Palashi / Plassey

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Site of the 1757 Battle That Changed Bengal's History

A small village in Bengal where the 1757 Battle of Plassey took place, marking the beginning of British colonial rule in India. The battlefield witnessed the defeat of Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah by the East India Company's forces under Robert Clive.

Est. 1947 · Bengal✺A Bilingual Archive

Events in This Place

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3 events

1756

Siraj ud-Daulah Captures Calcutta

Nawabi assertion against Company militarization.

In 1756, Siraj ud-Daulah attacked and captured Calcutta in response to Company fortification and political encroachment, escalating tensions that soon led to Plassey.

1757

Battle of Plassey

The battle that opened the door to Company control in Bengal.

The Battle of Plassey in 1757 marked a decisive shift in Bengal's political destiny. A short military encounter turned into a structural transfer of power as the East India Company used alliance, betrayal, and financial leverage to secure influence in Bengal. The aftermath reshaped governance, revenue extraction, and sovereignty, laying the foundation for long-term colonial rule.

1765

East India Company Gets Diwani Rights in Bengal

Revenue authority passes from the nawabi state to the Company.

In 1765, the East India Company secured the diwani, or the right to collect revenue, in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. That settlement turned post-Plassey influence into formal fiscal power. Revenue extraction, administrative leverage, and political authority began to flow through the Company, even as Mughal and nawabi institutions remained in place.