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Robert Clive

Project Work of Legal History On Robert Clive

Submitted To:Dr. Priyadarshni Faculty of History

Submitted By: ANKIT ANAND Roll No. 916 1st Year B.A. LL.B. (Hons)

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude and deep regards to my guide Dr. Priyadarshni for his exemplary guidance, monitoring and constant encouragement throughout the course of this research. The blessing, help and guidance given by him time to time shall carry me a long way in the journey of life on which I am about to embark. I also take this opportunity to express a deep sense of gratitude to Dr Priyadarshni for providing me this research topic and for her cordial support, valuable information and guidance, which helped me in completing this task through various stages. Lastly, I thank almighty, my parents, brother and friends for their constant encouragement without which this assignment would not be possible.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction.........................................................................................................4 Aims and Objectives...........................................................................................4 Research Methodology.......................................................................................5 Personal Life of Robert Clive.............................................................................5 Journey to India.............................................................................................6-27 Battle of plassey..........................................................................................17-21

Clive Administrative Reforms.....................................................................27-29 Retirement and achievement.......................................................................29-31

Conclusion.................................................................................................31-33

Bibliography..................................................................................................35

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Introduction
The foundations of the British empire in India were, it is said, laid by Robert Clive, known to his admirers as the "conqueror of India". Clive first arrived in India in 1743 as a civil servant of the East India Company; he later transferred to the military service of the Company and returned to England in 1753, where he able to follow a comfortable life-style. But his penchant for extravagance and ostentatious displays of wealth, just as much as his electoral loss in his attempt to gain a seat in the House of Commons, opened him to the attacks of his creditors and political opponents. Meanwhile, in Bengal, where the British and the French were contesting for supremacy, the Company required the services of an able commander. Clive was eager to return to India; and soon the summons came. He arrived in India in 1756 and at once secured the British forces in Madras. He then moved to Calcutta, which had been captured by the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-daulah, and early in 1757 he recaptured Bengal. Later that year, on June 23rd, he defeated the Nawab, largely by means of bribes, at the socalled "Battle of Plassey".

Aims and Objectives:(1) Try to know the concept of Acceptance. (2) Try to know different and modes of Acceptance. (3) Try to know conditional acceptance. (4) Try to know Counter offer. (5) Try to know how to do a conditional acceptance. (6) Try to know the essentials of Acceptance.

Research Methodology:This project is based mainly and heavily on written text material. It is based on the doctrinal method of research. The segments are structured and written actively. The writing style is

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descriptive as well as analytical. This project has been done after a thorough research based upon intrinsic and extrinsic aspect of the assigned topic. The doctrinal method in this research paper refers to various books, articles, news paper, magazine, Dictionary and political review. In this research paper, the researcher will only use Doctrinal method.

Personal Life of Robert Clive:Robert Clive was born at Styche, the Clive family estate, near Market Drayton in Shropshire, on 25 September 1725 to Richard Clive and Rebecca Gaskell Clive.1 The family had held the small estate since the time of Henry VII. The family had a lengthy history of public service: members of the family included an Irish chancellor of the exchequer under Henry VIII, and a member of the Long Parliament. Robert's father who supplemented the estate's modest income as a lawyer, also served in Parliament for many years, representing Montgomeryshire.2 Robert was their eldest son of thirteen children; he had seven sisters and five brothers, six of whom died in infancy.3 Clive's father was known to have a temper, which the boy apparently inherited. For reasons that have not been documented, Clive was sent to live with his mother's sister in Manchester while still a toddler. Biographer Robert Harvey suggests that this move was made because Clive's father was busy in London trying to provide for the family. 4 Daniel Bayley, the sister's husband, reported that the boy was "out of measure addicted to fighting".5He was a regular troublemaker in the schools he was sent to (and may have been expelled from).6 When he was older he and a gang of teenagers established a protection racket that vandalised the shops of uncooperative merchants in Market Drayton. 7 Clive also exhibited fearlessness at an early age. He is reputed to have climbed the tower of St. Mary's Parish Church in Market Drayton and perched on a gargoyle, frightening those down below.8

1 2

Arbuthnot, p.1 th Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Clive, Robert Clive. Baron. Encyclopedia Britannica (11 edition). Cambridge University Press. 3 Harvey (1998), p. 11 4 Harvey (1998), p. 10 5 Malleson, p.9 6 Malleson, p.10 7 Malleson, p.9 8 Treasure, p.196

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When Clive was nine his aunt died, and, after a brief stint in his father's cramped London quarters, he returned to Shropshire. There he attended the Market Drayton Grammar School, where his unruly behavior (and improvement in the family's fortunes) prompted his father to send him to Merchant Taylors' School in London. His bad behavior continued, and he was then sent to a trade school in Hertfordshire to complete a basic education.9 Despite his early lack of scholarship, in his later years he devoted himself to improving his education. He eventually developed a distinctive writing style, by the time he was eighteen his father was able to find him a job with the East India Company as a writer. This was quite a prestigious position in view of the money making potential that opened up to a young man posted to India. and a speech in the House of Commons was described by William Pitt as the most eloquent he had ever heard.10

Journey to India:First journey to India (17441753) In 1744 Clive's father acquired for him a position as a "factor" or "writer" in the service of the East India Company, and Clive set sail for India. After running aground on the coast of Brazil, his ship was detained for nine months while repairs were completed. This enabled him to learn some Portuguese,11 a language then in common use in India. At this time the East India Company had a small settlement at Fort St. George near the village of Madraspatnam, now the major Indian metropolis of Chennai,12 in addition to others at Calcutta, Bombay, and Cuddalore.13 Clive arrived at Fort St. George in June 1744, and spent the next two years working as little more than a glorified assistant shopkeeper, tallying books and arguing with suppliers of the East India Company over the quality and quantity of their wares. He was given access to the governor's library, where he became a prolific reader.14

Harvey (1998), p. 11 th Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Clive, Robert Clive. Baron. Encyclopedia Britannica (11 edition). Cambridge University Press
10

11

Harvey (1998), pp. 1821

12 13

Harvey (1998), pp. 20-24 Harvey (1998), pp. 30 Harvey (1998), pp. 24-29

14

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Political situation in south India

The India Clive arrived in was divided into a number of successor states to the Mughal Empire. Over the forty years since the death of the Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707, the power of the emperor had gradually fallen into the hands of his provincial viceroys or soobedars. The dominant rulers on the Coromandel Coast were the Nizam of Hyderabad, Asaf Jah I, and the Nawab of the Carnatic, Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan. The nawab nominally owed fealty to the nizam, but in many respects acted independently. Fort St. George and the French trading post at Pondicherry were both located in the nawab's territory.15 The relationship between the Europeans in India was influenced by a series of wars and treaties on mainland Europe, and by competing commercial rivalry for trade on the subcontinent. Through the 17th and early 18th centuries, the French, Dutch, Portuguese, and English had vied for control of various trading posts, and for trading rights and favour with local Indian rulers. The European merchant companies raised bodies of troops to protect their commercial interests and latterly to influence local politics to their advantage. Military power was rapidly becoming as important as commercial acumen in securing India's valuable trade, and increasingly it was used to appropriate territory and to collect land revenue.16

Carnatic War17

The Carnatic Wars were a series of battles, primarily between the British and French, for control of the trading ports of India during the years 1746 to 1763. These wars, however, were complicated by a number of factors which makes their progress somewhat difficult to follow. First of all, the period during which they were fought spanned two European wars, namely the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-48), and the Seven Year's War(1756-1763). The First and Third Carnatic Wars were essentially the Indian Colonial front in these two international wars.

