English
Ops may resentment of Mir Jafar (who had been disgraced and kM ^em the dire of generalissimo) and of Ghnsiti Begam (who had been obliged to Office of generaus, tliat „ h . had hidden), hnt the disloy^ Srtrf Dnlab Bam, J.gat Set, Bam Narain, B.jabHah and other Hm 371 to Calcutta, asking the English troops to be sent. Attiir BBg, 1 by indulging in various assurances, induced the English Chiefs to seems to be a riddle, in view of the fact that in the distribution of State Pat¬ ronage, Siraju-d-daulah had adopted nn extremely pro-Hindu policy, and thnt it was Siraja-d-daulah’a elevation of an obscure Hindu, named Mohanlal, t6 the highest civil State office that to a great extent alienated from the Nawab the sympathies of his Musalman adherents, who would huvo perhaps other¬ wise stood by him in this orisis (See Ibrat-i-Arbab-i-Bafr, p. 28.) I This Amir Beg is mentioned in the Seir as having conducted some English ladies honourably to Mr. Drake’s ship, after Sirijn-d-daulah’B capture of Cal¬ cutta. Amir Beg, in consequence, enjoyed the confidence of the English. See note ante. On Mons. Las's departnre, Mir Jafar worked more vigorously ih pursuance of his conspiracy, ond indoced the English to give Mir Jafar their snpport, and to fight on his side. To instigate the English to join hts con¬ spiracy, Mi. Jafar sent to Calcutta to Clive his agent, Mirza Amir Beg. Mir Jafur also sent to Clive through the above Mirza a Manifesto, purporting to bear the seals of some noblemen and officers of Bengal, recounting their grievance*, real or fancied, against Sirlju-d-daulah, and inviting the English to deliver them from the Nawab Jaget Set instructed his Caloutta Agent, Atom ( known popularly as Omiohaod>, to work in the same direction, whilst Dulab Ham also instructed his agent to infloenoe the English in the same direction. Mir Jafar wrote to Clive that the latter had only to make a mot© With his English troops, when all the fighting would be done by Uir Jafar and his felbw-oonspirators, whilst three crores of rupees would be presented to Clive for this servioe. Clive yielded to Mir Jafar’s importunities and ad- vanoed towards Palis! (Plassey). (See Sstru-MTutoflertn, y 0 |. II, p. 837). In regard to these events, IhriM-i-Manturi may also be referred to. Profesao* Bloohmanu gives some notes from the Tarikh-i-Mansuri in Journal of the Asia¬ tic Society, Part I, No. II, of 1867. These notes mention that “ Chandernagord fell into the hands of Clive and Watson through the treachery of a French officer, named Tarraneau, who harboured a grudge ngainst tho Frenoh Gover¬ nor of OhaodeniHgore, named M. Renault (p. 88, J.A.S. referred to above) and that after the fall of Ohandernagore, Mons. Las, a French officer, beoame an attendant at the Court of the Nawab Sirajn-d-danlah, for whom he fitted out a detachment by the name of Telinga. To this the English objected, say. nig that according to the reoent treaty of peace, the friends and enemies of the Euglish were to bo regarded as friends and enemies of the Nawab, and the friends and euomios of the Nawab were to be regarded as friends and enemies of the English. After some correspondence, the Nawab sent away from Murshidabad Mons. Las to humour Olive. At this time (1757), Clive built tho present Fort William and a Mint in Caloutta, without waiting for permission of the Nawab. A few letters written by Siraju-d-daulsh to M. Busay, in the Dakhin, had been intercepted by the English, and Siroju-d-daulah was ac- cased of breach of faith. The wrath of the Nawab at the crooked deal. iug and Blow but steady advauoo of these foreigner* increased daily. Mt. 372 set out from Calcutta and to march to Palasi (Plassey). When the moment for action had passed, Siraju-d-daulah on hearing the Watts, the English Resident at Morshidabnd, was threatened. The Nawab went so far ns to tear up a letter which Col. Clive had written to him. . Soon after, however, from fear of his false courtiers and want of confidence in his own army, he tried to pacify Mr. Watts by a Khilat, and wrote an excuse to Clive. But Clive had already flung himself into the conspiracy headed by Mir Jafar, to dethrone Siraju-d-daulah. According to the Tarikh-i-Mansuri, the conspiracy was planned by Mir Muhammad Jafar, Aminchand Rnura (gene¬ rally called Omichand) and Khwajah Vizier, but according to the Setru-l- Mutakherin, by Mir Muhammad Jafar, Rajah Dulab Ram and Jngat Set, who had each their agents in Calcutta. (See quotation from Seir given by me already in this note). Clive treated with the conspirators through Mr. Watts. The author then gives a description of Clive's doable deulings with Aminchand (Omichand) as given in all histories of Bengal.” “Early iu June 1757, Clive left Calcutta, reached on the 17th the small town of Katwah, south of Plassey, and took possession of the fort of that