Question

until around 1750, the eic was mostly made up of merchants. most of the companys officials were young men, sent out at the age of 16 to keep trade flowing. some made their fortunes, but many died young. one of these young men was robert clive. clive arrived in india in 1744, just as the mughal empire was declining. as britain and france went to war with each other around the world during the seven years war, each supported rival factions within the mughal empire. in 1757, clive led eic forces to a major victory over a french - bengali force that allowed the eic to seize the rich mughal province of bengal.
thanks to clives victory, the east india company became a government as well as a trading company. in practice, they ruled bengal. that meant they could control trade and production, buying goods at low cost from local producers and selling them at a profit in europe. it meant they could levy taxes on the local population. and it allowed them to loot the bengali treasury. clive, still a young man, soon returned home and retired as one of britains wealthiest people.
describe the significance of robert clives victory in 1757. how did this event change the nature of the east india company?

Explanation:

The text describes Robert Clive's victory in 1757. This victory was significant as it allowed the East India Company (EIC) to seize Bengal. As a result, the EIC transformed from just a trading company to a governing entity. It could control trade and production (buying cheap and selling at a profit), levy taxes, and loot the treasury.

Answer:

Robert Clive's victory in 1757 was significant as it enabled the East India Company to seize Bengal. This event changed the nature of the East India Company from a mere trading company to a governing body. It could now control trade and production (buy goods at low cost from local producers and sell at a profit in Europe), levy taxes on the local population, and loot the Bengal treasury.