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A tremendous attraction for military men in past times was the prospect of personal enrichment by taking plunder after victory in battle. British adventurer and administrator Clive of India on his own admission did quite well after the Battle of Plassey. This was a decisive victory of the British East India Company over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies on 23 June, 1757. What was the extent of his personal financial gain.

Answer: On his own admission, he removed 234,000 pounds sterling from the Bengal Treasury. In today’s currency this, conservatively, would be worth around 50 million pounds sterling.

Source: World History Factfinder by Colin McCreedy; A History of England by Paul Johnson

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