Q. The Battle of Plassey (1757) is considered a turning point in the history of British India primarily because it:

[A] Secured the Diwani (revenue collection rights) of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa for the English East India Company.

[B] Led to the permanent exile of the Nawabs of Bengal and the introduction of the Subsidiary Alliance System in the province.

[C] Transformed the English East India Company from a purely commercial entity into a political and military power broker controlling a rich Indian province.

[D] Decisively defeated the French challenge in Bengal, making the British the dominant European power in Eastern India.

Answer: C
Notes:

Explanation:

  • (c) Correct. Plassey did not immediately grant the Diwani (that happened after Buxar, 1764), nor did it introduce the Subsidiary Alliance (which came later). Its crucial impact was that it was a political coup, allowing the British to install a puppet Nawab (Mir Jafar) and use the vast resources of Bengal for military expansion, thus transitioning the EIC’s role from a trading body to a kingmaker and political ruler.
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