{"product_id":"battle-of-plassey-1757-miniature-painting-india-art","title":"Battle of Plassey 1757 – Original British East India Company Historical Rajasthani Miniature Painting","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBattle of Plassey 1757 – Original British East India Company Historical Rajasthani Miniature Painting\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStep into one of the defining moments of eighteenth-century Indian history through this original \u003cstrong\u003eBattle of Plassey 1757 miniature painting\u003c\/strong\u003e, a highly detailed historical artwork depicting the conflict between the forces of the British East India Company under Robert Clive and the army of the Nawab of Bengal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHand-painted on \u003cstrong\u003eWasli paper\u003c\/strong\u003e using traditional miniature painting techniques, the artwork presents a complex battlefield filled with soldiers, cavalry, officers, elephants and the movement of opposing forces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeasuring approximately \u003cstrong\u003e18 × 24 inches\u003c\/strong\u003e, this single original artwork combines historical subject matter with the extraordinary level of detail associated with Indian miniature painting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is a work intended not merely as decorative wall art, but as a historical and artistic object for collectors interested in \u003cstrong\u003eBritish East India Company history, colonial India, Indian miniature painting and the political transformation of eighteenth-century Bengal\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eDo checkout our complete collection of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.artudaipur.com\/collections\/rajasthani-painting\" title=\"Traditional Rajasthani Paintings\"\u003eTraditional Rajasthani Paintings\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Battle of Plassey, 1757\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Battle of Plassey was fought on \u003cstrong\u003e23 June 1757\u003c\/strong\u003e in Bengal between the forces of the British East India Company, commanded by Robert Clive, and the army of Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe battle has an enormous place in the history of British power in India. The National Army Museum describes Clive's victory at Plassey as the beginning of a process that eventually gave the East India Company control over Bengal and contributed to the expansion of British power across the Indian subcontinent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis painting interprets that historical confrontation through the visual language of Indian miniature art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRather than reducing the event to a portrait of a single historical figure, the composition presents the wider military environment — soldiers, cavalry, commanders, elephants and the movement of troops across the battlefield.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eRobert Clive and the East India Company\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRobert Clive was one of the central figures in the expansion of East India Company power in eighteenth-century India.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOriginally a Company employee, Clive entered military service and rose rapidly through the Company's forces. By the time of Plassey, he commanded a comparatively small force against the much larger army of Siraj-ud-Daulah. The National Army Museum records that Clive's force numbered roughly 3,000 men, while the Nawab's forces were around 50,000 strong.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe enormous imbalance in numbers is one of the reasons Plassey remains such a compelling historical subject.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe battle was not simply a straightforward military confrontation. Political alliances, negotiations and internal divisions within the Nawab's camp played a major role in the outcome.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis complexity gives the subject considerable depth for a historical artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSiraj-ud-Daulah and the Nawab's Army\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the opposing side was \u003cstrong\u003eSiraj-ud-Daulah\u003c\/strong\u003e, the Nawab of Bengal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis army was substantially larger than Clive's force and included cavalry, infantry and artillery. French personnel also supported the Nawab's artillery during the conflict.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe painting's depiction of Indian soldiers, cavalry and elephants places the Nawab's forces within the wider visual world of eighteenth-century Bengal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese details are particularly important in a miniature painting because the artwork can communicate the scale and diversity of the opposing forces without relying on a modern battlefield illustration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMore Than a Battle Scene\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the most interesting aspects of the Battle of Plassey is that its historical significance extends far beyond the battlefield itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe battle became a major turning point in the relationship between the East India Company and the political powers of Bengal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe National Army Museum notes that after the battle, Mir Jafar was installed as Nawab and later ceded significant control to the British through treaties. Clive's subsequent political and financial influence in Bengal helped establish the Company as a major territorial power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe painting therefore represents more than military action.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt represents a moment of political transformation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Role of Mir Jafar\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe events surrounding Mir Jafar are an important part of the history of Plassey.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMir Jafar was a senior commander in the Nawab's forces who had secretly entered into an arrangement with the British and their allies. During the battle, his forces did not play the decisive role that their numbers might have suggested.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter Siraj-ud-Daulah's defeat, Mir Jafar was installed as Nawab.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis political dimension is important when considering artistic representations of Plassey. The event was shaped not only by battlefield tactics but also by diplomacy, alliances, finance and competing political interests.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Battlefield Composition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe artwork presents the Battle of Plassey as a densely populated historical scene.