Question

Which battle established British supremacy in India?
a. The Battle of Panipat
b. The Battle of Plassey
c. The Battle of Mysore
d. The Battle of Samergarh
e. None of these

Answer 1

Hint:
The East India Company was run by shareholders and this privately held company had its members of the board situated in London. With increase in power, it undertook its own army and judicial system but on the contrary, it hardly gained any profit due to vast corruption within the company officials.

Complete step by step solution:
The British Government hardly interfered with the matters of the East India Company but it got angry at the officials and so-called Nawabs of the company who corrupted the company’s financial structure by filling fortunes in their pockets over the years. This led to the expansion of trade in the Indian sub-continent which at first was only bound to the trading of spices. The Britishers didn’t stop just right there and saw it as an opportunity to expand the trade and operations in India.

With the expansion of the British company, several new posts were established along the coasts of India across west and east. They majorly traded in Silk, Cotton, Tea, Opium. Primarily, the East India Company had put its focus entirely on trading ventures but over the course of time, during 1750’s, its officials observed that they could accumulate the resources to the company by getting involved in Indian politics and from there on, the company’s focus shifted from simple trading to the ruling of India followed by the defeat of the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-daulah, by one of the military officials of Britain, Robert Clive, at the battle of Plassey in 1757.

With this new goal, the British East India Company defeated Indian territories which caused many battles over the years and after the Battle of Buxar, which was fought on 22nd October 1764, between the Mughal Empire of India and the British East India Company, led to the foundation of the supremacy of the British rule in India which continued for the next 183 years.

Hence, the correct answer is option B.

Note:
The Battle of Buxar, led primarily by the Mughal rulers, Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal, and the Mughal King, Shah Alam II and the British official, Hector Munro, within the territory of Bengal which led to the victory of the Britishers. It has been said that the Mughals lost this battle because of lack of coordination between them which gave Britishers the opportunity to win and rule India.