Siraj‑ud‑daulah and the English before 1756

Summary

This article studies relations between Siraj‑ud‑daulah, Nawab of Bengal, and the English East India Company before 1756. In May 1752 Nawab Alivardi named Siraj his successor, and during Siraj’s stay at Hugli he was visited by French and Dutch officials, signalling European interest in his favour. The Council in Calcutta judged it necessary to pay respects; President Roger Drake and other officials visited Siraj in September 1752, but relations were strained. The article recounts disputes over the Company’s fortification of Calcutta without the Nawab’s permission, Siraj’s demand that they cease, and the Company’s duplicity in continuing to arm itself. Commercial tensions arose as Siraj resented the misuse of dastaks and interference in local commerce. The author argues that these frictions laid the groundwork for Siraj’s attack on Calcutta in June 1756. He notes that Siraj’s suspicions were fuelled by the English supporting his rival Ghaseti Begum and by reports of alliances with the French. By reconstructing events from 1752–56, the article shows that the rupture was not sudden but resulted from years of mistrust. The paper thus challenges the stereotype of Siraj as an irrational despot and emphasises the role of Anglo‑French rivalry and Company aggression in precipitating conflict.