First Anglo–Bengal War

First Anglo-Bengal War
Part of Seven Years' War Bengal War
Date 20 June 1756 Location Calcutta, Bengal Subah Result Bengali victory Territorial changes British forces retreat from Calcutta
Belligerents
Bengal Subah	British Empire East India Company
Commanders and leaders
Siraj-ud-Daula	Roger Drake John Zephaniah Holwell Robert Clive
Strength
50,000	1,000
Casualties and losses
9,000 Killed	500 Killed

Origins

At the close of the seventeenth century, the East India Company established a trading post in the area that would eventually become Calcutta. They purchased three small villages, which would form the foundation of the future city, and began the construction of Fort William to house a garrison, marking the beginning of British presence in the region. By 1717, the company had been granted significant privileges by the Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar, who provided them with immunity from taxes across Bengal. This concession allowed the East India Company to thrive, and as a result, Calcutta grew rapidly into a bustling hub of commerce, with a substantial volume of trade flowing down the Ganges River. During this period, the Nawabs of Bengal, who served as the regional governors of the territory, maintained a policy of controlled tolerance towards the European traders, which included the British, French, and Dutch. While they allowed these foreign powers to engage in trade, they imposed heavy taxes on their activities, ensuring that the Europeans did not gain too much economic influence or power within the region.

However, the political landscape in Bengal shifted dramatically when the elderly Nawab Alivardi Khan passed away in 1756. His death led to the ascension of his grandson, Siraj ud-Daulah, as the new Nawab. Unlike his grandfather, who had governed with a pragmatic and measured approach, Siraj was young, impulsive, and highly suspicious of the European presence in Bengal, particularly that of the British. His rise to power marked the beginning of a more aggressive and confrontational attitude toward the British East India Company. Siraj ud-Daulah was well known for hating the Europeans, mainly due to Alivardi Khan who told him that the people of Europe were like Bees. He told his grandson, "Of whose honey you might reap benefit, but if you disturbed their hive, they would sting you to death".

From the very beginning of his reign, Siraj ud-Daulah was determined to expel the British from Calcutta and seize the wealth he believed was stored in the city. He sought any excuse to justify his actions against the East India Company, and soon found two significant pretexts that would allow him to take decisive action against the British presence in the region.

Background

The first reason for Siraj-ud-Daulah's anger toward the British involved Kissendass, the son of Raj Ballabh, a senior Bengali official. Kissendass had fallen out of favor with the Nawab and had been briefly imprisoned. After his release, Raj Ballabh arranged for the British East India Company to let Kissendass enter Calcutta with his wife, who was pregnant, and their family's wealth. Meanwhile, Raj Ballabh had aligned himself with those who opposed Siraj-ud-Daulah's rule. Despite Siraj's demand for the British to hand over Kissendass and his fortune, the British continued to harbor him. This refusal to comply with Siraj's demand deepened his suspicion that the company was conspiring against him with his political enemies.

The second cause of tension stemmed from the fortifications being built by both the British and the French in their strongholds in Bengal. The British and the French had long been rivals in India, particularly along the southeastern coast, but until that point, their conflict had been confined to trade competition. However, with war breaking out between Britain and France in Europe, both sides began strengthening their defenses in Bengal. When Siraj-ud-Daulah learned of these fortifications, he immediately ordered that all construction work stop and that any new fortifications be dismantled. He promised to protect the foreign settlements, just as his grandfather had done. The French, recognizing their vulnerability in Bengal, responded cautiously, claiming they were only repairing existing fortifications. In contrast, the British, under the leadership of Roger Drake, acting governor of Calcutta, were more defiant. They insisted that they were merely preparing for their own protection, suggesting that the Nawab would be unable to defend them if needed.

These two incidents—the British protection of Kissendass and their fortification efforts—greatly intensified Siraj-ud-Daulah's mistrust of the British, leading him to see them as a threat to his rule. This set the stage for the conflict that would eventually erupt into the Siege of Calcutta.

Capture of Calcutta

Rumors quickly spread that the British East India Company was amassing forces in Chennai with the intentions of invading Bengal. By the end of May 1757, a large army of 50,000 men had been gathered under the command of Raj Durlabh, and the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daula, sent a formal declaration of war to the British authorities in Calcutta.

The first blow to the East India Company came on June 3, when the Nawab's forces surrounded the company's fort at Cossimbazar, which had only 50 men to defend it. After two days of siege, the fort surrendered, and the Nawab's army seized the company's guns and ammunition before marching toward Calcutta.

When the news of this defeat reached Fort William in Calcutta, panic set in, replacing the previous complacency. Acting Governor Roger Drake's poor leadership and indecisiveness contributed to the crisis. Despite some capable officers, their advice was ignored by Drake and his council, who instead made desperate pleas for help to the French and Dutch settlements—both of which refused to get involved. Appeals for reinforcements were sent to Madras, but they arrived too late to affect the outcome.

In an attempt to appease the Nawab, Drake promised to meet all his demands, but it was too late. Meanwhile, the condition of Fort William was found to be dire. The fortifications were in disrepair, with crumbling walls and insufficient defensive structures. The defensive plan drawn up by the British council was inadequate, leaving large areas of the city unprotected, including "Black Town," a densely populated area of native dwellings.

As the Nawab's army closed in, only a small, poorly equipped garrison was available to defend the fort. When reinforcements arrived, they were not sufficient, and the defenders were vastly outnumbered. On June 13, the Nawab's advance guard was only a day's march away from the city, prompting the British to bring all women and children into the fort and hastily complete their fortifications. Despite these efforts, the Nawab's forces surrounded Fort William and launched a brutal attack on the south wall. The defenders were overwhelmed, and the fort quickly fell into enemy hands.