Clive, Robert (1725-1774), was the British administrator and military leader who brought India into the British Empire.
Clive was born on Sept. 29, 1725, in Shropshire, England. He joined the English East India Company, Britain’s trading company in India, in 1743. In 1747, he received a commission in the company’s armed services. The British and French trading companies were struggling for control of India, and Clive won several important victories over the French and their Indian allies. In 1757, he led 3,200 troops to victory over 50,000 enemy troops at the Battle of Plassey. This victory enabled the British to gain control of Bengal, the richest province in India. See East India Company .
Clive returned to Britain in 1760 and entered Parliament. He was named Baron Clive of Plassey in 1762. In 1773, some of Clive’s enemies persuaded Parliament to investigate his career in India. The investigation showed that Clive had made a fortune, but that he had also rendered “great and meritorious service to his country.” Sickness during the last year of his life caused Clive to become an opium addict. He committed suicide on Nov. 22, 1774.
See also Buxar, Battle of .
