BATTLE OF PLASSEY
By the 18th century, trading outposts run by the Portuguese, French, Danish, Dutch and English traders dotted the Indian coastline, all seeking the peppers, cloves and pearls of the east. At this time, the Europeans had not the numbers or firepower to conquer India, and the dominant power in the subcontinent was the Mughal Empire. It was, however, highly decentralized, often leaving the regional lords- the Nawabs-to fend for themselves. In that regard, these Nawabs often hired armed European trading corporations to put down rebellions within their domain, the primary method by which many European traders established their bases in Indian lands. The most prominent of these soldiers of fortune were of the Honorable East India Company, an independent mega corporation in service of the Crown of Britain, with a government mandated monopoly on British trade in India, and the ability to appoint its own governors, mint its own coin, and field its own army which consisted both of European s