The Historical Impact of the Battle of Palashi on the Politics of the Indian Subcontinent

With the defeat of Nawab Siraj Uddaula at Amrakan in Palashi on 23 June 1757, the path to British rule began not in Bengal but in the Indian subcontinent. After the victory of the British at battle of Palashi, they cunningly did not take the power of Bengal directly into their hands and gave the throne to the treacherous and impersonal Mir Zafar. But in 1760, the British replaced Mir Zafar with Mir Qasim, his son-in-law, and removed him on suspicion of violating their legitimate interests. Then the East India Company established direct company rule in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. With the conquest the battle of Palashi, Robert Clive laid the foundation of Dual rule in Bengal. Under the influence of Dual rule, the seventy-sixth famine in Bengali year took place in Bengal region. The rule of the East India Company which began with dual rule ended with the suppression of the Great Revolution in India of 1857 and occupy the throne of Delhi. But the Indian subcontinent then became a victim of exploitation in a new way by the British governor. From then on, this new journey of exploitation began with direct rule under the British Parliament. Even then, the entire Indian subcontinent was exposed to British exploitation for another 90 years.

After the historic conspiratorial dramatic battle of Palashi, the British began to increase their influence in this country and the subcontinent. The East India Company continued to move forward with firm steps to realize the dream of subcontinental rule. Eventually they were able to succeed in fulfilling the dream of ruling and exploiting India. After the defeat of Siraj Uddaula at Palashi and before the Great Revolution, the Indian subcontinent was full of various political complexities.

After the battle of Palashi, politically, the Muslims lost their monopoly power from this country and became the ruling class. As a result, the common tenant Muslims continue to be the victims of extreme exploitation. The Hindu community, which had ruled in the past, has since passed to the ruling class with the help of the British. The Hindus began to act as if to avenge the 550 years long rule of the Muslims in order to seize power in a new way. The British took power from the Muslims as a result of the battle of Palashi. As a result, the Muslims were always ruled by the East India Company with suspicion. The British rulers of the company continued to help the Hindus so that the Muslims would not regain power and would not get a chance to revolt. Although the British contributed immensely to the economic and social development of the Hindus, but they continued to exploit the Muslims. In order to keep the Muslims out of everything, the Company continues to rule India in a discriminatory manner. The British in particular deliberately left Muslims behind in education. The Indian Muslims have always had a rebellious attitude towards the British rule as the company did not get the kind of flexible rule that the Muslim people used to get from the Nawabs. Such mentality of Muslims, Hindus and English greatly influenced the rule of the Company and the British rule. As a result, it did not take long for the ruling class Muslims of Bengal to become a half-dead nation. Due to lack of education and political intrigue and anti-British attitude, Muslims lost all traditions and heroism and became a cowardly loyal nation.

After the Battle of Plassey, the political situation of the local Indians continued to deteriorate with the growing British power in the subcontinent. Then the East India Company started adopting various strategies to collect more revenue. The British Company was adept at smuggling money into Britain, their homeland, without thinking of developing the ruled. Due to this situation, Fakir Sanyasi Rebellion against the British in 1780, Peasant Rebellion of Rangpur, Medinipur Rebellion and Banchura Rebellion (1898-99), Tipu Sultan Rebellion of Mysore (1799), Polygar Rebellion (1799-1801), Sangolir Rebellion, Bole Rebellion of Guzrat (1839-45), the Santal Rebellion (1855), the Nationalist Sepoy Great Rebellion of the Subcontinent in 1857, the Nill Rebellion (1859-60) and the Kuka Rebellion (1872).  All these were locals revolts against the English nation.

Apart from these revolts and many Muslim movements in the Indian subcontinent, the throne of British political rule was intimidated. The Wahhabi Movement and the Battle of Balakot (1771-1831), the Faraji Movement, the Rebellion of Titumir (1831) were movements for the oppressed Muslims under the British rule and for religious consciousness.

Conspiracy politics had the greatest influence on the politics of the subcontinent after the victory of the British in the historical drama of Palashi. Which was not observed during the long period of previous Muslim rule in India. It was through conspiracy and cunning that the British won Palashi. Later, it was through conspiracies that they solidified the foundations of their rule in India. In South India, Haider Ali and his son Tipu Sultan fought fiercely with the British. The British could not defeat Tipu Sultan in any way. So the British chose the same conspiracy of Palashi to defeat Tipu Sultan. At this time, the British defeated Tipu Sultan by creating a traitor in Tipu Sultan's army and captured Tipu's capital Srirangapatna.

In 1831, the Mujahid forces of Syed Ahmad Brelvi were also defeated by traitors in the desert of Balakot. The locals could not defeat the British in such a game of tactics and conspiracy politics. The English were very skilled in conspiring with the Hindus to suppress the Muslims, sometimes with the Muslims for the suppression of the Hindus, again with the Marathis for the suppression of the Sikhs, sometimes with the Sikhs for the suppression of the Marathis. The conspiracy rule that the British taught us to rule the Indian subcontinent for almost 200 years is still being observed in our politics.

After the battle of Palashi, the British began to intervene directly in the politics of Bengal. Later, the British gradually occupied the adjoining states of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, Bombay and Madras. The East India Company conquered South India by conquering the Anglo-Mysore War (1766-99) and the Anglo-Maratha War (1772-1818) and completely cleared their trade routes. As a result, the company became more and more economically and politically prosperous and began to exert a single influence on the weak Mughal rulers of India. The East India Company then occupied the North-Western Provinces (Rohilkhand, Gorakhpur and Doab Territories), Delhi-Sindus, Punjab, North-West Frontier Provinces, Kashmir. As a result, the dictatorship of the British was established in the whole of India. Thus gaining power, the British took the final step to seize power in India. The Sepoy Revolution in 1757 gave a real opportunity to the British to seize power in the entire Indian subcontinent and put an end to the long 330 years of Mughal rule. Then the Mughal emperor was exiled to Rangoon and the Indian subcontinent came under British rule. Since then, India has officially become a colony of the British Empire. After a long period of British rule, India was liberated from British in 1947. Then two independent state India and Pakistan were established by the British. But the two countries could not get out of the conspiracy politics of the Palashi War left by the British. Till now the ruling class of this subcontinent could not be free from the politics of conspiracy left by the British rulers when Pakistan and India gained independence.

The real fact that a few merchants came to Bengal to do business and establish their rule in the whole Indian subcontinent is indeed an incredible history. This chapter of history really reveals the extreme weakness of the rulers of India. The victory at the Battle of Plassey provided an opportunity for the British to rule India. The traitors of the Battle of Palashi are still hated by the people of India. But these traitors acted as a blessing for the British to ascend to power in India.