Essay on the The Battle of Buxar (1764 AD)

The Battle of Buxar was significant event in the rise of British rule in India. The foundation of the British Empire in India which was led by Clive at Plassey was strengthened at Buxar. The Battle of Buxar was the outcome of the clash between the British and Mir Kasim, the Nawab of Bengal.

Mir Kasim was the most efficient of all Nawabs of Bengal from 1756 onwards. He suppressed the rebellious zamindars of Bengal and Bihar, who had challenged the authority of the Nawab. Unlike his predecessor Mir Jafar, he always tried to maintain his position and dignity by keeping himself away from the British influence. For that purpose he transferred his capital from Murshidabad to Monghyr.

To satisfy his ego and vanity he liked to inaugurate his new regime at a new place where there would be none to interfere in his activities as a Nawab. To strengthen his power he organized his army in the same way as the Europeans did. He made arrangements for the manufacture of fire arms at Monghyr with a view to equipping his army adequately. He wanted to remain at a safe distance from Calcutta so that there would be less of supervision and interference from the British authority. He wanted to develop an army with a view to overthrowing the power of British. This attitude of Mir Kasim incurred displeasure of the British.

The matter came to a crisis when Mir Kasim wanted to put an end to all private trade. The company had been granted the privilege of free sea-borne trade by an imperial Farman in 1717. But after 1756, the servants of the company also illegally claimed the same privilege for their private trade mainly in salt and betel leaves. Because of this extensive private trade of the servants of the company, the Nawab had to suffer the loss of huge amount of revenue. Mir Kasim decided to stop it by taking drastic action. Under instructions, from the Nawab, his officers in the district began to seize the boats belonging to the English merchants in spite of their having Dastaks with them.

These English merchants were forced to pay taxes to the Nawab the Nawab ultimately abolished the system of Dastak and the transit duties which put the Indian and English traders on equal footing. This created fury among the English. They carried the matter immediately to Vansittart, the then governor of Bengal. The governor violently reached to this kind of measure of Mir Kasim.

Mir Kasim took few other measures which hampered the interest of the English merchants in India. He immediately increased the number of customs stations in the country with a view to checking the private trade of the English. New stations were established in places were there was none before. He increased the number of soldiers stationed in the Chaukis to stop the English boats effectively. He also instructed the local Amils to strike off all kinds of commercial relations with the East India Company. All these measures led to huge financial loss to the company.

The officials of the East India Company tried their best to put a check upon the anti-British activities of the Nawab which was not at all appreciated by the latter. Mir Kasim wanted to rule independently. Virtually a quarrel started between the English and the Nawab when their servants began to hurl abuses on each other. A meeting between the Nawab and the governor of Bengal was arranged in 1762 at Monghyr to discuss over the differences. But nothing could Bengal done to pacify the situation. The Nawab was unhappy about the illegal trade of the Company’s servants and governor was unhappy about Nawab’s interference in the activities of the company.

The measures of Mir Kasim infuriated the British authority in Bengal. Mr. Ellis, the English agent at Patna got furious with Mir Kasim and as a mark of protest he occupied at Patna. This was sufficient provocation for Mir Kasim. He immediately launched an attack against Ellis who was defeated and made a prisoner in the hands of Mir Kasim. At this, the English launched a counter attack against Mir Kasim who was defeated in three successive battles at Katwa, Gheria and Udaynal.

To avenge this defeat Mir Kasim ordered a general massacre of all the English prisoners of Patna. There after he fled to Oudh to make a common cause with Shuja-ud-daula, the Nawab of Oudh, and the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam. These three people formed a confederacy against the British. After the flight of Mir Kasim that English immediately placed the aged Mir Jafar on the throne of Bengal.

Events of the Battle of Buxar of Brtish Rule

Shuja-ud-daula, the Nawab of Oudh, wanted very much to destroy the English supremacy in Bengal. But he could not venture to attack the English settlements side he felt more encouraged. Before Mir Kasim went to Oudh, Shah Alam, the titular Mughal Emperor had already taken refuge in the court of Nawab Shuja-ud-daula. He had already promised the Nawab a great financial assistance in case of a war between the Nawab and the English.

Now the three disgruntled, rulers such as a Shula-ud-daula, Shah Alam and Mir Kasim, united together with a firm conviction to defeat the English. They combined declared war against the English in 1764.

Their combined army met the British forces under the command of Major Munro at Buxar on 22^nd October 1764. Major Munro inflicted a crushing defeat on their combined forces. Mir Kasim fled to the North-West and died. Shah Alam left the cause of Shuja-ud-daula and found shelter in the British camp. Shuja-ud-daula fought until 1765 when he was completely defeated and sued for peace.