15

Malleson, pp 16-32

16

Harvey (1998), pp. 29-30

17

Story of Lord Clive by John Lang

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Secondly, the agencies which were in charge of the colonial posts were trading companies, who had their own soldiers, but cooperated with the military of the home country. They also formed alliances with various native princes, and these alliances changed somewhat over the years. Since it was always possible for the French and British to fight each other by attaching themselves to whatever war was currently being fought between native princes, there was not necessarily a lull in hostilities even when Britain and France were officially at peace. The battles fought in the interim period between the two international wars are referred to as the Second Carnatic war, and were presumably driven by rows between native princes, although the European powers with whom they had aligned themselves, took leadership of many of the battles. Third, the political situation in India was highly unsettled at the time of the Carnatic wars. The Moghul empire had broken up, and various native Indian factions were vying for control of territory. The European trading companies had operated for over 150 years under the Moghul empire without territory disputes, but the break-up of a unified empire on the sub-continent opened up India to all forms of imperial aggression. The desire of the native princes to acquire western armaments in their battles with each other, played directly into the hands of various western imperialists who sought to increase colonial influence in the region. The Carnatic wars were driven by opportunism on all sides, and though the native princes had no idea of surrendering their territory to an outside power, they often cooperated willingly with Europeans in order to gain access to western arms and improve their own position.

FIRST CARNATIC WAR, A.K.A. "WAR OF AUSTRIAN SUCCESSION" IN INDIA : 1746-1748

The primary French trading station in the Carnatic region was at Pondicherry. The primary British station was at Madras. While France and Britain were at peace, the commanders of the forts were on friendly terms, but when war broke out, they prepared for battle. The Indian prince tried to avert war between the two forts, but the French defied his orders, captured Madras, and took the entire garrison prisoner. Later on, several of the English prisoners, including Clive, escaped and took refuge in another fort, where they awaited reinforcements from Britain, and then joined in an attack on

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Pondicherry. The siege of Pondicherry was not successful, but peace between the two countries was soon declared, and Madras was returned to the British.

Tanjore expedition

The end of war between France and Britain did not, however, end hostilities in India. Even before news of the peace arrived in India, the British had sent an expedition to Tanjore on behalf of a claimant to its throne. This expedition, on which Clive, now promoted to lieutenant, served as a volunteer, was a disastrous failure. Monsoons ravaged the land forces, and the local support claimed by their client was not in evidence. The ignominious retreat of the British force (which lost its baggage train to the pursuing Tanjorean army while crossing a swollen river) was a blow to the British reputation.18Major Lawrence, seeking to recover the British reputation, led the entire Madras garrison to Tanjore in response. At the fort of Devikottai on the Coleroon River the British force was confronted by the much larger Tanjorean army. Lawrence gave Clive command of 30 British soldiers and 700 sepoys, with orders to lead the assault on the fort. Clive led this force rapidly across the river and toward the fort, where the small British unit became separated from the sepoys and were enveloped by the Tanjorean cavalry. Clive was nearly cut down and the beachhead almost lost before reinforcements sent by Lawrence arrived to save the day. The daring move by Clive had an important consequence: the Tanjoreans abandoned the fort, which the British triumphantly occupied. The success prompted the Tanjorean rajah to open peace talks, which resulted in the British being awarded Devikottai and the costs of their expedition, and the British client was awarded a pension in exchange for renouncing his claim. Lawrence wrote of Clive's action that "he behaved in courage and in judgment much beyond what could be expected from his years."19 On the expedition's return the process of restoring Madras was completed. Company officials, concerned about the cost of the military, slashed its size, denying Clive a promotion to captain in the process. Lawrence procured for Clive a position as the commissary at Fort

18 19

Harvey (1998), p.46 Harvey (1998), pp. 46-47

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St. George, a potentially lucrative posting (its pay included commissions on all supply contracts).20

SECOND CARNATIC WAR : 1749-1754

The second Carnatic war was started due to an ongoing battle between several native princes. To briefly summarize a very complicated situation, the Moghul empire, which had reigned in India for 200 years under a largely Moslem government was breaking up and losing influence. Hindu princes were everywhere anxious to wrest power for themselves from the crumbling empire. Dupleix, The governor of the French trading had formed elaborate plans for increasing French influence in the region by making alliances with some of the up-and-coming Hindu Princes, in this case, Muzzaffar Jang and Chundra Sahib. Britain naturally took the side in opposition to the French, and supported the Moslem princes, in this case, Mohammad Ali. The war opened as Chundra and Muzzaffar, with their French allies, defeated the Nawab of Carnatic at Ambur. They later besieged Trichinopoli where their rival had taken refuge. The case was nearly hopeless when Clive, who had played a very minor role in the wars up until this point devised a radical plan for saving Trichinopoli by attacking Arcot, the nearly deserted capital of Chundra Sahib. The desperate plan worked brilliantlyTrichinopoli was relieved, the French were dealt an unexpected setback, and Clive made a name for himself. In the following year Clive won several other dramatic victories for the British and foiled Dupleix at every turn. Eventually Britain's name became great among the native princes and even some of the Marathas, which was the largest Hindu confederacy in the region, decided to thrown in its lot with Britain. The second Carnatic War was finally concluded in 1754 when Mohammad Ali, the Nawab that the British had supported, was recognized by all parties at the legitimate ruler of the Carnatic. The ruling family, which was also related to the Nizam of

20

Harvey (1998), pp. 47-48

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Hyderabad, were thereafter powerful allies of the British. As a result of these defeats, Dupleix was recalled to France in disgrace

Robert Clive was not in southern India for many of these events. In 1750 Clive was afflicted with some sort of nervous disorder, and was sent north to Bengal to recuperate. 21 It was there that he met and befriended Robert Orme, who became his principal chronicler and biographer. He returned to Madras in 1751.

Siege of Arcot
In the summer of 1751, Chanda Sahib left Arcot to besiege Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah at Trichinopoly. This placed the British at Madras in a precarious position, since the latter was the last of their major allies in the area. The British company's military was also in some disarray, as Stringer Lawrence had returned to England in 1750 over a pay dispute, and much of the company was apathetic about the dangers the expanding French influence and declining British influence posed. The weakness of the British military command was exposed when a force was sent from Madras to support Muhammed Ali at Trichinopoly, but its commander, a Swiss mercenary, refused to attack an outpost at Valikondapuram. Clive, who accompanied the force as commissary, was outraged at the decision to abandon the siege. He rode to Cuddalore, and offered his services to lead an attack on Arcot if he was given a captain's commission, arguing this would force Chanda Sahib to either abandon the siege of Trichinopoly or significantly reduce the force there. Madras and Fort St David could supply him with only 200 Europeans, 300 sepoys, and three small cannons; furthermore, of the eight officers who led them, four were civilians like Clive, and six had never been in action. Clive, hoping to surprise the small garrison at Arcot, made a series of forced marches, including some under extremely rainy conditions. Although he did fail to achieve surprise, the garrison, hearing of the march being made under such arduous conditions, opted to abandon the fort and town; Clive occupied Arcot without firing a shot.

21

"Clive, Robert". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 18851900. pp. 108110.

