| Battle of Buxar | |||||||
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| Part of theSeven Years' War | |||||||
 A portrait ofHector Munro with the battle in the background | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Great Britain |  Mughal Empire[1] Bengal Subah Oudh State Kashi Kingdom | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Sir Hector Munro | Shah Alam II  [1]Najaf KhanMir QasimShuja-ud-DaulaBalwant Singh | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 17,072 | 40,112 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 289 killed 499 wounded 85 missing[2][3] | 2,000 killed 4,000 wounded[2] | ||||||
TheBattle of Buxar was fought between 22 and 23 October 1764, between the forces of theBritish East India Company, under the command of MajorHector Munro, against the combined armies ofBalwant Singh, Maharaja of theBenaras State;Mir Qasim, theNawab of Bengal;Shuja-ud-daula, theNawab of Awadh; andShah Alam II, theEmperor of the Mughal Empire.[4]
The battle was fought atBuxar, a "strong fortified town" within the territory ofBihar, located on the banks of theGanges river about 130 kilometres (81 mi) west ofPatna; it was a challenging victory for the BritishEast India Company. The war was brought to an end by theTreaty of Allahabad in 1765.[5] The defeated Indian rulers were forced to sign the treaty, granting the East India CompanyDiwani rights, which allowed them to collect revenue from the territories ofBengal,Bihar, andOrissa on behalf of the Mughal emperor.
The British engaged in the fighting numbered 17,072[6] comprising 1,859 British regulars, 5,297 Indiansepoys and 9,189 Indiancavalry. The alliance army's numbers were estimated to be over 40,000, but they were still defeated by the British. A lack of basic co-ordination between the three disparate allies is seen as responsible for their decisive defeat.[citation needed]
Mirza Najaf Khan commanded the right flank of the Mughal imperial army and was the first to advance his forces against MajorHector Munro at daybreak; the British lines formed within twenty minutes and reversed the advance of theMughals. According to the British,Durrani andRohilla cavalry were also present and fought during the battle in various skirmishes. But by midday, the battle was over andShuja-ud-Daula blew up largetumbrils and three massive magazines of gunpowder.
Munro divided his army into various columns and particularly pursued the MughalGrand VizierShuja-ud-Daula, theNawab of Awadh, who responded by blowing up his boat-bridge after crossing the river, thus abandoning theMughal EmperorShah Alam II and members of his own regiment.Mir Qasim also fled with his 3 million rupees worth of gemstones and later died in poverty in 1777. Mirza Najaf Khan reorganised formations aroundShah Alam II, who retreated and then chose to negotiate with the victorious British.[7]
The historianJohn William Fortescue stated that the British casualties totalled 847: 39 killed and 64 wounded from the European regiments and 250 killed, 435 wounded and 85 missing from the East India Company's sepoys.[2] He also stated that the three Indian allies suffered 2,000 dead and that many more were wounded.[2] Another source says that there were 69 European and 664 sepoy casualties on the British side and 6,000 casualties on the Mughal side.[3] The victors captured 133 pieces of artillery and over 1 million rupees of cash. Immediately after the battle, Munro decided to assist theMarathas, who were described as a "warlike race", well known for their relentless rivalry and unwavering hatred towardsMughal Empire,Durrani Empire, Rohilla Chieftaincies, differentNawabs of thesubcontinent (most notably,Nawab of Bengal andNawab of Awadh),Nizam of Hyderabad and short livedSultanate of Mysore.
According to onebrigadier-general H. Biddulph, "the European infantry was composed of the Bengal European Battalion, two weak companies of the Bombay European Battalion, and small detachments of Marines and of H.M. 84th, 89th and 96th Regiments. The only officers killed were Lt. Francis Spilsbury of the 96th Foot and Ensign Richard Thompson of the Bengal European Battalion."[8][9]
The Battle of Buxar had far-reaching consequences that reshaped the political landscape of colonial India. Its aftermath witnessed significant shifts in power dynamics and set the stage for British dominance in the Bengal region. Following their victory over the combined forces of theNawab of Bengal, theNawab of Awadh, and theMughal Emperor—the three main scions—theBritish East India Company emerged as the preeminent power in Bengal. The battle was the beginning of the end for the Mughal Empire's political control, as the Company continued to consolidate its influence over vast territories.[7] However, this rise to power came with various challenges, especially from thezamindars of Bihar.[10]
Mir Qasim disappeared into impoverished obscurity.Shah Alam II surrendered himself to the British, andShuja-ud-Daula fled west hotly pursued by the victors. The whole Ganges valley lay at the company's mercy; Shuja-ud-Daula eventually surrendered.[11] In 1765, the British East India Company was granted the right to collect taxes from Bengal-Bihar. Eventually, in 1773, the East India company abolished local rule and took complete control of the province of Bengal-Bihar.[12] The battle exposed the inherent weaknesses and divisions among the Indian rulers. The lack of unity and coordination between the Nawabs and the Mughal Emperor made it easier for the British to defeat them. This further exacerbated the fragmentation of political power in India and paved the way for British rule on the subcontinent.
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