Importance of Battle of Buxar

The victory of British at the Battle of Buxar on October 22, 1764, is considered even more important that their previous victory at the Battle of Plassey.

In this battle, the combined forces of the Mughal empire, the Nawabs of Bengal, and the Nawab of Awadh, were defeated by the British. Thus, the British East India company became a dominant power in the region. This is considered the first step toward the British imperialism policy to conquer entire India.

The reasons why the battle of Buxar was an event of utmost importance in the history of India, particularly Bengal, is mentioned below:

• Firstly, it proved once again the military superiority of the English and exposed the inherent weakness of the native force
• Secondly, it was with the defeat of Mir Kasim that the rule of independent Nawab finally came to an end.
• Lastly, it paved the way to the grant of Diwani to the East India Company by the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II.

In the words of Sir James Stephen, “the Battle of Buxar deserves far more credit than the battle of Plassey as the origin of the British power in India.”