Palashi
Encyclopedia
Palashi is a small hamlet on the Bhagirathi river, located approximately 50 kilometres north of the city of Krishnagar
in the Nadia District
of West Bengal
, India
. The nearest major town is Beldanga
. It has its own local gram panchayat
. It is particularly well known due to the battle
fought there in 1757.
(Bengali
: পলাশ Pôlash - Butea frondosa or Butea monosperma; the English version of the name is presumably from a western Indic form like Urdu
palāśi, pronounced pəˈlaːsi. Common name in English: Flame of the Forest or Bastard Teak), which flowers in the spring. The word officially used is 'Plassey' not 'Plashi'.
was fought between the forces of Siraj Ud Daulah, the last Nawab of Bengal
(and his French support troops) and the troops of the British East India Company
, led by Robert Clive. This event, part of the Seven Years War, ultimately led to the establishment of British rule in Bengal
, and eventually, the whole Indian subcontinent
. During British rule
it became part of Nadia District of Bengal
.
In 1998, the Khaitan Group, which operates a factory in Plassey for making sugar, had tried to change the name to Khaitan Nagar. Voluble protests from the local press led the industrialists to give up the idea.
Krishnagar
Krishnanagar is a municipality and administrative headquarters of Nadia district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Geography:Krishnanagar is located at . It has an average elevation of 14 metres...
in the Nadia District
Nadia District
Nadia district is a district of the state of West Bengal, in the north east of India. It borders with Bangladesh to the east, North 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts to the south, Bardhaman district to the west, and Murshidabad district to the north....
of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The nearest major town is Beldanga
Beldanga
Beldanga is a town and a municipality in Murshidabad district in the state of West Bengal, India.-Geography:Beldanga is located at . It has an average elevation of 20 metres .-Demographics:...
. It has its own local gram panchayat
Gram panchayat
Gram panchayats are local self-governments at the village or small town level in India. As of 2002 there were about 265,000 gram panchayats in India. The gram panchayat is the foundation of the Panchayat System. A gram panchayat can be set up in villages with minimum population of 300...
. It is particularly well known due to the battle
Battle of Plassey
The Battle of Plassey , 23 June 1757, was a decisive British East India Company victory over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies, establishing Company rule in South Asia which expanded over much of the Indies for the next hundred years...
fought there in 1757.
Etymology
The name Palashi is derived from the red flower ButeaButea
Butea or Flame of the Forest is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the pea family, Fabaceae. It has two species. Butea monosperma, also known as Flame of the Forest or Bastard Teak in English, Kingshuk or Palash in Bengali or Hindi, Kesudo or Khakhro in Gujarati, is native to India and...
(Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
: পলাশ Pôlash - Butea frondosa or Butea monosperma; the English version of the name is presumably from a western Indic form like Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
palāśi, pronounced pəˈlaːsi. Common name in English: Flame of the Forest or Bastard Teak), which flowers in the spring. The word officially used is 'Plassey' not 'Plashi'.
History
Pâlāshi achieved historical significance when, on 23 June 1757, the Battle of PlasseyBattle of Plassey
The Battle of Plassey , 23 June 1757, was a decisive British East India Company victory over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies, establishing Company rule in South Asia which expanded over much of the Indies for the next hundred years...
was fought between the forces of Siraj Ud Daulah, the last Nawab of Bengal
Nawab of Bengal
The Nawabs of Bengal were the hereditary nazims or subadars of the subah of Bengal during the Mughal rule and the de-facto rulers of the province.-History:...
(and his French support troops) and the troops of the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, led by Robert Clive. This event, part of the Seven Years War, ultimately led to the establishment of British rule in Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
, and eventually, the whole Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
. During British rule
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
it became part of Nadia District of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
.
In 1998, the Khaitan Group, which operates a factory in Plassey for making sugar, had tried to change the name to Khaitan Nagar. Voluble protests from the local press led the industrialists to give up the idea.