020
A wonderful read. Well researched, written and organized. Also a good topic to choose to write a book on - despite the battle being instrumental in unleashing the British Raj on India, few books have been written on it. There are lots of books on Clive, and a recent military history of the battle, but none on the overall picture. The author uses several reference books that are now on my buy list. And I will now read my copy of the author's previous book - The Bengali's.
June 16, 2021
Plassey, Placis, Polashi, Palasi or Pallasey, Was a landmark moment in Indian modern history.
But wasn't it just a battle? The author would think it a crime if you thought that way. He has taken great pains to create a setting of Bengal in the mid 18th century which is high in drama.
In my opinion he tried to make too much of an event with too little substance.
The writing style was also a bit too disorienting at first due to various reasons. One could sense his bengali pride jumping in between some pages. But it grows on you as you proceed and you get okay with him calling plassey by multiple names.
But wasn't it just a battle? The author would think it a crime if you thought that way. He has taken great pains to create a setting of Bengal in the mid 18th century which is high in drama.
In my opinion he tried to make too much of an event with too little substance.
The writing style was also a bit too disorienting at first due to various reasons. One could sense his bengali pride jumping in between some pages. But it grows on you as you proceed and you get okay with him calling plassey by multiple names.
March 28, 2021
For someone rediscovering the joy of Indian history (after having studied it in a relatively boring manner in school), this is a very interesting read. The book plays out all the key events and introduces the key involved in and leading to the Battle of Plassey, which many use as a flagpole for the initiation of the final British dominance in India.
A fun aspect of the book is that juxtaposed to a lot of fact is also the authors take on the personalities of these individuals, which adds another dimension to understanding the lead up to the war. However, the obvious fallacy with this is that personal biases will always creep in drawing up these personalities, but that can be left up to the reader to determine and accept or not.
In terms of the writing, the cardinal sin the author commits is the historian's guilt of delving too much into details to validate points (that may have been best placed in a reference). Whether that is in the form of excruciating details of of the events or excessive citing of actual texts to repeat the same point, it makes holding onto the overall narrative of the book a little challenging.
For me, it also serves as a reminder oh how "divide and conquer" has been used on us repeatedly, starting with Plassey. Even before the British entered the fray, there seem to have been sufficient number of fault lines between Siraj (The Nawab), how second in command (Mir Jafar) and his financiers (the Jagat Seths), all of whom defected during the battle. Leaves food for thought that the the British simply exploited existing fractures (and later perfected the technique over 200 years to disastrous consequences).
Recommended pickup for anyone interested in picking and reading about random bits of Indian history.
A fun aspect of the book is that juxtaposed to a lot of fact is also the authors take on the personalities of these individuals, which adds another dimension to understanding the lead up to the war. However, the obvious fallacy with this is that personal biases will always creep in drawing up these personalities, but that can be left up to the reader to determine and accept or not.
In terms of the writing, the cardinal sin the author commits is the historian's guilt of delving too much into details to validate points (that may have been best placed in a reference). Whether that is in the form of excruciating details of of the events or excessive citing of actual texts to repeat the same point, it makes holding onto the overall narrative of the book a little challenging.
For me, it also serves as a reminder oh how "divide and conquer" has been used on us repeatedly, starting with Plassey. Even before the British entered the fray, there seem to have been sufficient number of fault lines between Siraj (The Nawab), how second in command (Mir Jafar) and his financiers (the Jagat Seths), all of whom defected during the battle. Leaves food for thought that the the British simply exploited existing fractures (and later perfected the technique over 200 years to disastrous consequences).
Recommended pickup for anyone interested in picking and reading about random bits of Indian history.
November 11, 2021
Detailed. Fascinating.
One of the best books I have read on the war of Plassey. Highly detailed and definitely well researched. You will be surprised at the end as to how less you knew about all that happened before Plassey happened; before Clive became Lord Clive; before India was colonised. Must read, nay, study.
One of the best books I have read on the war of Plassey. Highly detailed and definitely well researched. You will be surprised at the end as to how less you knew about all that happened before Plassey happened; before Clive became Lord Clive; before India was colonised. Must read, nay, study.
October 24, 2021
Firstly, I was pleasantly surprised to note that the author writes the foreword from Calvim, that's my neighbouring village- that said, I am still to meet the author. After reading The Anarchy by William Dalrymple, I thought I know enough of the Battle of Plassey- but this book takes it head-on in much more detailed way.
The life of Siraj, his contemporaries and the period's geography is vividly described. The narration is slow and contains extracts of verbatim translations of many contemporary works- This is didn't enjoy, because it affected the storytelling. Perhaps in a reference book, such content is fine- else it kills the flow.
Also, it was nice to see another viewpoint of the black hole of Calcutta incident. Something I wanst aware of.
All said, a great read.
The life of Siraj, his contemporaries and the period's geography is vividly described. The narration is slow and contains extracts of verbatim translations of many contemporary works- This is didn't enjoy, because it affected the storytelling. Perhaps in a reference book, such content is fine- else it kills the flow.
Also, it was nice to see another viewpoint of the black hole of Calcutta incident. Something I wanst aware of.
All said, a great read.
February 23, 2023
'The Battle of Plassey, fought on 23 June 1757, changed the course of Indian history forever. When the short, sharp hostilities between the forces of the nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-daulah, and East India Company troops led by Robert Clive, an ambitious soldier of fortune, ended, Britain was on its way to becoming the dominant force in the region.' (Book description)
I am familiar with Sudeep Chakravarti's writings and his previous Book called 'Bengalis'. This is a must book for all Bengalis to know why we are 'bengalis' and where does our DNA come from.
Plassey, The Battle that Changed the Course of Indian History is the title of the book and it is a fact.