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The fort was a rambling structure with a dilapidated wall a mile long (too long for his small force to effectively man), and it was surrounded by the densely packed housing of the town. Its moat was shallow or dry, and some of its towers were insufficiently strong to use as artillery mounts. Clive did the best he could to prepare for the onslaught he expected. He made a foray against the fort's former garrison, encamped a few miles away, which had no significant effect. When the garrison was reinforced by 2,000 men Chanda Sahib sent from Trichinopoly it reoccupied the town on 15 September. That night Clive led most of his force out of the fort and launched a surprise attack on the besiegers. Because of the darkness, the besiegers had no idea how large Clive's force was, and it fled in panic. The next day Clive learned that heavy guns he had requested from Madras were approaching, so he sent most of his garrison out to escort them into the fort. That night the besiegers, who had spotted the movement, launched an attack on the fort. With only 70 men in the fort, Clive once again was able to disguise his small numbers, and sowed sufficient confusion against his enemies that multiple assaults against the fort were successfully repulsed. That morning the guns arrived, and Chanda Sahib's men again retreated. Over the next week Clive and his men worked feverishly to improve the defences, aware that another 4,000 men, led by Chanda Sahib's son Raza Sahib and accompanied by a small contingent of French troops, was on its way. (Most of these troops came from Pondicherry, not Trichinopoly, and thus did not have the effect Clive desired of raising that siege.) Clive was forced to reduce his garrison to about 300 men, sending the rest of his force to Madras in case the enemy army decided to go there instead. Raza Sahib arrived at Arcot, and on 23 September occupied the town. That night Clive launched a daring attack against the French artillery, seeking to capture their guns. The attack very nearly succeeded in its object, but was reversed when enemy sniper fire tore into the small British force. Clive himself was targeted on more than one occasion; one man pulled him down and was shot dead. The affair was a serious blow: 15 of Clive's men were killed, and another 15 wounded. Over the next month the besiegers slowly tightened their grips on the fort. Clive's men were subjected to frequent sniper attacks and disease, lowering the garrison size to 200. He was heartened to learn that some 6,000 Maratha forces had been convinced to come to his relief, but that they were awaiting payment before proceeding. The approach of this force prompted Raza Sahib to demand Clive's surrender; Clive's response was an immediate rejection, and he further insulted Raza Sahib by suggesting that he should reconsider sending his rabble of

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troops against a British-held position. The siege finally reached critical when Raza Sahib launched an all-out assault against the fort on 14 November. Clive's small force maintained its composure, and established killing fields outside the walls of the fort where the attackers sought to gain entry. Several hundred attackers were killed and many more wounded, while Clive's small force suffered only four British and two sepoy casualties. The historian Thomas Babington Macaulay wrote a century later of the siege: "... the commander who had to conduct the defence...was a young man of five and twenty, who had been bred as a book-keeper... Clive...had made his arrangements, and, exhausted by fatigue, had thrown himself on his bed. He was awakened by the alarm, and was instantly at his post.... After three desperate onsets, the besiegers retired behind the ditch. The struggle lasted about an hour...the garrison lost only five or six men."22 His conduct during the siege made Clive famous in Europe. The Prime Minister William Pitt the Elder described Clive, who had received no formal military training whatsoever, as the "heaven-born general", endorsing the generous appreciation of his early commander, Major Lawrence. The Court of Directors of the East India Company voted him a sword worth 700, which he refused to receive unless Lawrence was similarly honoured. Clive and Major Lawrence were able to bring the campaign to a successful conclusion. In 1754, the first of the provisional Carnatic treaties was signed between Thomas Saunders, the Company president at Madras, and Charles Godeheu, the French commander who displaced Dupleix. Mohammed Ali Khan Walajah was recognized as Nawab, and both nations agreed to equalize their possessions. When war again broke out in 1756, during Clive's absence in Bengal, the French obtained successes in the northern districts, and it was Mohammed Ali Khan Walajah's efforts which drove them from their settlements. The Treaty of Paris (1763) formally confirmed Mohammed Ali Khan Walajah as Nawab of the Carnatic. It was a result of this action and the increased British influence that in 1765 a firman (decree) came from the Emperor of Delhi, recognizing the British possessions in southern India.

22

Thomas Babington Macaulay, "Lord Clive," Essays (London), 1891, pp.51113 (First published in the Edinburgh Review, January 1840).

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He left Madras for home, after ten years' absence, early in 1753, but not before marrying Margaret Maskelyne, the sister of his friend Nevil Maskelyne who was afterwards well known as Astronomer Royal. Clive also briefly sat as Member of Parliament for the Cornwall rotten borough of St Michael's, which then returned two Members, from 1754 to 1755.23 He and his colleague,John Stephenson were later unseated by petition of their defeated

opponents, Richard Hussey and Simon Luttrell.

Second journey to India (17551760)

In July 1755, Clive returned to India24 to act as deputy governor of Fort St. David at Cuddalore. He arrived after having lost a considerable fortune en route, as the Doddington, the lead ship of his convoy, was wrecked near Port Elizabeth, losing a chest of gold coins belonging to Clive worth 33,000. Nearly 250 years later in 1998, illegally salvaged coins from Clive's treasure chest were offered for sale,25 and in 2002 a portion of the coins were given to the South African government after protracted legal wrangling. Clive, now promoted to lieutenant-colonel in the British Army, took part in the capture of the fortress of Gheriah, a stronghold of the Maratha Admiral Tuloji Angre. The action was led by Admiral James Watson and the English had several ships available, some Royal troops and some Maratha allies. The overwhelming strength of the joint British and Maratha forces ensured that the battle was won with few losses. A fleet surgeon, Edward Ives, noted that

23

Gibbs, Vicary (Editor) (1912). The Complete Peerage, Volume III. St Catherine's Press. p. 325

24

"Sailing Ship "Dodington" (history)". Dodington Family. Retrieved 10 July 2008.

25

Russell, Alec (9 October 1997). "South Africa seeks its share of Clive's treasure trove". The Telegraph. Retrieved 23 November 2008

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Clive refused to take any part of the treasure divided among the victorious forces as was custom at the time.26

The fall and recapture of Calcutta (175657)

Following this action Clive headed to his post at Fort St. David and it was there he received news of twin disasters for the English. Early in 1756, Siraj Ud Daulah had succeeded his grandfather Alivardi Khan as Nawab of Bengal. In June Clive received news that the new Nawab had attacked the English at Kasimbazar and shortly afterwards on 20 June he had taken the fort at Calcutta. The losses to the Company because of the fall of Calcutta were estimated by investors at 2,000,000. Those British who were captured were placed in a punishment cell which became infamous as the Black Hole of Calcutta. In stifling summer heat, it was alleged that 123 of the 146 prisoners died as a result of suffocation or heat stroke. While the Black Hole became infamous in Britain, it is debatable whether the Nawab was aware of the incident.27 By Christmas 1756, as no response had been received to diplomatic letters to the Nawab, Admiral Charles Watson and Clive were dispatched to attack the Nawab's army and remove him from Calcutta by force. Their first target was the fortress of Baj-Baj which Clive approached by land while Admiral Watson bombarded it from the sea. The fortress was quickly taken with minimal British casualties. Shortly afterwards, on 2 January 1757, Calcutta itself was taken with similar ease.28 Approximately a month later, on 3 February 1757, Clive encountered the army of the Nawab itself. For two days, the army marched past Clive's camp to take up a position east of Calcutta. Sir Eyre Coote, serving in the British forces, estimated the enemy's strength as 40,000 cavalry, 60,000 infantry and thirty cannons. Even allowing for overestimation this was considerably more than Clive's force of approximately 540 British infantry, 600 Royal
26

Keay, John, The Honourable CompanyA History of the English East India Company, HarperCollins, London, 1991, ISBN 0-00-217515-0 p. 269.

