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Delhi gate, Arcot Fort (Tamil Nadu), India en.wikipedia.org
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A few remnants of the Arcot Fort like foundations, some pillars and damaged parts including the Delhi gate still remain and visitors come here to view them. This part was originally built by Daud Khan Panni, a Mogul governor around 1698. During that time Mogul supremacy and political power were on the decline. Built on the Palar banks, Delhi gate is part of fortification of Arcot Fort. In 1783 Tipu Sultan of Mysore raided Arcot and destroyed much of the fort, the foundations and some pillars. This broken parts of Arcot gain historical importance because it saw the longest siege during the 2nd Carnatic war and how carefully Robert Clive, the British officer with little war experience managed it and came out victorious in November 1751.
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Robett Clive. facebook.com
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| Arcot in Vellore dist. Tamil Nadu.mapsofindia.com |
This battlefield and the tense siege by the Arcot forces transformed Clive into an effective commander and the Arcot battle experience stood behind his success in the annexation of Bengal by toppling Nawab Siraj-Ud-dualah and later a couple of dummy Nawabs installed by the English company. After the complete take over of Bengal, there was no turning back on the hard scrabble days of the company. The company got enormous revenue and the surplus funds were used for expanding their hold on the lands. The looting continued unabated till India's freedom in August 1947.
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| Delhi Gate pixels.com |
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Plaque, Delhi gate, Arcot (TN) ullekhnp.com
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Above image; This plague in the Delhi gate, Arcort Fort, TN reminds us how the early English rulers led by Robert Clive tactically used the disunity among the Indian rulers and also the succession battles within the royal families and deceitfully took over the Indians one after another. It all began with Arcot and later in Bengal. His active participation in the war at Tanjore and in the 2nd Carnatic war shaped him up as a full-fledged military officer, capable of handling any tricky or adverse war situation. His tactical military strategies in the 2nd Carnatic war took Clive to a dizzy height and put him on the pedestal. It is said Clive stayed in the room atop the gate during his sojourn in Arcot. The gate that we can see today was named
“Delhi Gate” to signify the next move of the English company to capture the Mughal throne in Delhi and ultimately ruling over entire India. By the same token, if Clive had not won the siege at Arcot, perhaps, it would have been impossible for the British to establish the empire in which the sun had never set.
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Robert Clive. sualci quotes
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Robert Clive used his Arcot war experience as a spring board and hereon he had seen nothing but a string of victories for the English company. As for Robert Clive's victory, ‘'Clive of India’ wins the battle in 1751 and is aid to have begun British rule in India.'' That he endured the long unexpected siege at Arcot and finally came out of it with victory suggests that he was destined to become the founder of the British Empire. Being ruthless, resourceful and and resolute military commander, Major-General Robert Clive helped secure an Indian empire for Britain. He became the first Governor General of India and eventually became an imperial statesman, As he happened to be greedy and corrupt he without any inhibition, used his political and military influence to amass a huge fortune. When corruption charges were levelled against him in the House of Common in London, he successfully defended them and came out almost unscathed. He was created Baron Clive of Plassey in 1762 and made a Knight of the Bath in 1764. When he committed suicide on 24 November 1774. he left behind a fortune worth about £500,000 (around £33 million today).
In the last two centuries there was no country in this world that was not affected by hawkish British imperialism and its powerful political impact.
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