Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive (29 September 1725 - 22 November 1774), also known as Clive of India, was the first British Governor of the Bengal Presidency. Clive has been widely credited for laying the foundation of the British East India Company (EIC) rule in Bengal.

He began as a "writer" (the term used then in India for an office clerk) for the EIC in 1744; however,