27

H.E. Busteed, Echoes from Old Calcutta (Calcutta), 1908, pp.3056.

28

Sir William Wilson Hunter (1886). The Indian Empire: Its Peoples, History, and Products. Trbner & Company. pp. 381. Retrieved 11 July 2012.

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Navy sailors, 800 sepoys, fourteen field guns and no cavalry. The British forces attacked the Nawab's camp during the early morning hours of 5 February 1757. In this battle, unofficially called the 'Calcutta Gauntlet', Clive marched his small force through the entire Nawab's camp, despite being under heavy fire from all sides. By noon, Clive's force broke through the besieging camp and arrived safely at Fort William. During the assault, around one tenth of the British attackers became casualties. Clive reported 57 killed and 137 wounded. While technically not a victory in military terms, the sudden British assault intimidated the Nawab. He sought to make terms with Clive, and surrendered control of Calcutta on 9 February, promising to compensate the East India Company for damages suffered and to restore its privileges.

War with Siraj Ud Daulah

As Britain and France were once more at war, Clive sent the fleet up the river against the French colony of Chandannagar, while he besieged it by land. There was a strong incentive to capture the colony, as capture of a previous French settlement near Pondicherry had yielded the combined forces prizes valued at 140,000. After consenting to the siege, the Nawab unsuccessfully sought to assist the French. Some officials of the Nawab's court formed a confederacy to depose him. Jafar Ali Khan, also known as Mir Jafar, the Nawab's commander-in-chief, led the conspirators. With Admiral Watson, Governor Drake and Mr. Watts, Clive made a gentlemen's agreement in which it was agreed to give the office of viceroy of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha to Mir Jafar, who was to pay a million sterling to the Company for its losses in Calcutta and the cost of its troops, half a million to the British inhabitants of Calcutta, 200,000 to the native inhabitants, and 70,000 to its Armenian merchants. Clive employed Umichand, a rich Bengali trader, as an agent between Mir Jafar and the British officials. Umichand threatened to betray Clive unless he was guaranteed, in the agreement itself, 300,000. To dupe him a second fictitious agreement was shown to him with a clause to this effect. Admiral Watson refused to sign it. Clive deposed later to the House of Commons that, "to the best of his remembrance, he gave the gentleman who carried it leave to sign his name upon it; his lordship never made any secret of it; he thinks it warrantable in such a case, and would do it again a hundred times; he had no interested motive in doing it, and did it with a design of disappointing the expectations of a rapacious man." It is nevertheless cited as an example of Clive's unscrupulousness.

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The Battle of Plassey

The call [for Clive and the British] to remain in Bengal came from the natives themselves. The nawab's rule was a reign of terror; his principal ministers resolved to get rid of him, and to set on the throne Mir Jafar, the commander-in-chief of his army. They applied to Clive to assist them. Mir Jafar as nawab of Bengal, established there by aid of the British, would be a puppet of the British as completely as the nawab of Arcot. Clive and the Calcutta Council entertained the proposal. While they amused Suraj ud-Daulah with empty negotiations, terms were arranged with the conspirators through their Hindu agent, Amin Chand.

Amin Chand In the course of the negotiations with the conspirators Clive, with the support of the Council, committed the one act of his public career which is seriously open to censure. When all was ready except the formal completion of the agreements, Amin Chand (or Omichund, as Macaulay calls him) demanded the insertion in the treaty of a clause engaging to pay him 300,000. Every detail of the plot was known to him, and would be betrayed to Suraj udDaulah if his demand were refused.

The treaty trick He was tricked by a fraud such as he might have invented himself. Two copies of the treaty were drawn up, one upon red paper, containing the required promise which was omitted from the other. He was satisfied when he was shown the red treaty with the British signatures, attached to it. He did not know that one of the signatures was a forgery. Admiral Watson had refused to append his name, though, when the thing was done, he became a party to it. But it was the other treaty without the blackmailing clause which was signed by the conspirators. Clive to the day of his death asserted that he was justified; but on no other occasion did he depart from the one sound rule for Europeans in dealing with Orientals, of holding fast not by the Eastern but by the Western standard of morals. For no Oriental would have been shocked by the deception practised upon Amin Chand.

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When the treaty was signed, Clive no longer considered it necessary to play with Suraj udDaulah. He sent to the nawab a despatch, setting forth the whole of the British grievances, and announced that he was coming with his men to the nawab's capital of Murshidabad to receive his answer. He followed his letter at the head of his troops - something over three thousand men, of whom two thousand were sepoys, and ten guns. The letter was despatched and the advance began on 13th June. The nawab moved to meet him with sixty thousand men at his back. On the fifth day the British halted at Katwa.

There was no sign of Mir Jafar carrying out his promises, and the march was checked by stormy weather. On the eighth day Clive, for the first and last time of his life, held a council of war. An advance must mean either a victory against unparalleled odds or annihilation. Would it be better to take the risk, or to entrench themselves wheTe they were at Katwa and invite aid from the Marathas, which might involve indefinite delay, and the intervention of Bussy on the other side? Olive's own opinion was given in favour of the more cautious course; eleven of the council of war supported him, seven voted for the advance. The council was broken up and Clive withdrew by himself to meditate on the situation. The result was that he reversed the decision of the council, and the advance was renewed in the morning.

The Battle The next night the British force, wet and weary, bivouacked in the grove of Plassey; and with the dawn of June 23 they were drawn up face to face with twenty times their own number of the nawab's troops. The morning passed in cannonading; as the afternoon advanced a small body of fifty Frenchmen, who were with the nawab's army, were seen to move; one of the British officers at once without orders occupied the spot where they had been posted. The nawab's guns were put out of action, Clive's line advanced, and the whole vast army broke before it and fled. So slight was the resistance offered that the vanquished lost only a few hundred men, the victors only seventy.

Suraj ud-Daulah, fleeing in disguise from Murshidabad, was caught and murdered by the son of Mir Jafar. Clive, according to promise, proclaimed Mir Jafar nawab, but would allow no bloodshed. To the natives Clive became at once a sort of demi-god; and he found himself not only effective master of Mir Jafar himself, but for all practical purposes responsible master of

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all Bengal; while the fame of his miraculous powers spread over half India. It never occurred to the new nawab to regard himself as independent of the power which had placed him on the throne, and which would in no wise permit him to play the despot. It was manifestly impossible to pretend that effective government could be assumed by any one except Clive and the British, whose lightest word none dared disobey.

Above all it was out of the question that Clive should leave the province until some system had been organised for preserving the British control. Without any such design on their part the East India Company had become at a stroke a territorial power, lords of the richest province in India. Instructions for the formation of a government were sent out by the directors from London, who understood so little of the situation that Clive himself was not included in the commission; perhaps it was assumed that his military services would be in requisition elsewhere. The British on the spot, however, had no doubts, and deliberately placed themselves at their great chief's orders. A little later the directors sent revised instructions, which made Clive officially what he already was in actual fact. It was not till the end of 1760 that he felt able to retire from the scene of his triumphs and returned to England.

