ব্যাবিঙ্কটন মেকলে ক্লাইভের জীবনী লিখতে গিয়ে বলেছেন সিরাজ লোভের বশবর্তী হয়ে কলকাতা আক্রমণ করেছেন। ঐতিহাসিকদের সিরাজ বিরোধিতার একটা বড় উৎস ঔপনিবেশিক মেকলের ক্লাইভের জীবনী।
অথচ ব্রিটিশদের সঙ্গে নবাবের পক্ষে দরকষাকষি করা খ্বাজা ওয়াজিদকে ১৭৬৭ সালের ১ জুনের চিঠিতে(পলাশীর ঠিক এক বছর আগে) সিরাজ লিখলেনঃ
I have three substantial motives for extirpating the English out of my country:
one that they have built strong fortifications and dug a large ditch in the king’s dominions contrary to the established laws of the country;
the second is that they have abused the privilege of their dastaks [trade passes] by granting them to such as were in no ways entitled to them, from which practice the king has suffered greatly in the revenue of his customs;
the third motive is that they give protection to such of the king’s subjects as have by their behavior in the employs they were entrusted with made themselves liable to be called to an account. (qtd. in Hill III 152)
one that they have built strong fortifications and dug a large ditch in the king’s dominions contrary to the established laws of the country;
the second is that they have abused the privilege of their dastaks [trade passes] by granting them to such as were in no ways entitled to them, from which practice the king has suffered greatly in the revenue of his customs;
the third motive is that they give protection to such of the king’s subjects as have by their behavior in the employs they were entrusted with made themselves liable to be called to an account. (qtd. in Hill III 152)
{Myth, Language, Empire: The East India Company and the Construction of British India, 1757-1857: Nida Sajid}
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