The Battle of Chinsurea is a battle within the framework of the Seven Years War between British troops and the troops of the Dutch East India Company, which asked for help from the Nawab of Bengal Mir Jafar to help them drive the British out of Bengal. Although England and the Dutch Republic were not formally at war, the Dutch advanced up the Hoogly River. They met the mixed strength of British and local troops in Chinsura , near Calcutta . The British, commanded by Colonel Francis Forde, defeated the Dutch, forcing them to retreat, and then captured the Dutch ships used to deliver troops in a naval battle on November 24 .
| Battle of Chinsura | |||
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| Main conflict: Seven Years War | |||
| date | November 24 - 25, 1759 | ||
| A place | Chinsura , India . | ||
| Total | English victory | ||
| Opponents | |||
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| Forces of the parties | |||
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| Losses | |||
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Content
Background
After the British seizure and destruction of the French outpost in Chandannagar in 1757 , Mir Jafar , Nawab Bengal , opened secret negotiations with representatives of the Dutch East India Company to bring Dutch troops into the area with the aim of using them against the British. England and the Dutch Republic were in the world, although the tension between them was high due to the Seven Years War, and the administrator of the British East India Company, Robert Clive, was busy fighting the French. The Dutch directors of the East India Company, seeing the opportunity to expand their influence, agreed to send additional troops to Chinsuru , near Chandannagar. A fleet of seven ships with over one and a half thousand European and Malay soldiers aboard arrived from Batavia and entered the mouth of the Hugli River in October 1759, while the Nawab met with Clive in Calcutta.
The Nawab was forced to ask the British for help against threats on the northern border and told Clive that he would demand the departure of the Dutch ships. However, after meeting with the Dutch, he told Clive that he had granted the Dutch some privileges and that they would leave the mouth of the river as soon as circumstances allowed. This news, combined with reports that the Dutch were recruiting soldiers in Chinsura and its environs, forced Clive to view the situation as a real military threat.
Of the four ships he possessed, Clive sent one asking for help to Admiral Cornish, who was patrolling the coast. The Dutch seized this ship along with several other British ships at the mouth of the Hooghly River. Clive called the militia, began to gather volunteers, strengthened the fortifications on the river and sent Colonel Francis Ford with five hundred soldiers to Chandannagar in order to capture the Dutch outpost and intercept the Dutch if they tried to take Chandannagar.
The Dutch landed their troops on the north bank of the Hooghly on November 21 , outside the limits of the British batteries, and moved to Chinsura.
Fighting
Sea Battle
The three remaining English ships followed the Dutch ships upstream of the river at some distance. When the Dutch completed the landing of troops, their ships began to move down the river. On November 23, Commodore Charles Wilson, commander of the British flotilla, blocked their path. The next day, after the Dutch abandoned Clive's ultimatum demanding restitution for earlier Dutch unfriendly actions, both fleets engaged in battle. In a two-hour battle, the British Duke Dorset forced the Dutch flagship Vlissingen to lower the flag and capitulate, while Hardwick and Calcutta attacked two other Dutch ships. In the end, the Dutch fleet surrendered.
Chanadannagar
On the night of November 23, Ford and his men camped at Canadannagar. The Dutch, hoping to catch Ford in a vise between the arriving troops and the Chinsura garrison, sent their troops to the British camp that night. The next morning started the fight.
Ford's soldiers defeated the Dutch, forcing them to return to Chinsour, and captured the Dutch artillery. At this time, Ford received reinforcements from Calcutta, which brought the size of his troops to 1,200. The Nawab also sent 100 riders to a British camp, ostensibly to assist the British (they were probably sent in to watch the battle and go to the side of the victors).
According to data from the prisoners, the Dutch reinforcements were to arrive the next day, and Ford sent Clive to Calcutta a request for further instructions, since the attack on the Dutch troops could be viewed as an act of war. Clive responded by writing on the back of a Ford message: "Dear Ford, attack them immediately."
Biderra
Ford placed its troops on the plain of Biderra, between Chinsura and Chandannagar. His troops occupied the village of Biderra on the right flank and the mango grove on the left, a wide ditch defended the center. At about 10 am on November 25, Dutch troops arrived. Once they were within range, Ford ordered the field artillery to open fire. The Dutch continued to advance, despite the British fire, until they reached a moat, which they apparently did not know in advance. When the front of the Dutch lines stopped, the back line continued to move forward, causing the army to become confused. Since their positions were within reach of the British muskets, the Dutch suffered significant losses before they began to retreat. Then Ford launched his cavalry, inviting the people of Nawab to join. However, the Nawab riders did not enter battle until the second call, when it became clear that the British would be the victors.
Implications
The British victory was so complete that of the Dutch troops sent to Chinsura, only sixteen Europeans successfully reached the city.
As a result of this victory, the British overthrew Mir Jafar and replaced him with World Kasim . Along with the battle of Plessis , this battle helped establish British supremacy in Bengal. The battle did not affect Dutch neutrality, and they remained one of the few European states not participating in the war.
Literature
- Harvey, Robert. Clive: The Life and Death of a British Emperor. Scepter, 1999.
- Keay, John. The Honorable Company: An English East India Company. Harper Collins, 1993
- McLynn, Frank. 1759: The Year Britain. Pimlico, 2005.
- Malleson, George Bruce. The decisive battles of India: from 1746 to 1849 inclusive