During the two and a half years of Clive's personal rule in Bengal the struggle between French and British was fought to a finish in the south; when he left India the French were cooped up In Pondichery, and were on the point of surrendering their last stronghold. In the conflict with them Clive took no further personal part; Bengal gave him enough to do. Six months after Plassey the Oudh Wazir threatened an invasion,, but his armies melted away at the mere threat of Clive's approach, In 1758 the enormous prestige he had won enabled him almost to denude Bengal of British troops in order to despatch an expedition to sieze Masulipa'am, a city on the east coast situated in the district called the Sarkars, just south of th river Godavery, an episode which belongs to the last phase of the struggle with fee French.

The departure of the troops induced the Nawab of Oudh to contemplate another invasion, this time in conjunction with the "Shah zada," the heir to the throne of the Mogul. Clive could only collect some four hundred British and about six times as many sepoys. With this small force he covered in twenty-three days the four hundred miles which separate Calcutta from Patna, to which the Shahzada had laid siege. The siege was raised, and the hosts of the Shahzada and the

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Wazir scattered in hasty flight.

Yet once more Clive had to display his promptitude and energy in emergency. The Dutch had played no important part in India, but they too had a factory at Chinsura, on the Hugli. Towards the end of 1759 seven of the Dutch company's ships appeared in the river. There was no quarrel between Dutch and British, but in fact the Dutchmen were not profiting by the sudden development of the British ascendency, and they had given ear to the appeal of Mir Jafar, who was growing secretly restive in his position of subordination. Clive's suspicions were aroused, and became certainty when the Dutch seized some English vessels. Forde, the trusted officer whom Clive had sent against Masulipatam, was now back at Calcutta, having achieved his task. He was at once despatched against Chinsura, while three English Ships under the command of Captain Wilson attacked and captured the seven Dutchmen. Mir Jafar promptly turned against his intended allies, who had to appeal to Clive himself for the protection which he extended to them. And so collapsed the last extraneous attempts at intervention in Bengal.

The East India Company takes control Eighteen months earlier the French had revived the contest by sending to the Carnatic some troops under the command of Lally, the son of an Irish father who had been one of the gallant defenders of Limerick. A brave and efficient soldier himself, he was absolutely devoid of tact in dealing with his own officers, his own men, or with natives. Also he was under positive orders to have no dealings with the native courts, whereas such chance as the French had lay almost entirely in the influence which Bussy exercised at the court of the Nizam. Now the Nizam had bestowed upon the French the coast district known as the Northern Sarkars, from which supplies ought to have been procurable. But Lally proceeded to summon Bussy from Haidarabad, and the troops from the Sarkars, in order to besiege Madras. Madras held out under Stringer Lawrence, and the appearance of a British squadron sent the besiegers hurrying back to Pondichery, to the wrath of their commander.

And, meanwhile, Forde's expedition from Calcutta was attacking Masulipatam, which fell in April (1759). The Nizam, no longer under Bussy's personal control, found the British victory convincing, and granted the Sarkars to the British instead of to the French. The British

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successes were crowned in the following January, when Lally was defeated at Wandewash by Eyre Coote, one of the officers who had voted in the audacious minority in Clive's council of war before Plassy. By October the French were swept up into Pondichery, and Pondichery itself surrendered in January 1761. So ended the struggle between French and British in India with the complete loss of the French power, confirmed by the peace two years later; and so was the British East India Company established as a territorial power in England.

Battle of Condore:Prelude to the Battle:In September 1758, Bussy, who was commanding a French corps in Deccan, was recalled with his troop to reinforce Lally and support him for the siege of Madras. The only French military presence in this region now consisted of a very small corps under M. de Conflans occupying the Northern Circars. Furthermore, a local rajah revolted against the French. Clive immediately seized this opportunity and sent 2,600 men under lieutenant-colonel Forde in an expedition against Deccan. From December 6 to 8, Forde's and Conflans' army faced each other on the road leading south to Rajahmundry. On December 8, both commanders simultaneously framed independent designs for extricating themselves from the dead-lock. Conflans' plan was to send 6 guns with a sufficient force to a height which commanded the British camp, and which Forde had omitted to occupy. Forde, for his part, had decided to make a detour of 5 km to Condore (unidentified location), from where he could turn Conflans' position and regain the high road to Rajahmundry. Description of Events

On December 9 at 4:00 am, according to his plan, Forde marched away with his own troops while the rajah's army, which though warned was not ready to move, remained in the camp. Forde had not proceeded far before he heard the sound of Conflans' guns in his rear and received piteous messages from the rajah for assistance. Turning back he met the rajah's troops in full flight and rallied them, after which the whole force pursued its march and at 8:00 am arrived at Condore.

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Conflans, thinking that he had defeated Forde's entire army, followed him quickly, with the idea of preventing his return to his former camp; and in his haste to advance allowed his line to fall into disorder. His French battalion was in his centre, with 13 field-pieces distributed on its flanks, while his right and left wings were composed each of 3,000 Sepoys with some native guns. As soon as the British forces had occupied Condore, the French army appeared 1 km in their rear moving towards Forde's left flank. Forde then formed his line. In his centre, he posted the Bengal European Regiment, with 6 guns on their flanks, and his Sepoys, in 2 divisions each of 900 men, on either wing. Forde deployed the rajah's troops on both flanks of his own army. He then advanced under a heavy cannonade from the enemy for some distance before Condore, and halted with his centre in rear of a field of Indian corn, which entirely concealed the British but left the Sepoys uncovered on the plain on either hand. These Sepoys on either flank - for Anunderaj's troops had by this time decamped and concealed themselves in a hollow - were in full sight of the enemy. Now the Sepoys accompanying the British force had, by Clive's order, recently been clothed in red. The French had never seen the scarlet except on the bodies of British troops, and Forde was fully aware of the fact; for he ordered the Sepoys to furl the old-fashioned company flags, which they still carried, as also their regimental colours, that they might be the more easily mistaken for a regular battalion of British. Completely deluded, Conflans advanced his French Europeans towards the 2nd Native Battalion; Forde, who at once saw the enemy were at fault, rode up to the 2nd Native Battalion to encourage them. In the ardour of their advance Conflans' infantry out-marched their guns and moved forward without them. Their line, from its superiority in numbers, far outflanked the British on both wings; but as it drew nearer, the French battalion in the centre suddenly inclined to the right towards Forde's left wing of Sepoys. Conflans had swallowed the bait laid for him by Forde. The French battalion evidently mistook the Sepoys for British, for before engaging them it dressed its ranks, and then opened fire by platoons at a distance of 180 meters. Long though this range was for the old musket, the 2nd Native Battalion seeing French in front and natives menacing their flank hardly stood to deliver a feeble volley, but immediately broke, despite all the efforts of Forde, and fled away in the direction of Chambole pursued by the enemy's horse.