It's where we read, how the East India company, led by Robert Clive, slowly established it's dominance in the Eastern Part of India, and thereafter the whole of India.
The book also touches upon the Black Hole tragedy ( debatable amongst historians, whether it actually happened) and slowly the build up of power in Kolkata, and the slow decline of power in Murshidabad, which was the sitting power of Bengal, with the residency of the Bengal Nawabs. Also a part on the Bengal Famine (1769-70) that was so wretched and so heartless!
The book will take you on a travel to Kolkata and Murshidabad, Cassimbazar with these original historical places, now derelict spots.
The poetry of the times, retelling the battle of Plassey and numerous historical sources was again very very interesting.
Nabinchandra Sen's "Palashir Yuddha" of which the author transcribes some in the book is also something to look forward to, and makes for very intense reading.
If you are a lover of history, this book is an absolute recommend.
The first few chapters may seem difficult to navigate at first but then you gradually get into the unraveling of history in this revetting book.
This book is also available on Kindle Unlimited, from where I read it. (Having lost my physical copy in a taxi 🙁)
#plassey #plasseythebattlethatchangedthecourseofhistory #sudeepchakravarti #alephbooks #kindleunlimitedbooks #bengalhistory #eastindiacompany #britishruleinindia #Bengal #djreads
I am familiar with Sudeep Chakravarti's writings and his previous Book called 'Bengalis'. This is a must book for all Bengalis to know why we are 'bengalis' and where does our DNA come from.
Plassey, The Battle that Changed the Course of Indian History is the title of the book and it is a fact.
It's where we read, how the East India company, led by Robert Clive, slowly established it's dominance in the Eastern Part of India, and thereafter the whole of India.
The book also touches upon the Black Hole tragedy ( debatable amongst historians, whether it actually happened) and slowly the build up of power in Kolkata, and the slow decline of power in Murshidabad, which was the sitting power of Bengal, with the residency of the Bengal Nawabs. Also a part on the Bengal Famine (1769-70) that was so wretched and so heartless!
The book will take you on a travel to Kolkata and Murshidabad, Cassimbazar with these original historical places, now derelict spots.
The poetry of the times, retelling the battle of Plassey and numerous historical sources was again very very interesting.
Nabinchandra Sen's "Palashir Yuddha" of which the author transcribes some in the book is also something to look forward to, and makes for very intense reading.
If you are a lover of history, this book is an absolute recommend.
The first few chapters may seem difficult to navigate at first but then you gradually get into the unraveling of history in this revetting book.
This book is also available on Kindle Unlimited, from where I read it. (Having lost my physical copy in a taxi 🙁)
#plassey #plasseythebattlethatchangedthecourseofhistory #sudeepchakravarti #alephbooks #kindleunlimitedbooks #bengalhistory #eastindiacompany #britishruleinindia #Bengal #djreads
July 28, 2025
Being a history buff, how could I leave out on this book!! The historical and the monumental battle that changed the course of the Indian History by placing India under the subjugation of The imperial Colonists (needn't I say the country name!) for more approx 200 years is very well played out in this book with every detail elaborated.
This might get a little boring in the middle as the never ending plotting and planning of the british East India Company, changing alliances of the courtiers and shenanigans of the family member of Siraj-ud-daula shall make your head swirl at the very fact that India was the most prized possession of the British East India Company and they did not want to lose it at any cost! (and then begins the unrest and mutinies and the saga of achieving independence)
Totally worth the read if one wishes to delve deeper into this historical battle!
This might get a little boring in the middle as the never ending plotting and planning of the british East India Company, changing alliances of the courtiers and shenanigans of the family member of Siraj-ud-daula shall make your head swirl at the very fact that India was the most prized possession of the British East India Company and they did not want to lose it at any cost! (and then begins the unrest and mutinies and the saga of achieving independence)
Totally worth the read if one wishes to delve deeper into this historical battle!
May 4, 2021
Well researched book on the life of Siraj and the different conspiracies that coalesced into the battle of Plassey. Brings out that the battle could have gone either way and had Siraj held his nerve on the fateful day could have emerged victorious. Not for the first time that Indians have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. The poignancy and finally the legacies that we today remember the actors of Plassey are also brought out in the book with dignity and a lot of Bengali flavour.
Enjoyed reading the book as most books treat the battle of Plassey itself very cursorily without going into details on the actors and their motivations
Enjoyed reading the book as most books treat the battle of Plassey itself very cursorily without going into details on the actors and their motivations
July 13, 2023
A well written book on the various events which culminated in the Battle of Plassey in 1757. This book delve quite a bit on all the key players, Alivardi Khan, Siraj ud Daulah, Jean Law, Robert Clive, Mir Jafar and Jagat Seth Madhab Rai etc., and how their destinies got intertwined resulting in founding of one of the greatest colonial empire of this world.
Highly recommended to anyone who is interested in knowing more about the history of Bengal especially during the time when the Mughal empire was about to get replaced by the John Company.
Highly recommended to anyone who is interested in knowing more about the history of Bengal especially during the time when the Mughal empire was about to get replaced by the John Company.
May 16, 2021
Absolutely riveting. Had no idea about the depth of the conspiracies surrounding Plassey nor about how a monsoon shower had such an impact on Bengal's and then India's history. Very well researched and described.
June 27, 2023
If history has ever been about analyzing events, places, people and their relationships in and around that time and period, without judging them, then this book is very fine entry into the list which has been ratcheting down in recent times.
My complete review of the book can be read on the following pages :
https://vishnumaheshsharma.wordpress....
or
https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/...
My complete review of the book can be read on the following pages :
https://vishnumaheshsharma.wordpress....
or
https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/...
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews