I spy... A conspiracy!!!
What's that the generals are hiding?
Britain had been trading in India since about 1600, but it did not begin to seize large sections of land until 1757, after the Battle of Plassey, which pitted 3,000 soldiers of the British East India Company against the 5,000-strong army of the young Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud Daulah, and his French East India Company allies.
It's the night before the Battle of Plassey, almost time for a decisive war that doomed the fate of you people, you country. Your general, Mir Jaffier, the Nawab's army commander, must be stressing out about war strategies to use and worrying about the results of the war.
...Or is he?
...Or is he?
This is a family activity designed for younger kids, inspired by popular book series I Spy. In this painting, what traces of conspiracy can you spy? Can you, my fellow young detectives, stop the scandalous conspiracy?
This painting, a preliminary design for a much larger painting, was a patriotic history paintings placed on display at Vauxhall Gardens in 1762 during the seven years' war with France. Made by Francis Hayman, the painting demonstrates the the meeting between Robert Clive, the commander of the British East India Company's army in Bengal, and Mir Jaffier, the Nawab's army commander. Clive, ordered to defeat the Nawab of Bengal in order to win favorable trading conditions, encouraged the defection of Mir Jaffier to the British side. Although one of the first artists to exploit Anglo-Indian subject matter, Hayman never visited the country and this may account for his awkward rendering of the elephant.
The Battle of Plassey was a decisive victory of the British East India Company over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies on 23 June 1757, through a conspiracy which the painting depicted. The battle was waged during the Seven Years' War (1756–63), and the French East India Company sent a small contingent to fight against the British, their long-lasting European rival. The British, worried about being outnumbered by Siraj-ud-Daulah's numerical superior force, formed a conspiracy with Siraj-ud-Daulah's demoted army chief Mir Jafar, along with others such as Yar Lutuf Khan, Jagat Seths (Mahtab Chand and Swarup Chand), Omichund and Rai Durlabh. Therefore, these traitors assembled their troops near the battlefield, but none actually joined the battle. Siraj-ud-Daulah's army was defeated by roughly 3,000 soldiers of Col. Robert Clive in 1757, Calcutta captured, mainly because of the flight of Siraj-ud-daulah from the battlefield and the inactivity of the conspirators. As the result of the battle, the company consolidated its rule in Bengal which expanded over much of India for the next hundred years.
The Battle of Plassey was a decisive victory of the British East India Company over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies on 23 June 1757, through a conspiracy which the painting depicted. The battle was waged during the Seven Years' War (1756–63), and the French East India Company sent a small contingent to fight against the British, their long-lasting European rival. The British, worried about being outnumbered by Siraj-ud-Daulah's numerical superior force, formed a conspiracy with Siraj-ud-Daulah's demoted army chief Mir Jafar, along with others such as Yar Lutuf Khan, Jagat Seths (Mahtab Chand and Swarup Chand), Omichund and Rai Durlabh. Therefore, these traitors assembled their troops near the battlefield, but none actually joined the battle. Siraj-ud-Daulah's army was defeated by roughly 3,000 soldiers of Col. Robert Clive in 1757, Calcutta captured, mainly because of the flight of Siraj-ud-daulah from the battlefield and the inactivity of the conspirators. As the result of the battle, the company consolidated its rule in Bengal which expanded over much of India for the next hundred years.
Conspiracy Checklist:
I spy a ...
-a cannon! -Even though the British were outnumbered by the Nawab of Bengal, their tremendous military advantage was a huge factor in British successfully colonizing India.
-a rifle! -the British newly-invented rifles made a bleak contrast to the Indian ancient weapons such as swords.
-a treaty! -The treaty that the generals secretly conspired to divide territories and power.
-a dead soldier! -A brave young fellow who still held the belief that they were fighting for freedom and independence.
-a dropped Nawab's crown -a hat that symbolized power, which was why Mir Jafar decided to join the conspiracy--the British promised him the power he wanted
I spy a ...
-a cannon! -Even though the British were outnumbered by the Nawab of Bengal, their tremendous military advantage was a huge factor in British successfully colonizing India.
-a rifle! -the British newly-invented rifles made a bleak contrast to the Indian ancient weapons such as swords.
-a treaty! -The treaty that the generals secretly conspired to divide territories and power.
-a dead soldier! -A brave young fellow who still held the belief that they were fighting for freedom and independence.
-a dropped Nawab's crown -a hat that symbolized power, which was why Mir Jafar decided to join the conspiracy--the British promised him the power he wanted