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Plassey, Buxar and Expansion Policies | ICSE 8

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History & CivicsICSE Class 8 · Traders to Rulers

Plassey, Buxar, Dual Government and the Policy of British Expansion (ICSE Class 8 History)

Updated 17 October 2026 · Fact-checked

The English East India Company (chartered 1600) won Bengal through the Battle of Plassey (1757) and the Battle of Buxar (1764); the Treaty of Allahabad (1765) gave it the diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Clive's dual government (1765-1772) had power without responsibility. Expansion followed through Wellesley's subsidiary alliance, Dalhousie's doctrine of lapse and the annexation of Awadh (1856).

Notice the two phases: Plassey, Buxar and the Diwani won Bengal, then Wellesley and Dalhousie's policies expanded Company rule across India.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand Plassey, Buxar, Dual Government and British Expansion in India

1. The Company (brief). Chartered by Elizabeth I on 31 December 1600; first permanent factory at Surat (1613); centres at Madras, Bombay (from the Crown, 1668) and Calcutta (1690) became presidencies. In 1717 Farrukhsiyar gave the right to trade in Bengal without duty; Company officials issued passes called dastaks. The French were defeated in the Carnatic Wars.

2. Plassey (23 June 1757): causes. Siraj-ud-daula, nawab of Bengal from 1756, quarrelled with the Company over: misuse of dastaks for private trade; fortification of Calcutta without permission; shelter given to the nawab's enemies; and his capture of Calcutta in 1756 (the 'Black Hole' episode, whose numbers historians dispute). Robert Clive recaptured Calcutta and plotted with Mir Jafar, the commander-in-chief. At Plassey, Clive's small army won mainly because Mir Jafar's large force did not fight; Siraj fled and was killed.

3. Results of Plassey. Mir Jafar became nawab but depended on the Company; the Company received the zamindari of the 24 Parganas and large sums, and officials received huge gifts; free trade in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa; the French were pushed out of Bengal. Plassey was a small battle but made the Company the real power in Bengal and is seen as the beginning of British political power in India. Mir Jafar was replaced by his son-in-law Mir Qasim (1760).

4. Buxar (22 October 1764). Causes: Mir Qasim wished to rule independently, moved his capital from Murshidabad to Munger and reorganised his army and finances; he abolished internal duties for all traders, which angered the Company, whose officials misused dastaks. Defeated in Bengal, he allied with Shuja-ud-daula of Awadh and Shah Alam II. Major Hector Munro defeated them at Buxar. Results: Treaty of Allahabad (1765), negotiated by Clive: the emperor granted the diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa for 26 lakh rupees a year; Shuja-ud-daula paid an indemnity and became an ally, with Awadh as a buffer state. Buxar was a real military victory over the combined forces of the nawab of Bengal, the nawab of Awadh and the emperor, so it confirmed Company power more firmly than Plassey.

5. Dual government (1765-1772). The Company held the diwani (revenue); the nawab kept the nizamat (administration, law and order, justice) but depended on the Company for money and troops. Drawbacks: power without responsibility; breakdown of administration and corruption; exploitation of peasants; ruin of trade and crafts as servants forced weavers to sell cheap; the famine of 1770, when millions died while revenue collection continued. Warren Hastings ended it in 1772.

6. Policy of expansion. *Subsidiary alliance* (Lord Wellesley, 1798-1805): the ruler kept a British force in his territory and paid for it (or ceded territory), accepted a British Resident, made no war or agreement without permission and expelled other Europeans (especially the French); the Company promised protection. Hyderabad (1798) was first; Awadh gave up about half its territory (1801); the Peshwa signed the Treaty of Bassein (1802); Tipu refused and was defeated. *Doctrine of lapse* (Lord Dalhousie, 1848-1856): a dependent state without a natural male heir would pass to the Company; adopted sons could not inherit. Annexed: Satara (1848), Sambalpur (1850), Udaipur (1852), Nagpur (1853), Jhansi (1854). *Annexation of Awadh* (1856): on the pretext of misgovernment; Wajid Ali Shah was removed to Calcutta; the real reasons were rich land and revenue and a market for British goods.

