The Battle of Buxar occurred in the year 1764 in the Bihar territory. It was fought between the British troops and the Nawab of Bengal, Oudh (Awadh), and the Mughal emperor. Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daulah, and Shah Alam II’s combined army fought against Major Hector Munro who was the commander of the British East India Company.
This long fight confirmed the British dominance over the areas of Bihar and Bengal and confirmed the earlier success they gained at the Battle of Plassey (1757). The decisive battle also drew to an end the practice of ruling Bengal via a puppet Nawab. The victory brought a huge chunk of the Indian subcontinent under the complete control of the English.
Battle of Buxar 1764
The Reign of Mir Qasim Sowed the Seeds for the Battle of Buxar: Background of Battle of Buxar
- After the death of Siraj-ud-Daulah in the battle of Plassey in 1757, his commander, Mir Jafar, was installed as Bengal’s puppet Nawab by Robert Clive. During his reign, he did several things that irked the British.
- Firstly, he began changing the power equations. He maintained close connections with the Dutch East India Company, the rival of the British. This step naturally didn’t go down well with the British, who did away with Mir Jafar and, in his place, installed Mir Qasim as the Nawab of Bengal.
- Mir Qasim started to exert his independence. He did not favor the officials of the East India Company, who disobeyed his administration. His economic reforms minimized expenses on administration and palaces, which enraged the English officials.
- Mir Qasim also allied with the Nawab of Oudh and the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II, who were themselves not happy with the East India Company’s imperialist ambitions. The trio formed a united front.
- Qasim also restricted the trade advantages that the British enjoyed. It led them to incur enormous losses in Bengal. Furthermore, he also collaborated with foreign experts to make his army stronger.
The Battle of Buxar Commences
- Mir Qasim boldly disobeyed the British demand of having preferential treatment. It was the last straw that made it fully evident to the British that Bengal needed to be conquered at all costs. The British East India Company gathered a force of Indian soldiers and cavalry. It advanced to assert its sway over Bengal against the Mughals.
- In October 1764, the forces of Mir Qasim, Shuja-Ud-Daulah, and Shah Alam II came face to face with the English near Buxar. Sir Hector Munro led the British force, which he segmented into three chief sections. There was Major Stibbert’s force on the left plank, Major Champion’s force on the right, and in the center was the Bengal cavalry. Although Indians were more than the forces of the British, they underwent heavy casualties from the English army.
Last Days of the Battle and its Aftermath
- The force of Mir Qasim, Shuja-Ud-Daulah, and Shah Alam II amounted to 40,000 troops. However, it was mercilessly defeated by an army of just 10,000 men belonging to the British. Major Hector organized the lines in a mere 20 minutes and put an end to the advancing army of Mughals.
- A major cause of the defeat was an absence of coordination between the two Nawabs and the Mughal emperor. As the war drew to an end and victory became predictable, Shah Alam II abandoned the war. At the same time, Mir Qasim ran away from the field, and Shuja-Ud-Daulah had no option but to give up on the English.
- Two crucial treaties were signed after the battle. Robert Clive signed them with Shah Alam II and Shuja-Ud-Daulah. They were called the Treaty of Allahabad (1765).
- Under the first treaty, Shuja-Ud-Daulah was forced to surrender Allahabad and Kara to Shah Alam II and ordered to pay Rs 50 lakh as a war indemnity to East India Company. Second, Shah Alam-II was forced to live under the Company’s protection and the Mughal emperor had to issue a Farman granting the Company the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.
The Battle of Buxar–Cementing British Power in the Indian Subcontinent:
- In this battle, the British gave a stunning defeat to the combined forces of the Bengal Nawabs and the Mughal Empire. By winning it, the British became a significant power in the region. At the end of this combat, the East India Company attained full authority over the Awadh and Mughal Empires and became a strong political power.
- One of the major reasons why the battle is important in India’s history is because it brought the independent Nawab rule to an end. This happened as Mir Qasim was defeated. The fight also led to the grant of Diwani to the British East India Company by Shah Alam II, the Mughal Emperor.
- But most importantly, the battle of Buxar revealed the loopholes apparent in the Indian force. It was the single most significant factor that led the British to defeat the native forces. The battle is widely seen as the initial step of the British power in establishing their rule over the entire Indian subcontinent.
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FAQs on the Battle of Buxar 1764
Q 1. Who won the Battle of Buxar?
Answer-
The British East India Company won the battle against the joint armies of Mir Qasim.
Q 2. When was the battle of Buxar fought?
Answer-
The Battle of Buxar was fought on October 22, 1764.
Q 3. Who fought the Battle of Buxar in 1764?
Answer-
The Battle of Buxar in 1764, was fought between British East India Company which was led by Major Hector Munro and the combined forces of Nawab of Bengal Shuja-ud-Daula and the Nawab of Awadh, Mir Qasim, and the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II.
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