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Conflans, now thinking he had put the British Europeans to flight, at once detached several platoons of his French troops to join in the pursuit. These advanced rapidly, obliquing to their right, but in so doing became somewhat scattered. Forde grasped the opportunity, and directing the Bengal European Regiment to change front and to take the French in flank. Conflans to his dismay saw a second line of scarlet filed steadily up from behind the Indian corn to the ground whereon the Sepoys had stood, halted and fronted as coolly as if on parade, and then with equal coolness opened fire by volleys of divisions from the left (a battalion of 500 men would have been in 5 divisions, each of 100). The first volley brought down half of the French grenadiers of theBataillon des Indes, and by the time that the fifth and last division had pulled trigger the whole of Conflans' French battalion was broken up, and flying back in disorder to its guns, 800 meters in rear. The Bengal European Regiment, elated with their success, now vigorously pursued the enemy, charging in echelon of companies, left in front. Captain Adnet, who commanded the regiment, was leading and captain Yorke with No. 4 company was acting in reserve, to afford immediate assistance to any of our companies needing succour. The French rallied at their guns and opened a hot grape fire on the advancing British troops. Adnet being mortally wounded and several of his men falling. However, the French had not time to fire more than a round or two when the British fell upon them, drove them from their batteries and captured the 13 guns. In the meantime the 1st Native Battalion had been taking a leading part in the fight; attacked by the French Native infantry, who vastly outnumbered them; but the British Sepoys held their ground with tenacity. The French Sepoys, seeing their European comrades in full flight and their guns captured, also fled, and the1st Native Battalion rejoined the British Europeans. The 2nd Native Battalion, who had early in the day fled towards Chambole, now returned to the field and joined the British Army. No sooner were the Native battalions come than Forde made fresh dispositions, and marched on without losing a moment to attack Conflans' camp, determined to rapidly follow up his success. Forde also attempted to induce Anunderaj to send some of his cavalry ahead, but they were all concealed in the hollow and refused to expose themselves to danger. Forde,

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therefore, pushed on single-handed without his guns, which, on account of the muddy state of the roads, were left in rear. The remnants of the French battalion were posted in a hollow way before their camp and had placed in position some heavy guns to protect it and to dispute the British advance. Forde halted for his guns, deployed his infantry, and took up a position from which he could, at a moment's notice, make a dash on the French positions. This movement had just been completed when the British artillery appeared. Forde then ordered the leading company of the Bengal European Regiment to advance and deliver a volley; when the enemy fled, leaving his camp and remaining guns in the possession of Forde's troops. The British army now hotly pursued the French. Many of the fugitives threw down their arms and surrendered; the rest, together with the remainder of the French army, ran away in hopeless confusion. Conflans, after sending off his military chest and 4 field-guns, jumped on a horse and galloped away, not stopping except to change horses till he reached Rajahmundry, 60 km distant. Outcome From the Bataillon des Indes, Conflans lost 6 Officers and 80 men killed or mortally wounded, and 6 officers and 70 men made prisoners or wounded. Furthermore, he lost 32 brass cannon, 50 tumbrils and other carriages, 7 mortars, 3,000 draught bullocks, and all the camp equipage. The British lost captain Adnet and 15 men of the Bengal European Regiment killed, 4 officers and 30 men wounded, amongst the latter Mr. Johnson political officer serving as a volunteer with the grenadier company of the Bengal Europeans; and over 200 men of the Bengal Native Infantry killed or wounded. Had the rajah's cavalry been of a better quality, the losses of the French would have been far greater; but Forde's promptness in following up his first success made his victory sufficiently complete.

Return to Great Britain

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In 1760, the 35-year-old Clive returned to Great Britain with a fortune of at least 300,000 and the quit-rent of 27,000 a year. He financially supported his parents and sisters, while also providing Major Lawrence, the commanding officer who had early encouraged his military genius, with a stipend of 500 a year. In the five years of his conquests and administration in Bengal, the young man had crowded together a succession of exploits which led Lord Macaulay, in what that historian termed his "flashy" essay on the subject, to compare him to Napoleon Bonaparte, declaring that "[Clive] gave peace, security, prosperity and such liberty as the case allowed of to millions of Indians, who had for centuries been the prey of oppression, while Napoleon's career of conquest was inspired only by personal ambition, and the absolutism he established vanished with his fall." Macaulay's ringing endorsement of Clive seems more controversial today, as some would argue that his own ambition and desire for personal gain set the tone for the administration of Bengal until the Permanent Settlement 30 years later. The immediate consequence of Clive's victory at Plassey was an increase in the revenue demand on Bengal by at least 20%, much of which was appropriated by Zamindars and corrupt Company Officials, which led to considerable hardship for the rural population, particularly during the famine of 1770.29 During the three years that Clive remained in Great Britain, he sought a political position, chiefly that he might influence the course of events in India, which he had left full of promise. He had been well received at court, had been made Baron Clive of Plassey, County Clare, had bought estates, and had a few friends as well as himself returned to the House of Commons. (In the case of Clive, who continued to be allowed to sit in the Commons because his peerage was Irish, he was MP for Shrewsbury from 1761 until his death.[39]) The nongraduate Clive received an honorary degree as DCL from Oxford University in 1760, and in 1764 he was named a Knight of the Bath.30 Clive set himself to reform the home system of the East India Company, and began a bitter dispute with the chairman of the Court of Directors, Mr Sullivan, whom in the end, he defeated. In this he was aided by the news of reverses in Bengal. Mir Jafar had finally rebelled over payments to British officials, and Clive's successor had put Kasim Ali Khan,
29

P.J. Marshall, Bengal: The British Bridgehead (Cambridge), 1988, pp.7883,144.

30

Gibbs, Vicary (Editor) (1912). The Complete Peerage, Volume III. St Catherine's Press. p. 326.

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Mir Jafar's son-in-law upon the musnud (throne). After a brief tenure, Kasim Ali had fled, ordering Walter Reinhardt Sombre (known to the Muslims as Sumru), a Swiss mercenary of his, to butcher the garrison of 150 British at Patna, and had disappeared under the protection of his brother, the Viceroy of Awadh. The whole Company's service, civil and military, had become mired in corruption, demoralized by gifts and by the monopoly of the inland as well as export trade, to such an extent that the Indians were pauperised, and the Company was plundered of the revenues which Clive had acquired for them. For this Clive himself must bear much responsibility, as he had set a very poor example during his tenure as Governor. Nevertheless, the Court of Proprietors, forced the Directors to hurry Lord Clive to Bengal with the double powers of Governor and Commander-in-Chief.

Third journey to India:On 3 May 1765 Clive landed at Calcutta to learn that Mir Jafar had died, leaving him personally 70,000. Mir Jafar was succeeded by his son Kasim Ali, though not before the government had been further demoralized by taking 100,000 as a gift from the new Nawab; while Kasim Ali had induced not only the viceroy of Awadh, but the emperor of Delhi himself, to invade Bihar. At this point a mutiny in the Bengal army occurred, which was a grim precursor of the Indian rebellion of 1857, but on this occasion it was quickly suppressed by blowing the sepoy ringleader from a gun. Major Munro, "the Napier of those times", scattered the united armies on the hard-fought field of Buxar. The emperor, Shah Alam II, detached himself from the league, while the Awadh viceroy threw himself on the mercy of the British. Clive had now an opportunity of repeating in Hindustan, or Upper India, what he had accomplished in Bengal. He might have secured what is now called Uttar Pradesh, and have rendered unnecessary the campaigns of Wellesley and Lake. But he believed he had other work in the exploitation of the revenues and resources of rich Bengal itself, making it a base from which British India would afterwards steadily grow. Hence he returned to the Awadh viceroy all his territory save the provinces of Allahabad and Kora, which he presented to the weak emperor.

