Out of the following, the most decisive battle fought by the English East India Company was:

Key Fact(s)

The Battle of Buxar (1764) was more decisive than Plassey because it involved a combined Indian front against the Company—Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daula (Nawab of Awadh), and Shah Alam II (the Mughal Emperor). The English victory conclusively established their military superiority over regional powers and the Mughal authority.

Unlike Plassey (1757), which relied heavily on conspiracy, Buxar was a clear battlefield victory. Its aftermath—the Treaty of Allahabad (1765)—granted the Company the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, providing vast revenues. These resources enabled the maintenance of a standing army and rapid expansion. Hence, Buxar laid the firm legal, financial, and political foundation of British supremacy in India.