Plassey, Buxar, Dual Government and British Expansion in India: key facts

Plassey and Buxar
  • Plassey 23 June 1757
  • Buxar 22 October 1764
  • Treaty of Allahabad 1765
Dual government
  • Company: diwani (revenue)
  • Nawab: nizamat (law and order)
  • 1765 to 1772
  • Famine 1770
Subsidiary alliance
  • Wellesley 1798-1805
  • British force
  • Resident
  • No other Europeans
  • Hyderabad 1798 first
Doctrine of lapse
  • Dalhousie 1848-1856
  • Satara 1848
  • Sambalpur 1850
  • Udaipur 1852
  • Nagpur 1853
  • Jhansi 1854
  • Awadh 1856

How to answer Plassey, Buxar, Dual Government and British Expansion in India questions

Give causes of a battle in order: trade, politics, immediate cause.

  1. 1State the date, place, winner and reason for victory.
  2. 2List results as political, financial and territorial.
  3. 3For policies, define in one line and give conditions and examples.
  4. 4Always give the person: Clive, Wellesley, Dalhousie.

Plassey, Buxar, Dual Government and British Expansion in India in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

A guard you must pay

Suppose a small kingdom agrees to keep 6,000 soldiers of a stronger power on its land and pay for them, give a resident adviser a place at court, and not make treaties without permission.

Name the policy, give a historical example and state the loss to the ruler.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. This is the subsidiary alliance of Lord Wellesley.
  2. Example: Hyderabad (1798) was the first to accept it.
  3. Loss: the ruler lost independence in defence and foreign relations and had to pay for the troops.

Answer: Subsidiary alliance; Hyderabad; loss of independence.

Memory hook: Troops, Resident, no treaties.

Tricks to remember Plassey, Buxar, Dual Government and British Expansion in India

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

  • P-B-A

    Plassey, Buxar, Allahabad: the three steps to the diwani.

    Use it when: Sequence.

  • Diwani for Company, nizamat for Nawab

    Money to one, duty to the other: dual government.

    Use it when: Dual government.

  • Wellesley subsidises, Dalhousie lapses

    Match policy with Governor-General.

    Use it when: Expansion policies.

Plassey, Buxar, Dual Government and British Expansion in India: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Plassey causes · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

State three causes of the Battle of Plassey.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Misuse of dastaks by Company officials for private trade.
  2. Fortification of Calcutta without the nawab's permission.
  3. Shelter given to the nawab's enemies and Siraj's capture of Calcutta in 1756.

Answer: Dastaks, fortification of Calcutta, shelter to enemies.

Example 2: Why Siraj lost · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level

Why did Siraj-ud-daula lose at Plassey although his army was larger?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Clive had plotted with Mir Jafar, the nawab's commander-in-chief.
  2. Mir Jafar's large force did not fight.

Answer: Betrayal by Mir Jafar.

Example 3: Treaty of Allahabad · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level

What were the terms of the Treaty of Allahabad (1765)? Why was Buxar more decisive than Plassey?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. The emperor Shah Alam II granted the diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa for 26 lakh rupees a year; Awadh paid an indemnity and became an ally.
  2. Buxar was a real military victory over the combined forces of the nawab of Bengal, the nawab of Awadh and the emperor.
  3. Plassey was won largely through Mir Jafar's betrayal.

Answer: Diwani for 26 lakh a year; Buxar defeated three powers in battle.

Example 4: Revenue sum · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Under the Treaty of Allahabad the Company paid 26 lakh rupees a year. If the Company collected Rs 2 crore from the diwani in a year, find (a) the percentage of the collection paid to the emperor and (b) the amount left. (1 crore = 100 lakh.)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. (a) 2 crore = 200 lakh; 26 / 200 x 100 = 13 per cent.
  2. (b) 200 - 26 = 174 lakh = Rs 1.74 crore.
  3. The example is hypothetical, to show how the Company profited.

Answer: (a) 13 per cent (b) Rs 1.74 crore.

Example 5: Evaluate the dual government · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

Why did the dual government fail? Explain with three drawbacks and say when and by whom it was ended.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Power without responsibility: the Company had money and power but no duty to govern; the nawab had duty but no power or money.
  2. Administration broke down and officials were corrupt; peasants were squeezed for revenue.
  3. Trade and crafts were ruined as servants forced weavers to sell cheap; the famine of 1770 killed millions while collection went on.
  4. Warren Hastings ended it in 1772.

Answer: Power without responsibility, breakdown, famine; ended by Warren Hastings in 1772.

Where students lose marks in Plassey, Buxar, Dual Government and British Expansion in India

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

  • Mistake: Mixing Wellesley and Dalhousie

    Policies are attributed to the wrong governor.

    Do this: Subsidiary alliance: Wellesley; doctrine of lapse: Dalhousie.

    Usually costs: 1 mark.

