Battle of Buxar – Significance, Causes and Aftermath

The British East India Company, led by Hector Munro, and the armies of Shah Alam II of the Mughal Empire, Shuja-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Awadh, and Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal until 1764, engaged in combat in the Battle of Buxar in 1764. It was a difficult win for the British East India Company in the war that took place at Buxar, which is located on the banks of the Ganga river about 130 kilometers west of Patna. The Treaty of Allahabad, which was signed in 1765, put an end to the conflict.

Background

One additional engagement was fought before the Battle of Buxar. The Battle of Plassey gave the British a solid foothold in the Bengal region. As a result of the Battle of Plassey, Mir Jafar succeeded Siraj-Ud-Daulah as the Nawab of Bengal. The British used Mir Jafar as their puppet once he was elected the new Bengal nawab, but Mir Jafar ended up working for the Dutch East India Company. The British encouraged Mir Qasim, Mir Jafar’s son-in-law, to take over as the new Nawab, and Mir Jafar ultimately opted to step down in favor of Mir Qasim under pressure from the Company. For Mir Jafar, a pension of Rs. 1,500 was established annually.

Course of Battle

When the conflict started in 1763, the English won in Katwa, Murshidabad, Giria, Sooty, and Munger. Mir Qasim went to Awadh, where he joined forces with Shah Alam II of the Mughal Empire and Shuja-Ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Awadh. Mir Qasim desired the English to leave Bengal alone. The following occurred:

1. To Oudh, Mir Qasim eloped.
2. In a last-ditch effort to drive the English out of Bengal, he proposed a confederacy with Shuja-Ud-Daula and Shah Alam II.
3. In 1764, Major Munro’s English army men clashed with those of Mir Qasim.
4. The British were victorious over the combined army of Mir Qasim.
5. The other two submitted to the English forces while Mir Qasim fled the conflict.
6. With the Treaty of Allahabad in 1765, the Battle of Buxar came to a conclusion.

Aftermath

1. The battle was won by Major Hector Munro, and it was lost by Mir Qasim, Shuja-Ud-Daula, and Shah Alam-II.
2. In northern India, English became to be a powerful force.
3. Midnapore, Burdwan, and Chittagong districts were given to the English for the upkeep of their army by Mir Jafar (Nawab of Bengal).
4. With the exception of a 2% salt tariff, the English were likewise allowed to trade duty-free in Bengal.
5. After Mir Jafar passed away, his young son Najm ud-Daulah was named nawab, but the true power of administration remained in the hands of the naib-subahdar, who was subject to English appointment or removal.
6. In the Treaty of Allahabad, Clive reached political agreements with Shuja-Ud-Daula of Awadh and Emperor Shah Alam II.

Significance of the battle

The British were crowned kings of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa as a result of their victory at the Battle of Buxar. They gained political sway and authority over Awadh and the Mughal emperor as a result. As a result, it established the framework for British control in India. The Battle of Buxar “deserves considerably more credit than the Battle of Plassey as the start of the British supremacy in India,” in the words of Sir James Stephen.

Sample Questions

Question 1: What attracted European trading companies to India?

Answer:

The trade with India presented enormous prospects to the European businesses. They might import things from India at a lower cost and resell them in Europe for more money. They were drawn to India by this opportunity.

Question 2: How did the assumption of Diwani benefit the East India Company?

Answer:

1. The Diwani gave the Company access to Bengal’s enormous revenue streams.
2. The Company stopped exporting the gold and silver it had imported to pay for commodities in India.
3. The income from Bengal could now be used to pay for the construction of the Company fort and offices in Calcutta, as well as to maintain Company troops and buy cotton and silk fabrics in India.

Question 3: Explain the system of “subsidiary alliance”.

Answer:

The subsidiary alliance forbade the rulers of India from having their own independent armed forces. The Company was supposed to safeguard the rulers, but a fee was required. The Indian kings were threatened with losing some of their territory as punishment if they didn’t make the payment.