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithin the composition are:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBritish officers\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIndian soldiers\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCavalry\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWar elephants\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMilitary commanders\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBattlefield activity\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeapons and equipment\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoving troops\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArchitectural and landscape elements\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe numerous figures create a sense of movement across the composition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is one of the strengths of miniature painting as a historical medium. The artist can place many individual actors within one image while maintaining an overall narrative structure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eElephants, Cavalry and Military Detail\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWar elephants and cavalry were important visual elements of Indian warfare and courtly imagery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir presence in the painting contributes not only to the spectacle of the battlefield but also to the cultural character of the scene.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe elephants, horses, uniforms, turbans and weapons provide opportunities for extremely detailed brushwork.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt a distance, these elements contribute to the overall movement of the composition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eViewed closely, they reveal the individual work that went into creating the painting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTraditional Miniature Painting Technique\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough the subject concerns eighteenth-century colonial history, the artistic technique belongs to the long tradition of \u003cstrong\u003eIndian miniature painting\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe artwork is described as being hand-painted on \u003cstrong\u003eWasli paper\u003c\/strong\u003e, using natural stone colours and a fine single-hair squirrel brush. According to the current artwork information, the painting took more than three months to complete.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese details are particularly significant for collectors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMiniature painting requires controlled brushwork and patience. Individual figures, garments, facial features, animals and architectural details can require substantial time to complete.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe technique allows the artist to create an unusually dense amount of information within a relatively confined surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWasli Paper\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe painting is created on \u003cstrong\u003eWasli paper\u003c\/strong\u003e, a traditional prepared surface associated with Indian miniature painting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWasli provides a suitable foundation for the extremely fine brushwork required by miniature artists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a collector, the material is an important part of the artwork's identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe combination of Wasli paper, natural pigments and fine brushwork connects the physical object with the traditional techniques of Indian painting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eNatural Stone Colours\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe artwork is described as using \u003cstrong\u003enatural stone colours\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTraditional natural pigments have long been an important part of Indian painting practices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir use contributes to the character of the finished artwork and distinguishes it from digitally produced reproductions or modern mass-market prints.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe colour palette also gives the historical scene a distinctive visual richness while allowing individual figures and military details to remain legible within the larger composition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFine Squirrel-Hair Brushwork\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe artwork was created using a \u003cstrong\u003esingle-hair squirrel brush\u003c\/strong\u003e, according to the current product information.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe extremely fine brush allows the artist to work on details that would be difficult to achieve with conventional painting tools.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is particularly important in a composition such as the Battle of Plassey, where hundreds of visual details may contribute to the overall historical scene.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor collectors, close-up photography is therefore particularly valuable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe painting should ideally be photographed in sufficient resolution that viewers can appreciate the fine figures, costumes, animals and architectural elements.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eA Historical Artwork Rather Than Generic Wall Decor\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe subject gives this painting a very different character from conventional Indian decorative art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is connected to a specific historical event with a precise date, location and group of historical figures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Battle of Plassey is associated with the transformation of the East India Company from a trading organisation into a major political and territorial power in India.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat historical significance makes the artwork especially appropriate for collectors interested in the history of India and the colonial period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBritish East India Company Art\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe artwork belongs to a fascinating category of historical Indian art associated with the \u003cstrong\u003eBritish East India Company period\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring this period, European political and commercial interests increasingly interacted with Indian courts, rulers and artistic traditions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaintings from or inspired by this period can document military encounters, diplomatic meetings, court ceremonies, architecture, landscapes and the changing political environment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis Battle of Plassey painting is therefore part of a broader visual history of \u003cstrong\u003eBritish India and East India Company expansion\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eA Painting Connected With a Major Turning Point\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlassey occupies an important place in the history of British involvement in India.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe National Army Museum describes Clive's victory as leading to East India Company control of Bengal and eventually contributing to British political and military dominance across much of the subcontinent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe significance of the artwork therefore comes from the combination of:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHistorical event + Indian artistic tradition + colonial history + detailed miniature technique.