The Career of Mir Jafar Khan (Review)
By S. K. Dave
Summary
The review summarises Atul Chandra Roy’s study of Mir Jafar Khan, a key figure in the fall of Bengal. Roy argues that the Battle of Plassey (1757) was won through Mir Jafar’s treachery and Siraj ud‑Daula’s mistakes and should not be celebrated as the foundation of British India. The author emphasises the lack of Indian unity and the British ability to exploit factionalism. Colonel Clive sought trade and power; he needed a compliant Nawab. Mir Jafar, an obscure soldier who had risen to general under Alivardi Khan, was selected because he lacked statesmanship and could be controlled. Roy depicts Mir Jafar as treacherous, immoral and self‑serving; he accepted bribes and allowed British influence to grow, then was deposed when he showed independence. His reinstatement came with more onerous terms. The book challenges views that Mir Jafar was a reluctant puppet; rather, he colluded willingly. The review situates this biography in the context of 18th‑century instability: after Aurangzeb’s death the Mughal centre weakened, regional power was seized by adventurers and foreign intervention increased.
Conclusion
Roy’s biography portrays Mir Jafar as an opportunist whose treachery enabled British ascendancy in Bengal. It contends that he knowingly aided the British and profited from betrayal, undermining the notion that he was merely coerced. The work emphasises how personal ambition and colonial manipulation together eroded Indian sovereignty in the mid‑18th century.