Plassey Battlefield Monument

The Plassey Battlefield Monument stands at Palashi in Nadia district, West Bengal, beside the Bhagirathi River, and marks the site of the Battle of Plassey fought on 23 June 1757. The battle pitted the East India Company's force of about 3,000 men under Robert Clive against the army of Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah of Bengal, which was many times larger. The Nawab's army was weakened by the betrayal of its commander Mir Jafar, who had agreed in secret with Clive to stand aside, and by monsoon rain that spoiled the Nawab's gunpowder. Siraj-ud-Daulah fled and was killed shortly afterwards, and Mir Jafar was installed as Nawab. The Company gained the right to collect taxes and effectively controlled Bengal, a base from which it expanded across India. The monument is a tall obelisk raised by the British in the 19th century, with an inscription recording the date of the battle and the fallen soldiers. Nearby are the remains of the mango grove, called Lakshabagh, where the Company camped, and the river has shifted its course and eroded part of the original field. The area also contains a small memorial to Mir Madan, an officer of the Nawab killed in the fighting, and a few cannon pieces. The site is maintained by state and central authorities and is modest, with a lawn, boundary wall and a small information board. The memorial is quiet and rural, set among farmland, and there is no museum on the grounds. It draws history students and visitors travelling between Kolkata and Murshidabad.