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Updated: May 5, 2025
His wisdom died with him, and in April, 1756, his grandson, Siraj-ud-daula, a young man of nineteen, already notorious for his debauchery and cruelty, came to the throne. The French who, of all Europeans, knew him best, for he seems to have preferred them to all others say his chief characteristics were cruelty, rapacity, and cowardice.
Owing to the general disgust felt at Murshidabad for the Nawab, his cousin, Saukat Jang, Nawab of Purneah, thought the opportunity favourable for reviving his claims, and, early in October, Siraj-ud-daula, hearing of his contemplated rebellion, invaded his country. "Every one longed for a change, and many flattered themselves it would take place.
To negotiate with Siraj-ud-daula for a peaceful re-establishment was quite as difficult, unless they were inclined to accept the very hardest conditions, for the Nawab had now the most extravagant contempt for all Europeans; a pair of slippers, he said, is all that is needed to govern them."
He joined Law at Cossimbazar and accompanied him on his first retreat to Patna. Sent back by Law, he joined Siraj-ud-daula, and commanded the small French contingent at Plassey. When the battle was lost he took refuge in Birbhum, was arrested by the Raja, and handed over to the English. The immediate gain to the English by the capture of Chandernagore was immense.
"The French have behaved with the greatest humanity to such as have taken refuge at their Factory, and the tenour of their conduct everywhere to us on this melancholy occasion has been such as to merit the grateful acknowledgment of our nation." For some two months the English remained in the French Factory, M. Law, at Cossimbazar, warmly soliciting their release from Siraj-ud-daula.
"Behold him then, freed by this event from all his inquietudes; detested, it is true, but feared even by those who only knew him by name. In a country where predestination has so much power over the mind, the star of Siraj-ud-daula was, people said, predominant. Nothing could resist him. He was himself persuaded of this.
After the capture of Chandernagore the English Council called on the Nawab to surrender the French up-country Factories to them. Siraj-ud-daula had not even yet learned the folly of his double policy. On the 4th of April he wrote to Clive: "I received your letter and observe what you desire in regard to the French factories and other goods.
As the English valued their losses at several hundreds of thousands, and the Nawab had found only some £5000 in the treasury of Fort William, it is clear that the wealth of Calcutta was either sunk in the Ganges or had fallen as booty into the hands of the Moorish soldiers. Siraj-ud-daula, though he did not yet know it, was a ruined man when he returned to his capital.
If we could have joined this force to the enemies of Siraj-ud-daula we should have placed on the throne another Nawab not, indeed, one wholly to our taste, but, not to worry about trifles, one to the liking of the house of Jagat Seth, and the chief Moors and Rajas. I am sure such a Nawab would have kept his throne.
He had firmness and also sufficient judgment to understand that the ruin of Siraj-ud-daula must necessarily bring on his own. He was as much, detested as his master.
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