Unlock Elite Access: Level Up Your Preparation with Exclusive Content

History Optional PYQ Master Pack · Model answer

The battle of Plassey was “not a great battle but a great betrayal.” Comment.

  • UPSC 2000
  • European Penetration into India

Measured purely as a military engagement, Plassey (23 June 1757) was almost trivial: a few hours of largely ineffective firing, minimal casualties, and an outcome effectively decided before the first shot was fired. Its historical weight comes entirely from the political betrayal that preceded it.

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

  • Why It Was "Not a Great Battle"
  • Why It Was "A Great Betrayal"
  • The Larger Significance of Reading Plassey This Way

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