After the defeat of Siraj ud Daulah at the Battle of Plassey in 1757 and his subsequent assassination, which Bengali noble was installed by the British as the new Nawab of Bengal?

Introduction / Context:
This question is about the immediate political consequences of the Battle of Plassey, fought in 1757 between the forces of Siraj ud Daulah and the British East India Company under Robert Clive. Plassey is often considered the starting point of British political control in Bengal. Knowing who replaced Siraj ud Daulah as Nawab after his defeat and death helps you understand how the British used puppet rulers and internal conspiracies to expand their power.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The event is the Battle of Plassey in 1757.
• Siraj ud Daulah was defeated and later assassinated.
• The British then installed a new Nawab of Bengal.
• Options are Mir Jafar, Mir Qasim, Haider Ali, Tipu Sultan and Shuja ud Daulah.
• We assume standard chronology of late eighteenth century Indian political history.

Concept / Approach:
Mir Jafar, the commander of Siraj ud Daulah's army, secretly conspired with the British and failed to support Siraj on the battlefield. In return, the British promised to make him Nawab of Bengal. After Siraj ud Daulah's defeat at Plassey and his subsequent killing, Mir Jafar was installed as Nawab. Later, due to conflicts with the Company, he was replaced by his son in law Mir Qasim, but that came afterwards. Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan were rulers of Mysore, and Shuja ud Daulah was Nawab of Awadh. The correct approach is to link Plassey and the first British sponsored change of Nawab in Bengal with Mir Jafar.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Siraj ud Daulah was the reigning Nawab of Bengal at the time of the Battle of Plassey. Step 2: Remember that Mir Jafar, his commander, entered into a secret agreement with the British East India Company. Step 3: Know that because of this conspiracy, Siraj ud Daulah was defeated and later killed, opening the way for Mir Jafar. Step 4: Identify that the British honoured their bargain by installing Mir Jafar as Nawab of Bengal. Step 5: Confirm that the other names belong to different regions or later events and select Mir Jafar as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by thinking of the sequence of Nawabs controlled by the Company. The order commonly given is Siraj ud Daulah, Mir Jafar, Mir Qasim, Mir Jafar again for a short period, and then later successors. Mir Qasim comes only after Mir Jafar and is associated with the Battle of Buxar, Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan with Mysore wars, and Shuja ud Daulah with Awadh and the Battle of Buxar. None of these other figures match the immediate aftermath of Plassey. This confirms that Mir Jafar is the correct choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Mir Qasim: He became Nawab later, after Mir Jafar was removed, and is famous for his conflict with the Company leading to the Battle of Buxar, not Plassey.

Haider Ali: Ruler of Mysore in South India, involved in Anglo Mysore wars, not the Nawab of Bengal after Plassey.
Tipu Sultan: Son of Haider Ali and later ruler of Mysore, again unrelated to the Nawabship of Bengal in 1757.
Shuja ud Daulah: Nawab of Awadh, who later allied with Mir Qasim and the Mughal emperor at the Battle of Buxar, not installed as Nawab of Bengal after Plassey.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may confuse Mir Jafar and Mir Qasim because both were Company sponsored Nawabs of Bengal and closely linked with battles Plassey and Buxar. Another common error is to pick famous names like Tipu Sultan even when the region and time period do not match. To avoid this, clearly remember that Plassey (1757) leads immediately to Mir Jafar as Nawab of Bengal, while Buxar (1764) is associated with Mir Qasim, Shuja ud Daulah and the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II.

Final Answer:
After Plassey, Siraj ud Daulah was replaced by Mir Jafar as the Nawab of Bengal.