Battle of Chinsurah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Chinsurah |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Seven Years' War | |||||||
 A 1787 painting of Chinsurah by William Hodges |
|||||||
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Nawab of Bengal |
 Dutch East India Company |
||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Francis Forde Charles Wilson Mir Jafar |
Jean-Baptiste Roussel  |
||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 300 European infantrymen 800 sepoys 50 European cavalrymen 200 Indian cavalrymen 3 warships 100 Bengali cavalrymen |
150 Europeans (garrison) 300 sepoys (garrison) 700 Europeans (reinforcements) 800 Malays (reinforcements) 7 warships |
||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | 320 killed 300 wounded 550 captured 6 warships captured 1 warship grounded |
||||||
The Battle of Chinsurah, also known as the Battle of Biderra or the Battle of Hoogly, was an important fight that happened on November 25, 1759. It took place near Chinsurah, which was a Dutch trading post in Bengal. This battle was part of the larger Seven Years' War, a huge global conflict.
The battle was fought between soldiers from the British East India Company and the Dutch East India Company. The Dutch had been invited by the local ruler, Mir Jafar, to help him remove the British. He wanted the Dutch to become the main trading power in Bengal. Even though Britain and the Dutch Republic were not officially at war, the Dutch ships sailed up the Hooghly River. They met British and Indian troops near Chinsurah, about 50 kilometers from Calcutta. The British, led by Colonel Francis Forde, won the battle. They also defeated the Dutch ships in a separate naval fight the day before, on November 24.
Contents
What Caused the Battle of Chinsurah?
This battle happened because of growing tensions between powerful trading companies. These companies, like the British and Dutch East India Companies, were not just about trade. They also had their own armies and wanted to control land and resources.
A Ruler's Secret Plan
In 1757, the British captured and destroyed a French trading post called Chandernagore. After this, Mir Jafar, who was the ruler (or Nawab) of Bengal, started secret talks with the Dutch East India Company. He wanted the Dutch to bring their soldiers into the area. His goal was to use these troops against the British.
Britain and the Dutch Republic were officially at peace. However, there was a lot of tension because of the Seven Years' War happening around the world. The British East India Company leader, Robert Clive, was busy fighting the French. The Dutch leaders at their trading post in Chinsurah saw this as a chance to become more powerful. They agreed to send more soldiers to Chinsurah.
Dutch Ships Arrive
In October 1759, a fleet of seven Dutch ships arrived at the mouth of the Hooghly River. These ships carried over 1,500 European and Malay soldiers from Batavia (modern-day Jakarta). At this time, Nawab Mir Jafar was meeting with Clive in Calcutta.
The Nawab had recently asked the British for help with threats on his northern border. He told Clive that he would go back to Hooghly and tell the Dutch ships to leave. But after meeting the Dutch, he told Clive that he had given the Dutch some special permissions. He said they would leave when the time was right. This news, along with reports that the Dutch were hiring more soldiers around Chinsurah, made Clive realize it was a serious military threat.
British Prepare for Battle
Clive had four ships available. He sent one to ask for help from Admiral Cornish, who was patrolling the coast. However, the Dutch captured this ship. They also seized several smaller British boats on the Hooghly River.
Clive quickly prepared his forces. He called up the local soldiers (militia) and asked for volunteers. He also made the river defenses stronger. He sent Colonel Francis Forde with 500 men towards Chandernagore. Forde's goal was to capture the Dutch outpost at Baranagore and stop the Dutch if they tried to take Chandernagore. On November 21, the Dutch landed their troops on the northern side of the Hooghly River. They were just out of range of the British river guns. From there, they marched towards Chinsurah.
How the Battle Unfolded
The Battle of Chinsurah actually involved two main parts: a naval battle and a land battle.
The three remaining British ships had followed the Dutch ships up the river. On November 23, the Dutch ships started moving down the river after landing their troops. Commodore Charles Wilson, who led the British ships, wanted to pass the Dutch. The Dutch threatened to fire if they tried.
The next day, November 24, Clive sent an ultimatum to the Dutch. He demanded they pay for the British ships they had seized. When the Dutch refused, the two fleets began to fight. In a two-hour battle, the British ship Duke of Dorset forced the main Dutch ship Vlissingen to surrender. The British ships Hardwicke and Calcutta chased away two other Dutch ships and forced a third one aground. The remaining Dutch ships also surrendered. Later, other British ships arriving at the river's mouth captured the two Dutch ships that had tried to escape.
Land Battle at Biderra
On the night of November 23, Colonel Forde and his men camped near Chandernagore. They had successfully taken control of Baranagore. The Dutch hoped to trap Forde's men between their newly landed troops and the Chinsurah soldiers. So, they sent their arriving troops to camp in the ruins of Chandernagore that night.
The next morning, the two forces fought. Forde's men quickly defeated the Dutch, forcing them back towards Chinsurah. The British also captured the Dutch cannons. More British soldiers from Calcutta joined Forde, bringing his total force to about 1,200 men. The Nawab also sent 100 cavalry (soldiers on horseback) to the British camp. They were supposedly there to help, but they were likely watching to see who would win.
Forde learned from captured Dutch soldiers that more Dutch reinforcements would arrive the next day. He quickly sent a message to Clive in Calcutta asking for advice. Attacking the Dutch could be seen as an act of war. Clive's famous reply, written on the back of Forde's message, was: "Dear Forde—Fight them immediately."
The Final Confrontation
Forde chose a flat area called the plain of Biderra for the battle. This plain was between Chinsurah and Chandernagore. His troops were positioned in the village of Biderra on the right and a mango grove on the left. A wide ditch protected the center of his lines.
Around 10 AM on November 25, the Dutch force arrived. As soon as they were close enough, Forde ordered his cannons to fire. The Dutch kept moving forward despite the British fire until they reached the ditch. They didn't seem to know it was there. When the front of the Dutch lines stopped at the ditch, the soldiers behind them kept pushing forward. This caused a lot of confusion among the Dutch troops. Since they were now within range of British musket fire, they suffered many casualties before they could turn and retreat. At this point, Forde sent out his cavalry, inviting the Nawab's men to join the charge. However, the Nawab's men waited. They only joined the British during the second charge, when it was clear the British were winning.
What Happened After the Battle?
The British won a very clear victory. Out of all the Dutch soldiers sent, only 16 Europeans managed to reach Chinsurah safely.
After this victory, Clive removed Mir Jafar as the Nawab and replaced him with Mir Jafar's son-in-law, Mir Kasim Ali Khan. Along with the Battle of Plassey, the Battle of Chinsurah helped the British East India Company gain strong control over Bengal. The battle did not change the Dutch's neutral position in the larger Seven Years' War. They remained one of the few European countries not directly involved in that global conflict.
