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battle of Plassey

battle of Plassey

1 8.8
A 1757 battle in Bengal where British forces beat the local ruler and began British control in India
  • noun
  • /ˈbætəl əv ˈplæsi/
: batalla de Plassey
  • Historians often cite the battle of Plassey as the beginning of British dominance in Bengal.

Examples

  • The realization led to the first big domino falling in the corporate colonization of India at the battle of Plassey.

    Blog text (32)
  • The battle of Plassey in 1757 marked a turning point in British colonial power in India.

  • The outcome of the battle of Plassey ensured British control over the lucrative trade routes in India.

Synonyms

Plassey
vsbattle of Plassey
1 9.9

A place in Bengal, India, where a 1757 battle gave the British control

is the actual 1757 military engagement, not only the location

Surface Forms

Morphology

battle + of + Plassey

The phrase is compositional: it names a battle that took place at the location 'Plassey', so a B1 learner who knows 'battle' and recognizes 'Plassey' as a place will infer it refers to a battle at that location. The genitive-of construction is a standard, cross-linguistic pattern, so the overall meaning is transparent even if the learner may not know the historical details.

Etymology

Battle of Plassey was a small fight in 1757 in Bengal that had a big result. One popular story says a local leader switched sides during the battle, letting the British win, and that's why the battle is remembered as the 'beginning of British rule in India'.