Shuja-ud-Daula and the Battle of Buxar
Shuja-ud-Daula ruled as the third Nawab of Awadh from 1754 to 1775. As the Wazir (Prime Minister) of the Mughal Empire, his court at Lucknow and Faizabad served as a major center of political power in northern India. His decision to harbor Mir Qasim of Bengal in 1763 brought the regional kingdom of Awadh into direct military conflict with the British East India Company, culminating in the Battle of Buxar in 1764.
Accession and Rise as Imperial Wazir
Shuja-ud-Daula succeeded his father, Safdar Jung, as Nawab of Awadh in 1754. He maintained a well-equipped standing army, including Afghan mercenaries and Naga Sannyasi warriors under commanders like Anupgiri Gosain (Himmat Bahadur).
Appointment as Grand Wazir
- Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II appointed Shuja-ud-Daula as the Grand Wazir (Wazir-ul-Mamluk) of the Mughal Empire in 1759.
- He sheltered Shah Alam II at Faizabad, providing protection and legitimacy to the homeless Emperor.
Role in the Third Battle of Panipat (1761)
- During the invasion of Ahmad Shah Abdali, Shuja-ud-Daula allied with the Afghan forces against the Maratha Confederacy.
- His military and financial backing proved critical in defeating the Marathas at Panipat, securing his western frontiers temporarily.
Formation of the Grand Triple Alliance
In late 1763, Mir Qasim, the deposed Nawab of Bengal, fled to Awadh after his armies were defeated by the East India Company at Katwa, Giria, and Udhwa Nullah.
Strategic Objectives of the Coalition
- Mir Qasim offered financial payments of 11 lakh rupees daily to Shuja-ud-Daula to finance a joint campaign to expel the British from Bengal.
- Shuja-ud-Daula sought to extend Awadh’s territorial influence into Bihar and Bengal under the official banner of the Mughal Empire.
- Emperor Shah Alam II joined the campaign to restore imperial revenue collection across the eastern provinces.
- The three leaders established an alliance at Allahabad in early 1764, assembling an army of over 40,000 men.
The Military Clash at Buxar (1764)
The allied forces marched into Bihar in mid-1764, clashing with British troops led by Major Hector Munro at Buxar on October 22, 1764.
Key Factors in the Allied Defeat
- Divided Command: Shuja-ud-Daula, Mir Qasim, and Shah Alam II maintained separate military units without a unified operational strategy.
- Tactical Mismatch: The traditional heavy cavalry tactics of Awadh failed against disciplined British line-firing infantry and field artillery.
- Internal Treachery: Key officers in the allied army, including French mercenary Jean-Baptiste Sumru and local commanders, failed to coordinate during critical phases of the battle.
- Major Hector Munro countered the allied charges by arranging his 7,072 troops in two compact lines with artillery placed in intermediate gaps, routing the alliance within five hours.
The Treaty of Allahabad (1765) and Political Aftermath
Following the defeat at Buxar and subsequent setbacks at Kora and Kanpur, Shuja-ud-Daula surrendered to the British in May 1765. Robert Clive, returning as Governor of Bengal, negotiated two separate treaties at Allahabad in August 1765.
Key Provisions of the Treaty with Awadh
- Shuja-ud-Daula paid a war indemnity of 50 lakh (5 million) rupees to the East India Company.
- He ceded the districts of Kora and Allahabad to Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II.
- He restored the estate of Balwant Singh, the Raja of Banaras, who had aided the British during the war.
- The Company promised military protection to Awadh against external attacks, provided Awadh bore the cost of the British troops stationed there.
Transformation of Awadh into a Buffer State
- Robert Clive intentionally refrained from annexing Awadh directly to avoid extending Company borders toward Maratha-controlled territories.
- Awadh became a dependent buffer state, insulating the rich province of Bengal from potential Maratha or Afghan invasions.
- The alliance marked the start of political subjection that eventually led to the formal imposition of the Subsidiary Alliance system on Awadh in 1801.
Diplomatic and Strategic Shift: Awadh vs East India Company
| Parameter | Post-Panipat Era (1761–1763) | Post-Buxar Era (1765–1775) |
| Political Status | Independent sovereign state and Imperial Wazirate | British-controlled buffer state |
| Territorial Extent | Controlled Awadh, parts of Rohilkhand, and Gangetic Doab | Lost Kora and Allahabad; borders fixed by treaty |
| Foreign Policy | Free to form alliances with Afghans and Marathas | Forbidden from maintaining foreign relations without British consent |
| Military Alignment | Independent army with French/European trainers | Stationed British garrisons within state territories |
Key Historical Facts
Shuja-ud-Daula was the son of Safdar Jung and the grandson of Saadat Khan Burhan-ul-Mulk, who founded the autonomous state of Awadh in 1722. His mother, Nawab Begum, held control over state finances and funded several of his military preparations. During his reign, Shuja-ud-Daula made Faizabad his administrative capital before it shifted to Lucknow under his successor, Asaf-ud-Daula, in 1775. His forces included a specialized unit of Gosain warriors under Anupgiri Gosain, who fought in the vanguard at the Battle of Buxar. The Treaty of Allahabad in August 1765 turned Shuja-ud-Daula into a British ally. In 1773, through the Treaty of Banaras negotiated with Governor-General Warren Hastings, Shuja-ud-Daula bought back the districts of Kora and Allahabad from the British for 50 lakh rupees after Shah Alam II left British protection to return to Delhi under Maratha escort. This agreement allowed Shuja-ud-Daula to launch the Rohilla War of 1774, annexing Rohilkhand into Awadh with British military assistance shortly before his death in January 1775.
