Palashi

Plassey monument

Palashi, also called Plassey, historic village, east-central West Bengal state, northeastern India. It lies just east of the Bhagirathi River, about 80 miles (130 km) north of Kolkata (Calcutta).

Palashi was the scene of the Battle of Plassey, a decisive victory of British forces under Robert Clive over those of the nawab (ruler) of Bengal, Sirāj al-Dawlah, on June 23, 1757. Dispatched by the British East India Company from Madras (now Chennai) with reinforcements to reestablish the company’s factories (trading stations) in Bengal, Clive was aided in his mission by the treachery of the nawab’s generals. The battle helped pave the way for the British acquisition of Bengal. A monument marks the site of the battlefield, which has been partially washed away by a shift of the Bhagirathi.

Palashi likely takes its name from the Palash tree, whose red flowers can be used to produce gulal, the coloured powder thrown during the festival of Holi.