Sirajudaula, the Nawab of Bengal was defeated in which of the following battles in 1757?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Battle of Plassey
Sirajudaula, the Nawab of Bengal, was defeated in the Battle of Plassey in 1757, after which the East India Company decided to build a new fort at Calcutta.
Note: This question is taken from the chapter ‘Colonial Cities’ which was there in the pre-rationalised NCERT and has been deleted from subsequent editions of NCERT, including the NCERT book (2026-27).
NCERT (Pre-rationalised): “4.2 Town planning in Calcutta … There were many reasons why the British took upon themselves the task of town planning from the early years of their rule in Bengal. One immediate reason was defence. In 1756, Sirajudaula, the Nawab of Bengal, attacked Calcutta and sacked the small fort which the British traders had built as their depot for goods. The English East India Company traders had been continuously questioning the sovereignty of the Nawab. They were reluctant to pay customs duties, and refused to comply with the terms on which they were expected to operate. So Sirajudaula wanted to assert his authority. Subsequently, in 1757, when Sirajudaula was defeated in the Battle of Plassey, the East India Company decided to build a new fort, one that could not be easily attacked.…” |