Colour illustration of the Battle of Plassey
Colour illustration of the Battle of Plassey in India, June 23rd, 1757. The portrait is of Colonel Robert Clive, the British commander. ~~~~'This battle was fought by Clive against Surajah Dowlah of Bengal, undertaken to avenge the massacre of the Black Hole of Calcutta. Clive set out with an army of 1000 Europeans, 2000 Sepoys and 8 Pieces of cannon. When the two armies faced each other on the plain of Plassey the odds were so great that on the eve of battle a council of war advised retreat. In spite of this, however, on June 22nd, the British force crossed the river Hooghly. At daybreak, the Nabob's troops of over 50000, headed by a body of 50 French gunners, were seen covering the plain, and the assault began with a furious cannonade. The English sheltered under cover of a high bank. About noon a shower damped the enemy's powder. Clive, seizing this opportunity, stormed the camp, routed the enemy and pursued them six miles, his losses being small. The victory of Plassey laid the foundation of the Empire of England in the East
