Unlock Elite Access: Level Up Your Preparation with Exclusive Content

History Optional PYQ Master Pack · Model answer

Critically examine: “The Battle of Plassey (1757) thus marked the beginning of political supremacy of the English East India Company in India.”

  • UPSC 2018
  • European Penetration into India

Whether Plassey deserves the title "beginning of political supremacy" depends on how strictly "supremacy" is defined — as regional dominance within Bengal, or as pan-Indian primacy over rival Indian and European powers. Judged against the first standard the claim holds; against the second, it is premature.

You are reading the opening of the model answer. The full answer is part of the History Optional PYQ Master Pack.

What the full answer covers

  • The Case Supporting the Statement
  • The Case Against Treating It as "Supremacy" in 1757
  • A Balanced Verdict

Unlock this answer and 1,350+ more

  • 1,350+ solved UPSC History Optional PYQs from 1985 to 2025, Paper-1 and Paper-2
  • Topic-wise across Ancient, Medieval, Modern, Post-Independence and World History
  • Model answers with a clear structure and historian citations
  • Map section solutions included, at no extra cost
  • Read online on lotusarise.com, plus PDF download

₹1,499₹2,50040% off

Get History Optional PYQ Master Pack @ ₹1,499 →

One-time payment · No subscription · Instant access · UPI, cards, RuPay

See every European Penetration into India question (25 solved) →Already enrolled? Log in