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat combination makes it considerably more distinctive than a generic historical painting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eArtwork Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eArtwork:\u003c\/strong\u003e Battle of Plassey, 1757\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eArtwork Type:\u003c\/strong\u003e Original Painting\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStyle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Indian Miniature Painting\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHistorical Category:\u003c\/strong\u003e British East India Company \/ Colonial India\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHistorical Event:\u003c\/strong\u003e Battle of Plassey\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate of Event:\u003c\/strong\u003e 23 June 1757\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey Historical Figure:\u003c\/strong\u003e Robert Clive\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOpposing Power:\u003c\/strong\u003e Nawab of Bengal\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRegion of Artwork Origin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Rajasthan, India\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePainting Surface:\u003c\/strong\u003e Wasli Paper\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 18 × 24 inches\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQuantity:\u003c\/strong\u003e Single Original Artwork\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTechnique:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hand-painted miniature\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eColours:\u003c\/strong\u003e Natural Stone Colours\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBrush:\u003c\/strong\u003e Single-Hair Squirrel Brush\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAn 18 × 24 Inch Historical Miniature\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe artwork measures approximately \u003cstrong\u003e18 × 24 inches\u003c\/strong\u003e, giving the composition a substantial presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is large enough for the battlefield scene to be appreciated from a distance while still allowing the viewer to move closer and study the miniature details.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe format is particularly appropriate for a serious study, library, office, heritage interior or private collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt can also serve as a conversation piece for collectors with an interest in Indian history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFor Collectors of Colonial Indian Art\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis artwork is particularly suited to collectors interested in:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBritish East India Company history\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBattle of Plassey\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRobert Clive\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSiraj-ud-Daulah\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIndian Nawabs\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eColonial India\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBritish India\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIndian historical paintings\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIndian miniature paintings\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMilitary history\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEighteenth-century Indian history\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEast India Company artwork\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt can also be collected alongside other historical Indian artworks depicting court scenes, battles, rulers and colonial-era encounters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eA Companion to East India Company Court Art\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArtUdaipur also offers an East India Company court-scene artwork depicting a historical encounter involving Robert Clive and Indian Nawabs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTogether, these two works create a particularly interesting historical pairing:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Battle of Plassey\u003c\/strong\u003e represents the military and political confrontation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe East India Company court scene\u003c\/strong\u003e represents the diplomatic and courtly environment surrounding British-Indian political relations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a collector building a specialised collection of colonial-era Indian art, this distinction can be particularly valuable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eA Serious Historical Collection Piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe artwork combines a specific historical event with an established Indian artistic tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts appeal is therefore not limited to its decorative qualities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt can be studied as:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA historical narrative\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn example of miniature painting\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA depiction of eighteenth-century warfare\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA representation of British East India Company expansion\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA work connected with Indian court and military culture\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis combination gives the artwork long-term intellectual and visual interest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAn Original Indian Historical Painting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a single original artwork, not a mass-produced reproduction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts combination of Wasli paper, natural stone colours, fine squirrel-hair brushwork and an extensively detailed historical composition makes it particularly appropriate for a serious collection of Indian art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor someone searching for an \u003cstrong\u003eoriginal Battle of Plassey painting, East India Company miniature painting or historical Indian miniature artwork\u003c\/strong\u003e, this piece offers a highly specific subject with considerable historical significance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you would like additional high-resolution photographs, close-up images of the miniature details, information about framing, or further details about this historical artwork, please contact ArtUdaipur.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ArtUdaipur","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49763625763096,"sku":null,"price":3499.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0286\/0541\/5499\/files\/RobertClive.webp?v=1739963125","url":"https:\/\/www.artudaipur.com\/products\/battle-of-plassey-1757-miniature-painting-india-art","provider":"ArtUdaipur","version":"1.0","type":"link"}