place. On the 21st June, 4 p.m., Clive left Katwah, crossed the Hugli, and pitched his tents on the morning of the 23rd, in the fields of Plassey. The Nawab 8 army was now in sight. A cannonade commenced. The English attacked the tents of Siraju-d-daulah, but were vigorously opposed by Mir Madan (call¬ ed Moodum Khan in Thornton, Vol. I, p. 240), one of the Nawab’s faithful a mtr. About 12 o’clock Mir Madan was struck by a cannon-ball and carried to Siraju-d-daulah’s tent, where he died. The fighting was, however, continu¬ ed, Mohanlal having taken Mir Madan’s place. But nothing decisive was done. Afraid of a conspiracy Siraju-d-daulah sent for Mir Jafar, who had taken no part in the fight. After most earnest solicitations on the part of the Nawob, Mir Jafar promised to fight the next day, on condition that Mohanlal should be at once ordered to withdraw from the fight. Sirnju-d-daulah agreed, and Mohanlal returned to his tents. But no sooner did the troops see their General had left the field than they became hopeless and began to flee. Before evening, the army of the Nawab had dispersed. This is the battle in which India was lost for Islam.” See Blochmann’s notes from the Tqn4S-" Mansuri referred to above. The Seiru'l-Mutakherxn’s explanation regarding (p. 637, Vol. II), Olive breach of the treaty with Sirnju-d-daulah is apologetic in tone. The 8eir states that the English had joined Mir Jafar’s conspiracy, but as this wise race do not, without some substantial reason, engage in hostilities, or brea treaties, they must have entered into some correspondence with the Nawa , and advanced some good reason (of which the author was not aware) for breaking the treaty of peace. Possibly the reason was found in.the delay m the payment of the Nawab’s indemnity on account of the losses sustame bv the English during the capture of Calcutta by Siraju-d-daulah. I will now summarise the description of the battle of Plassey from the 373 news of the advance of the English troops, marched out of the City. Now taking oat the cotton of recklessness from the ear, Seirtt-l-Muta^erin (Vol. II, p. 638). On hearing of Clive’s movement, Siriju- d-daulah tried to conciliate his disaffected officers, who outwardly professed loyalty to him, but inwardly plotted his ruin. Siraju-d-daulah sent Rnjali Dulab Bam fthe traitor) ahead to Plassoy, to supervise the construction of redoubts and entrenchments, and shortly after moved np there himself, with his faithful officers, Mir Madnnand Mohanlal and with the traitor, Mir Jafar. Clivealso moved to Plassey with a small number of English TeleDgi troops, num¬ bering about 2,000 in all. Clive oommenced the battle with a brisk cannonade, whilst Mir Jofnr stood by at a distance and watched the game. Mir Madan fought bravely til! about 3 p m., and Bteadily advanced with Mohanlal close to CliveVposition. Seeing Mir Madan’sgallantry, Clive, it is said, was dispirited and repronched Omichand for having fulsely assured him that everyone was disaffected against the Nawab, and that no one would fight for the latter. As lock would however have it, at this timo Mir Madan was hit by a cannon¬ ball and wus removed to Siraju-d-daulah’s tent, where he died. Sirijn-d- daulah now becoming anxious sent for Mir Jafar, beseeched the latter to fight ou his behalf, and even placed his turban before the latter, and addressed this arch-traitor as follows : “ I now repent of my deeds, and in the name of re¬ lationship that you bear to me, and in the name of the bounties that you received from my grandfather, Mahabat Jang, I entreat you to defend my life and honour.” The pathetic appeal did not move the heart of this arch- traitor who still harboured his treacherous designs under the mask of friend, ship and who returned the following false answer : “ To-day is at its close, and the timo for fnrther fighting to-day is over. To-day, order the battle to cease ; to-morrow I will fight for you with the whole army." Sirnju-d-daulah fell into Mir Jafar’s trap, and sent a message to his Diwan, Mohanlal, who was continuing the fight after Mir Madan’s fall, to return. Mohanlal said there was no timo to return now, as he was in the thick of the fight, which would finally decide the fate. Sirajn-d-danlah consulted Mir Jafar, who cunningly repeated his former treacherous advice, and in oonsequenoe Mohanlal was summoned back. Mohanlal’s return had a disastrous effect on Siraju-d-dnulah’s army, who dispersed in nil directions. Siraju-d-dnnlah then returned swiftly to Murshidabad, halted for some time at Mansurganj, but found he was surround- ed ou all sides by false courtiers and traitors. So he left with his Begams and gold for Bhagwangolah, whence on boats he sailed for Azimabad sending at the same time a letter to Mons. Las to join him. Before Las’s arrival, Sireju-d-danlah was on his way to Patna.