  • Mistake: Calling Plassey a major war

    The size of the battle is exaggerated.

    Do this: It was a small battle, but politically decisive.

    Usually costs: 1 mark.

  • Mistake: Confusing diwani and nizamat

    Revenue and law and order are swapped.

    Do this: Diwani: revenue (Company); nizamat: administration and justice (Nawab).

    Usually costs: 1 to 2 marks.

  • Mistake: Omitting dates and names of annexed states

    The list is incomplete.

    Do this: Learn: Satara 1848, Sambalpur 1850, Udaipur 1852, Nagpur 1853, Jhansi 1854.

    Usually costs: 1 mark.

Exam tips

  • Learn the sequence 1757, 1764, 1765, 1772 for Bengal.
  • Use three-part answers: cause, event, result.
  • Name the governors with policies.
  • Remember the syllabus asks only a brief mention of the East India Company.

Practice questions on Plassey, Buxar, Dual Government and British Expansion in India

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

  1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

    The first Indian state to accept the subsidiary alliance was:
    (a) Awadh
    (b) Hyderabad
    (c) Mysore
    (d) Bengal

    Hint

    Date 1798.

    Answer

    (b) Hyderabad.

  2. Q2 · 1 mark · Very short answerBoard level

    Who was the Governor-General who introduced the doctrine of lapse?

    Hint

    1848-1856.

    Answer

    Lord Dalhousie.

  3. Q3 · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level

    State two conditions of the subsidiary alliance.

    Hint

    Troops and Resident.

    Answer

    The ruler kept a British force and paid for it, and accepted a British Resident (also: no war or treaty without permission; expel other Europeans).

  4. Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    Which states did Dalhousie annex in 1848 and in 1854 under the doctrine of lapse, and why could their adopted heirs not inherit?

    Hint

    The lapse rule.

    Answer

    Satara (1848) and Jhansi (1854). Under the doctrine, the kingdom of a dependent ruler who died without a natural male heir passed to the Company, and adopted sons were not recognised.

  5. Q5 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level

    Assertion (A): The annexation of Awadh was justified on the pretext of misgovernment.
    Reason (R): Awadh was a rich region and a market for British goods.
    (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
    (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
    (c) A is true but R is false.
    (d) A is false but R is true.

    Hint

    Pretext against real reason.

    Answer

    (b) Both are true; R gives the real reason behind the pretext, not the explanation of the pretext itself.

  6. Q6 · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level

    Compare the Battle of Plassey and the Battle of Buxar under: date, opponents, how the battle was won, and results.

    Hint

    Two columns.

    Answer

    Plassey: 23 June 1757; Clive against Siraj-ud-daula; won by Mir Jafar's betrayal; Mir Jafar nawab, the Company got the 24 Parganas and free trade. Buxar: 22 October 1764; Munro against the combined forces of Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-daula and Shah Alam II; a real military victory; the Treaty of Allahabad gave the diwani.

  7. Q7 · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

    Evaluate the Company's claim that Awadh was annexed in 1856 "for the good of its people". Use the chapter facts.

    Hint

    Pretext against reality.

    Answer

    The Company said Awadh was misgoverned, but Awadh had long been a loyal ally. The nawab Wajid Ali Shah was removed to Calcutta. The real reasons were Awadh's rich land and revenue and its value as a market for British goods, so the claim was a pretext.

  8. Q8 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

    "The Company's expansion used trade, treaties and law as well as war." Illustrate with one example of each.

    Hint

    Dastaks, alliance, lapse.

    Answer

    Trade: dastaks gave duty-free private trade; treaties: the subsidiary alliance tied rulers to the Company; law: the doctrine of lapse ended the rights of adopted heirs and let the Company annex states without war.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

  1. 1.When was the Company chartered?Show answer

    31 December 1600.

  2. 2.Who was nawab at Plassey?Show answer

    Siraj-ud-daula.

  3. 3.Who ended the dual government?Show answer

    Warren Hastings in 1772.

  4. 4.First state to accept subsidiary alliance?Show answer

    Hyderabad, 1798.

  5. 5.Year of annexation of Awadh?Show answer

    1856.

Plassey, Buxar, Dual Government and British Expansion in India: frequently asked questions

What were dastaks?

Passes issued by Company officials for duty-free trade.

What was the diwani?

The right to collect revenue.

Why did the Company want Awadh?

For its rich land and revenue and as a market for British goods.

Who was Mir Jafar?

The nawab's commander-in-chief who betrayed Siraj and became nawab.