PLASSEY

also called Palashi, historic village, east-central West Bengal state, northeastern India. It lies just east of the Bhagirathi River. Plassey was the scene of the decisive victory of British forces under Robert Clive over those of the nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Dawlah, in 1757. Dispatched from Madras with reinforcements to reestablish British factories (trading stations) in Bengal, Clive was aided in his mission by the treachery of the nawab's generals. The Battle of Plassey helped pave the way for the British acquisition of Bengal. A monument marks the scene of the battlefield, which has been partially washed away by a shift of the Bhagirathi.