CLIVE, ROBERT, Lora), a Madras civil servant, who bECIIIII0 II great military commander, was Governor of Madras and of Bengal, and Com mander-in-Chief of India. Amongst the many eminent men who have served and ruled in British India, he alone hasbeen styled 'Great ; ' and whether his deeds as a military commander be e,onsidered, or his successes in the civil administration of India, posterity has conceded that title to alone. Ile entered the service of the E. I. Co. in 1741 as a writer, but shortly afterwards obtained an ensign's commission. In Septetnber 1748 he distinguished himself as an ensign before Pondicherry, and alzain in August 1749 at Devicottah. In May 1751 he was present in the fight at Volcondah, and in July defeated the French at Condore. In 1751 he laid siege to Arcot, with only 120 Europeans and 200 natives ; in August, took it. Arcot fort was invested by Chanda Sahib, with an army 4000 strong, but Clive withstood and repelled all assaults, and his opponents ultimately withdrew. This defence made a powerful impres sion on all the native races. In November he defeated Basin Rao at Arni ; in December took the pagoda of Conjeveram; in 1752 he defeated the French and Chanda Sahib at Canverypak, destroyed the town of Dupleix Fattchabad, de feated the French army, took Covelong, and com manded the land forces against Gheriah. In 1756, after the loss of Calcutta and the imprison ment by Suraj-ud-Dowla in the guard-roorn, since known as the Black Hole, he le,ft Madras with 900 Europeaus, recaptured Calcutta, and made peace. But war again broke out, and Clive with
3000 British and native soldiers defeated Suraj ud-Dowla on the 23d June 1757 at Massey, 40 miles south of Murshidabad. Mir Jafar was then declared subandar of Bengal, Behar, and Orissa. Clive revisited Britain in 17GO, with the rank of colonel. Mir Jafar was restored in 1763. Clive subsequently returned to India, corrected abuses in the government, obtained the dewani of Bengal, Behar, and Orissa, and assumed the civil and military government of the country, as Governor and Commander-in-Chief. His re trenchments caused a mutiny amongst the oflic*rs and men, which he quelled with severe measures. Ile returned to Ilritain in 1767, and at first was well received, but was subsequently impeached before Parliament,and only escaped trial by volun tary death in November 1774. In the ungrateful and final treatment by his country, his fate resetnbled those of IA Bourdonnais, Dupleix, Warren Hastings. Lord Clive was the territorial founder of British India. Warren Hastings re organized every branch of the public service, created courts of justice, and reformed the re venue collections, Lord Clive's life bas had several historians, amongst whom are Caraecioli and Malcolm.
Clive, Lord, Governor of Madras in 1801, was a relative. The descendant of Lord Clive's family is now styled Earl Powis in the peerage of Great Britain.-3 f(I fleSlop ; e.