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| entrance, Kathgola Palace, Kathola WB. TripAdvisor |
Kathgola (also known as Katgola) is a suburb in the city of Murshidabad, West Bengal and was once the capital of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa during the reign of the Nawabs of Murshidabad.
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| Kathgola Palace Wikipedia |
Kathgola Palace, in Kathgola Gardens is a beautiful, palace steeped in history and is a major tourist attraction. It is frequently featured in many TV serials, media reports, etc. A four-storeyed impressive palatial palace with an ornamented facade, valuable paintings, mirrors and priceless furniture, besides a small pond and a baoli - step well. it was in this palace, a decisive and important political event took place before the battle of Plassey (1757) that put the British East India Company on the pedestal under the clever military leadership of Robert Clive. Years later, this grave event had its repercussions, leading to the complete control over Bengal, part of Bihar and Orissa by the wily British. The British economy that was in doldrums then saw its gradual ascendancy decades later. The same political event taken place here opened the Pandora's box and the Indian political scenario changed drastically marked by complete domination of the English company over the Indian subcontinent in the later centuries, fall of so many rich Indian kingdoms and the emergence of British Imperialism.
Here at Kathola palace, William Watts and Walsh met Mir Jafar, a relative of Nawab of Bengal, three days after the Battle of Plassey in 1757 and had discussion concerning payment of money stipulated by them before the battle was fought.
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| Kathgola Palace, Kathola WB.youtube.com |
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| William Wattsshowalter.blogspot |
William Watts (c. 1722 – 4 August 1764) was chief of the Kasimbazar (or Cossimbazar) factory (now West Bengal) of the British East India Company and was quite conversant with Bengali, Hindustani and Persian languages. Robert Clive appointed him as a representative of the company to the Nawab's court at Murshidabad and asked him to hatch a secret plan to overthrow Nawab Siraj Ud Daulah, who was hostile to the company's interests and to install a favourable (puppet) Nawab on the throne. Dissident Amirs of the Murshidabad Durbar,
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| Mir Jafar(left)and his eldest son,Mir Miranen.wikipedia.org |
William Watts played a pivotal role in the grand conspiracy to throw Siraj Ud Daulah who was at loggerheads with the English company. On 5 June 1757 he personally visited Mir Jafar and obtained his oath of allegiance before the war. The EIC awarded Watts £114,000 from the Nawab's treasury and made him the Governor of Fort William on 22 June 1758 for the successful execution of the conspiracy with Mir Jafer.
Mir Jafar Ali Khan Bahadur (c. 1691–5 February 1765) conspired with Watts, betrayed Nawab Siraj and became the first Nawab of Bengal with support from the British East India Company. His betrayal and selfishness was widely considered the beginning of British imperialism in India and was a key factor in the eventual British domination of vast areas of the subcontinent. Siraj ud-Daulah, the previous Nawab of Bengal along with his army, were defeated and killed in the Battle of Plassey by the British and Mir Jafer's betrayal was unpardonable.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathgola
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