Bengal: Plassey to Buxar

Abuse of Trade Privileges
Farukhsiyar's farman granted free trading rights only to the Company, not its officials.
Company officials engaged in private trade without paying duties, causing revenue loss.
Successive Nawabs – Murshid Quli Khan, Alivardi Khan, Siraj-ud-Daulah – were antagonized.

• The Company began constructing new fortifications in Calcutta without permission.
• Siraj-ud-Daulah ordered dismantling; the Company refused.
• 1756: Siraj drove out the British from Calcutta.
• Black Hole Incident: Alleged imprisonment of 146 English persons; 123 died of suffocation.

British Regroup and Conspiracy
Robert Clive arrived with reinforcements from Madras.
Formed alliances with Mir Jafar, Rai Durlabh, Jagat Seth, and Omichand—traitors to the Nawab.

Decisive Victory
June 1757: Clive's 3,000 troops defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah's 50,000-strong army at Plassey.
Siraj-ud-Daulah was captured and killed.
Mir Jafar installed as the new Nawab of Bengal.

Consequences
British emerged as king-makers with far-reaching implications.
Mir Jafar granted the British large sums of money and zamindari of 24 parganas.
English sovereignty over Calcutta was recognized.
A British resident was posted at the Nawab's court.

Mir Jafar's Downfall
Failed to meet the Company's financial demands.
Interfered with by the British; couldn't make regular payments.
Attempted to ally with the Dutch but was defeated in the Battle of Bidara (1759).
Replaced by Mir Kasim as Nawab.

Mir Kasim's Reforms and Conflict
Ceded Burdwan, Midnapur, Chittagong to the British.
Paid ₹5 lakh for British wars.
Shifted capital to Munger to distance from British control.
Filled bureaucracy with his own men; remodeled the army.
Conflict arose due to misuse of trade privileges by Company officials.
Mir Kasim waged war against the Company.

Alliance Against the British
Mir Kasim, Shuja-ud-Daulah (Nawab of Awadh), and Shah Alam II (Mughal Emperor) united to oust the British.
Despite preparations, they were defeated by the British.

Significant Outcomes
Mir Jafar reinstated as Nawab.
Midnapore, Burdwan, and Chittagong given to the British for army maintenance.
British power in Northern India became unchallengeable.
Nawabs became puppets; the Mughal Emperor a pensioner.
Opened the path to Delhi for British expansion.

With Nawab of Awadh
Surrendered Allahabad and Kara to Shah Alam II.
Paid ₹50 lakh as war indemnity.
Granted Balwant Singh full possession of his estate.

With Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II
Resided at Allahabad.
Issued a farman granting the Company diwani rights over Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha.
Company paid an annual tribute of ₹26 lakh.

Implementation
Robert Clive introduced the dual system—joint rule by the Company and the Nawab.
Company controlled both diwani (revenue collection) and nizamat (administration).
Exercised diwani rights through the farman from Shah Alam II.
Controlled nizamat by nominating the deputy Subahdar.

• Led to administrative breakdown and public suffering.
• Neither the Company nor the Nawab focused on governance or welfare.
• 1770: A devastating famine struck Bengal.
• 1772: Warren Hastings abolished the dual system.

The East India Company created the post of Deputy Governor to administer Bihar.
Robert Clive appointed Shitab Rai as Naib (Deputy) Diwan of Bihar.
The general administration of Bihar was left in charge of the Council.
In 1770, a 'Revenue Council of Patna' was constituted; it was later replaced by the position of 'Revenue Chief of Bihar' in 1781.

In 1783, when famine struck Bihar, Warren Hastings, the then Governor-General of Bengal, ordered the construction of the Golghar—a dome-shaped massive granary in Patna.
The Golghar was designed by John Garstin and completed on 28th July, 1786 to cope with famines.