Merchants to Monarchs by Santanu Basu [Paperback]

This book describes the events of one hundred and fifty years leading to the Battle of Plassey. The twists and turns, the incredible pace, and what is at stake makes this non-fiction unputdownable. Initially, the British struggled to understand how the Mughal government functioned and the internal politics of India. The tropical weather made their life even more difficult. They originally had no plan to rule over India. All they ever wanted was to make handsome profit by trading with India. Still, in 1757, Robert Clive defeated the last independent Nawab of Siraj-ud-Daulah.