The battle of Plassey or Palashi (mentioned in Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises) was fought by British troops in support of the British East India Company against the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies in 1757. It was important that the BEIC's trade in India not be interrupted by foreign infringement. Following the fall of Calcutta a year earlier to the Nawab of Bengal, Sirāj-ud-Dawlah, British troops under Lieutenant Colonel Robert Clive were sent to recapture the city. Clive succeeded, but Clive soon learned of an uprising by the Nawab with French assistance. The Nawab's army numbered nearly 60,000 troops, while Clive had less than 4000. However, Clive negotiated an agreement with the Nawab's uncle, Mir Jaffar, who promised that the majority of Indian troops (about 45,000) would not fight. Sure enough, when the Nawab ordered a frontal assault against the powerful British artillery, the 45,000 native troops refused to move. Many of the Nawab's men were slaughtered by the British cannons, and the Nawab retreated, leaving behind 1000 dead. Clive's total losses were 72 men. Jaffar was then set up as the new puppet Nawab. The victory solidified Great Britain's presence in India and paved the way for their further forays to colonialize Asia.