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The Imperial Firman

In return for the Awadhian provinces Clive secured from the emperor one of the most important documents in British history in India, effectively granting title of Bengal to Clive. It appears in the records as "firman from the King Shah Aalum, granting the dewany of Bengal, Behar and Odisha to the Company 1765." The date was 12 August 1765, the place Benares, the throne an English dining-table covered with embroidered cloth and surmounted by a chair in Clive's tent. It is all pictured by a Muslim contemporary, who indignantly exclaims that so great a "transaction was done and finished in less time than would have been taken up in the sale of a jackass". By this deed the Company became the real sovereign rulers of thirty million people, yielding a revenue of four millions sterling. On the same date Clive obtained not only an imperial charter for the Company's possessions in the Carnatic, completing the work he began at Arcot, but a third firman for the highest of all the lieutenancies of the empire, that of the Deccan itself. This fact is mentioned in a letter from the secret committee of the court of directors to the Madras government, dated 27 April 1768. The British presence in India was still tiny compared to the number and strength of the princes and people of India, but also compared to the forces of their ambitious French, Dutch and Danish rivals. Clive had this in mind when he penned his last advice to the directors, as he finally left India in 1767: "We are sensible that, since the acquisition of the dewany, the power formerly belonging to the soubah of those provinces is totally, in fact, vested in the East India Company. Nothing remains to him but the name and shadow of authority. This name, however, this shadow, it is indispensably necessary we should seem to venerate."

Clives administrative reforms:Clives chief claim to fame as a statesman rests upon the achievements of his second governorship. His work falls into three parts: external policy, the settlement of Bengal, and the reform of the companys service. In his external policy Clive had to face one of the most difficult tests of statesmanship: that of knowing where to stop. Though there was nothing to prevent him from restoring Shah lam II to Delhi and ruling north India in his name, he

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wisely decided to limit the companys commitments to Bengal and Bihar. Oudh was returned to Shuj al-Dawlah as a buffer state between Bengal and the turbulent northwest. The emperor was solaced with an annual tribute, and in return he conferred the revenue administration (dewanee) of Bengal on the East India Company. This grant formed the key to Clives second achievement, the settlement of Bengal. It gave legal authority to the company to collect the revenues of Bengal and Bihar, sending the emperor only his annual tribute. The administration of the dewanee was organized through a deputy nawab appointed by the company. The police and magisterial power was still exercised by the nawab of Bengal as the emperors deputy, but he in turn nominated the companys deputy to act for him. This was Clives so-called dual system, which made the company the virtual ruler of Indias two richest provinces.

Clives third task was the reform of the companys service. Within two days of landing, he superseded the Calcutta council, which had defied his predecessor, Henry Vansittart. He reestablished discipline by accepting all resignations, enforcing others, and bringing replacements from Madras. All company servants were required to sign covenants not to receive presents worth more than 1,000 rupees without the consent of the governor. Private trade, the abuse of which had caused the war, was forbidden. This was the least successful measure, because the companys officials were not adequately paid and had no other means of livelihood. Clive tried to meet the difficulty by forming a trading company that administered the salt monopoly and in which the servants received shares according to their rank. These two measures, only partially successful, marked the end of nearly 10 years reckless plunder in Bengal. Clive dealt with the army with equal rigour. He cut down swollen allowances and faced with dauntless courage the White Mutiny of discontented officers, when for a time he stood almost alone in Bengal. Clive left Calcutta in January 1767. His second government was his crowning achievement, but he had made many enemies. An active group, supported by Lord Chatham, feared the corrupting influence of Indian wealth on English public life. In 1772, when the company appealed to the government to save it from bankruptcy, it appeared that Clives system of government in Bengal had not been as successful as had been hoped. Two parliamentary committees uncovered corruption among the companys servants, and this set off an attack on

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Clive as the instigator of the whole process. He defended himself in Parliament (1773) with characteristic vigour and conviction, complaining of being treated like a sheep stealer and declaring, I stand astonished at my own moderation. In 1773 Parliament declared that he did render great and meritorious services to his country. This triumph was his last. With his already shaken health, the strain on his melancholic temperament was too great: in November 1774 he died by his own hand at his house in London. Clives talents were outstanding, his character no more unscrupulous than that of many men of his day, and his work marked the real beginning of the British Empire in India.

Retirement and Achievement:Clive left India for the last time in February 1767. In 1768, Clive lived for a time in the Chateau de Larzac near Pzenas in the Hrault dpartement of the Languedoc-

Roussillonregion in southern France. Local tradition says that he was responsible for introducing the local pastry makers of Pzenas to a sweet pastry, Le petit pt de Pzenas, the size and shape of a large cotton reel with a sweet centre, and that he (or, more likely, his chef) had brought the recipe from India as a refined version of the savoury Keema naan.31 Pzenas is now known for these delicacies. Later in 1768, Clive was made a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).32 In 1769, he acquired the house and gardens at Claremont near Esher and

commissioned Lancelot "Capability" Brown to remodel the garden and rebuild the house. In 1772 Parliament opened an inquiry into the Company's practices in India. Clive's political opponents turned these hearings into attacks on Clive. Questioned about some of the large sums of money he had received while in India, Clive pointed out that they were not contrary to accepted company practice, and defended his behavior by stating "I stand astonished at my own moderation" given opportunities for greater gain. The hearings highlighted the need for reform of the Company, and a vote to censure Clive for his actions failed. Later in 1772,

31

Domaine de Larzac, coolvines.com, accessed 30 January 2012

32

Gibbs, Vicary (Editor) (1912). The Complete Peerage, Volume III. St Catherine's Press. p. 326

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Clive was invested in the Order of the Bath (eight years after the knighthood had been awarded),33 and was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire. There was a large famine in Bengal between 1769 and 1773, where the population of Bengal declined by a third. It was argued that the activities and aggrandizement of company officials- particularly using the monopoly rights on trade and land tax used for personal benefit of company officials is to blame for the famine.34 The debates in the parliament and the revelations reduced his political fortunes considerably. Clive continued to be involved in ongoing Parliamentary discussions on company reforms, during which General John Burgoyne, one of Clive's most vocal enemies, pressed the case in 1773 that some of Clive's gains were made at the expense of the Company and the government. Clive again made a spirited defense of his actions, and closed his testimony by stating "Take my fortune, but save my honour." The vote that followed completely exonerated Clive, who was commended for the "great and meritorious service" he rendered to the country. Immediately thereafter Parliament began debating the Regulating Act of 1773, which significantly reformed the East India Company's practices. On 22 November 1774 Clive committed suicide, aged forty-nine, at his Berkeley Square home in London. There was no inquest on his death and it was variously alleged he had stabbed himself or cut his throat with a penknife or taken an overdose of opium, while a few newspapers reported his death as due to an apoplectic fit or stroke.35 One twentieth century biographer, John Watney, concluded: "He did not die from a self-inflicted wound...He died of a heart attack brought on by an overdose of drugs". 36 Though Clive's suicide has been linked to his history of depression and to opium addiction, the likely immediate impetus was excruciating pain resulting from illness (he was known to suffer fromgallstones) which he had been attempting to abate with opium. He had recently been
33

34

Gibbs, Vicary (Editor) (1912). The Complete Peerage, Volume III. St Catherine's Press. p. 326 Smith, Adam (1776). The Wealth of Nations, Book 4, Chap. 5, Par. 45.

