New Delhi: The name of Mir Jafar has become very much synonymous with the act of treason in Bengal. Well, there is no denying that the man betrayed a ruler during one of the most crucial moments in the history of the Indian subcontinent, laying down the stepping stone of British rule in India. But, what did he do? That is what this article aims to explore.
The betrayal of Mir Jafar
Born in Delhi in 1691, Mir Syed Muhammad Jafar’s paternal grandfather migrated from Najaf in Iraq and settled in the capital of the Mughal Empire in 1675 after Aurangzeb invited him. Thanks to his immensely influential family, Mir Jafar quickly rose through the ranks in his life. When Raghoji I Bhonsle of the Maratha Empire plundered the territories of Alivardi Khan, the Nawab of Bengal in 1747, Mir Jafar was the subedar Odisha. When the Marathas attacked the region, he completely withdrew all forces until Alivardi Khan and the Mughal Army arrived at the Battle of Burdwan where Raghoji I Bhonsle and his Maratha forces were completely routed.
Khan dismissed Mir Jafar due to this act. But Alivardi’s grandson and successor, Siraj ud-Daulah made him his main general and Jafar led the Nawab’s army to victory against the British on June 19, 1756, gaining Kolkata and its Fort William. However, the Nawab sidelined Jafar in favour of Raja Manikchand. It infuriated Jafar, who found out that many had grievances against the tyrannical rule of the young Nawab.
Jafar and other plotters contacted the British East India Company, starting the tale of a famous treachery. The military of the Nawab under Mir Jafar, Jagat Seths as the financiers, and Robert Clive with his mercenary army started preparations to topple Siraj. The great betrayal took place during the Battle of Plassey in 1757 between the Nawab and the forces of the Company, in which Siraj was routed due to the combined treachery. Jafar became the new Nawab after Siraj’s execution but soon found himself disagreeing with the British interests.
He sought the help of the Dutch but the British defeated them at the Battle of Chinsurah in November 1759 and replaced Jafar with Mir Qasim. Even Qasim came into conflict with the Company and planned to boot them out of East India. But he and his allies, the Nawab of Awadh Shuja-ud-Daula and the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II were defeated by the British at the Battle of Buxar on October 22, 1764. Jafar once again became the Nawab of Bengal and held the position until he died in 1765.
Jafar and other plotters contacted the British East India Company, starting the tale of a famous treachery. He laid down the stepping stone of British rule in India. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
