Memorial day - 45

At the east end of St James's Park there are steps that take you along King Charles Street from Horse Guards Road to Whitehall. Walking along you pass through the heart of the British Government, flanked by the Foreign Office and the other major Ministries of State.

But the subject of today's blog is found midway up the steps, it is the statue of Robert Clive, 1st Barron Clive of Plassey - more famously known as Clive of India. If you know of Clive's achievements you might be struck by the dates on the statue 1725 ~ 1774. Clive was only 49 years old when he died!

Aged 18 Clive went to India to work as a clerk (a junior official) in the East India Company. Soon after reaching India he was soon caught up in the conflict between France and Britain over territory in the subcontinent. This was the start of Clive's career not as was first attended in the civil service, but in the military.

From 1755 Clive's name was closely associated with the East India Company's military campaigns. Clive owes his fame and fortune to his participation in the Battle of Plassey in 1757. The victory of the British East India Company over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies is seen as the defining event which established British rule of India which lasted to 1947.

In 1760 Clive returned to England a tremendously wealthy man and devoted his energies to politics. In 1765 he returned to India, where he established the Empire of British India. He left India for the last time in 1767.

On his return to Britain, his fast wealth, and more particularly how he acquired it was questioned. Although he was vindicated of any impropriety in 1774 he committed suicide by stabbing himself with a penknife.