Jump up ^ Dirks,Nicholas (2006) The scandal of Empire- India and the creation of Imperial Britain ISBN 978-8178241753

35

Bence-Jones, Mark (1974). Clive of India. Constable. p. 299. ISBN 0-09-459830-4.

36

Watney, John (1974). Clive of India. Saxon House. pp. 216 217. ISBN 0-347-00008-8.

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offered command of British forces in North America which he had turned down.37 He was buried in St Margaret's Parish Church at Moreton Say, near his birthplace in Shropshire. Clive was awarded an Irish peerage and was created Baron Clive of Plassey co Clare; he bought lands in County Limerick and County Clare, Ireland, naming part of his lands nearLimerick City, Plassey. Following Irish independence, these lands became state property. In the 1970s a technical college, which later became the University of Limerick, was built at Plassey.

Conclusion:
Robert Clive is the most famous General associated with the British conquest of India. In reality, he conquered only Bengal, a wealthy province near the mouth of the Ganges river, and the project of subduing all of India involved hundreds of battles against dozens of tribes and took nearly a century. His personal influence on the creation of British India, however, was exceedingly important. Before the age of Clive, Britain occupied only a few relatively insignificant trading posts, had no imperial designs on India other than trade, and was dwarfed in influence on the sub-continent by other European nations such as France and Holland. By the time he left India for the last time, in 1767, Britain was firmly established in Bengal and the Carnatic region, had made important alliances with many Indian princes, had driven the French out of their most important posts, and was recognized throughout India as the most influential European power in the region. And this dramatic change of affairs was due nearly entirely to one man, who had started as his career only twenty years earlier as an inglorious clerk at a remote trading-station, without even so much as a military commission. Clive's life prior to his assignment at an East-India company trading post at Madras, in 1744, showed no signs of greatness, but a considerable degree of recklessness. He was unhappy in his remote, dull, assignment, and would likely have left it, had not the ongoing War of Austrian Succession caused the French and English trading posts in the region to go on a war footing. In the following years, as his fort was first besieged by the French, and later, involved in the siege of the French fort, he was given the charge
37

Harvey p.160

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of a soldier, although without an official commission. His greatest personal quality was that of extreme bravery and level-headedness in the face of overwhelming danger, and these initial altercations, although militarily insignificant, gave him a reputation as a capable leader. The treaty of Aix-la-Chappelle at the close of hostilities forced him to return to his civilian job, but only briefly. Although officially there was peace between England and France, the political situation in India was extremely fluid; the Moghul empire had recently broken up and dozens of native princes were vying for power. France, under the brilliant governor Dupleix, was poised to take advantage of the situation by making important alliances, and offering military assistance to some of the princes in return for trading influence. The rival princes, in turn, sought alliances with other European powers, notably Britain's East India Company (which had a small army at its disposal), so that they would be able to compete on equal terms with their enemies. In this way France and England were drawn back into an unofficial war footing. Clive's great opportunity came in 1751 when the French-backed Chandra Sahib, left his capital of Arcot, in order to effect a siege of his rival, Muhammed Ali's, capital of Trichnopoli. Muhammed, of course, request British aid, but the resources available at Madras were not nearly equal to the task. Clive suggested the rather outlandish idea of attacking Arcot, with a small band of Englishmen. Although the probability of success was remote, he was allowed to proceed on the expedition, and succeeded beyond any expectation. His daring and resolve in the face of over-whelming opposition earned him a great reputation, not only among English officers, but also among the natives, who believed he possessed a sort of supernatural charm. England eventually provided more officers and gave Clive, (who had thus far been acting unofficially), a commission in the army, and the conflict between England and France, and their Indian allies escalated. With Clive, now supported by a "real" army, the conflict went largely in England's favor and the 'Second Carnatic War' was finally concluded in 1754 on terms favorable to Britain. Between 1753 and the outbreak of the Seven Year's war in 1756, Clive returned to England. He was recalled to the governorship of Ft. David however, soon after the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud Doulah, besieged Calcutta, and reputedly imprisoned nearly 200 British citizens in a single room, where most died of suffocation, (the famed

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"Black Hole of Calcutta".) Clive first retook the city of Calcutta, and shortly afterward, in league with Mir Jafar, conspired to attack the Nawab's army. Instead of waiting for reinforcements, he took the first opportunity to attack and although greatly outnumbered won a resounding victory at Plassey. At this point the enormous treasury of Bengal fell into British hands and resulted in widespread corruption, both among company officers and local natives. Clive administered the region for three years and made a great personal fortune before returning to England. Once his strong hand was absent, the problems of widespread corrupting and money-grasping, became even worse, and he was recalled in 1765 to attempt to reform the situation. Reforming a system awash with ill-got gains however, is a far more daunting task than mere military heroics, and Clive was only partially successful. Severe corruption continued in the region for several more decades. In 1767 Clive returned to England for the last time, and seven years later, ended his own life as a result of a serious illness, and an addiction to pain medications.

KEY EVENTS DURING THE LIFE OF ROBERT CLIVE

Year
1725 1744 Birth of Clive Clive stationed at Madras as a clerk of the East India Company Madras attacked by the French; Clive helps in defence, but is ultimately captured. British invest the French fort at Pondicherry. Treaty of Aix-la-Chappelle ends the War of Austrian Succession. Chundra's capital of Arcot is captured and held by Clive and a small band. Clive victorious at Battles of Coverypank, Covelon, and Chingleput. Clive marries and returns to England with great honor.

Event

1746

1748 1748

1751

1752 1753

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Clive is offered governorship of Fort St David. Outbreak of 'Seven Years War' in Europe. Calcutta falls to Siraj ud Daulah. British citizens killed in the "Black Hole of Calcutta." A small army, under Clive, reclaims the British post at Calcutta. Clive routs the Siraj's army at the Battle of Plassey; Nawabship of Bengal passes to a British ally. As Governor of Bengal, Clive implements many reforms and reorganizes the sepoy army along European lines. Clive returns to England, having made many friends, and many enemies. Government of Bengal is administered very poorly in Clive's absence. Clive makes a third journey to India to attempt reforms, and reduce widespread corruption. Death of Clive, by his own hand.

1756

1756

1757

1757

1760

1765-1767

1774

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Bibliography:Books:Clive: The Life and Death of a British Emperor Hardcover - Robert Harvey The Rape of India: A Biography of Robert Clive and a Sexual History of the Conquest of Hindustan - Allen Edwardes The Story of Lord Clive John Lang Plassey 1757 :- Clive of Indias finest Hour Peter Harrington The Founder of the Indian Empire G.B. Malleson Lord Clive Colonel Sir Charles Wilson With Clive in India or the Begining of an Empire G.A. Henty

Article:Macaulays Essay on Lord Clive Life of Robert, First Lord Clive- G.R. Gleig

Website:https://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/History/British/Clive.html http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Robert_Clive.aspx http://www.heritage-history.com/www/heritage.php?Dir=characters&FileName=clive.php http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/army/p/Seven-Years-War-Major-General-Robert-Clive1st-Baron-Clive.htm http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/imperialism/notes/clive.html http://www.heritage-history.com/?c=read&author=langjohn&book=clive&story=_front http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/robert-clive-takes-arcot http://www.bricklanecircle.org/Robert_Clive.html http://www.dromo.info/cliverobbio.htm http://www.shropshiretourism.co.uk/market-drayton/robert-clive/

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