Maratha invasions of Bengal - Revision history

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	The '''Maratha invasions of Bengal''' (1741-1751),<ref>{{cite book\|last=McLane\|first=John R.\|title=Land and Local Kingship in Eighteenth-Century Bengal\|date=2002\|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]\|isbn=9780521526548\|page=166\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YH6ijJnUPmcC&pg=PA166\|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book\|last1=Jaques\|first1=Tony\|title=Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: F-O\|date=2007\|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]\|isbn=9780313335389\|page=516\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dh6jydKXikoC&pg=PA516\|language=en}}</ref> also known as the '''Maratha expeditions in Bengal''', refers to the frequent invasions by the [[Maratha Empire\|Maratha forces]] in the [[Bengal Subah]] ([[West Bengal]], [[Bihar]], parts of modern [[Odisha\|Orissa]]), after their successful campaign in the [[Carnatic region]] at the [[Siege of Trichinopoly (1741)\|Battle of Trichinopoly]]. The leader of the expedition was [[Maratha]] [[Maharaja]] [[Raghoji Bhonsle]] of [[Nagpur Kingdom\|Nagpur]].<ref>SNHM. Vol. II, pp. 209, 224.</ref> The Marathas invaded Bengal six times from August 1741 to May 1751. [[Nawab]] [[Alivardi Khan]] succeeded in resisting all the invasions in western Bengal, however, the frequent Maratha invasions caused great destruction in the western Bengal Subah, resulting in heavy civilian casualties and widespread economic losses.		The '''Maratha invasions of Bengal''' (1741-1751),<ref>{{cite book\|last=McLane\|first=John R.\|title=Land and Local Kingship in Eighteenth-Century Bengal\|date=2002\|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]\|isbn=9780521526548\|page=166\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YH6ijJnUPmcC&pg=PA166\|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book\|last1=Jaques\|first1=Tony\|title=Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: F-O\|date=2007\|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]\|isbn=9780313335389\|page=516\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dh6jydKXikoC&pg=PA516\|language=en}}</ref> also known as the '''Maratha expeditions in Bengal''', refers to the frequent invasions by the [[Maratha Empire\|Maratha forces]] in the [[Bengal Subah]] ([[West Bengal]], [[Bihar]], parts of modern [[Odisha\|Orissa]]), after their successful campaign in the [[Carnatic region]] at the [[Siege of Trichinopoly (1741)\|Battle of Trichinopoly]]. The leader of the expedition was [[Maratha]] [[Maharaja]] [[Raghoji Bhonsle]] of [[Nagpur Kingdom\|Nagpur]].<ref>SNHM. Vol. II, pp. 209, 224.</ref> The Marathas invaded Bengal six times from August 1741 to May 1751. [[Nawab]] [[Alivardi Khan]] succeeded in resisting all the invasions in western Bengal, however, the frequent Maratha invasions caused great destruction in the western Bengal Subah, resulting in heavy civilian casualties and widespread economic losses.

			== List of Battles ==
			{{expansion\|date= september 2023}}
			List of battles fought between the Maratha empire and the Bengal Subah.
			{\| class="wikitable"
			\|-
			! style="background:orange;"\|
			<span style="colour: white">Name Of Conflict (Time) </span>
			! style="background:orange;"\|<span style="colour: white">Maratha commander</span>
			! style="background:orange;"\|<span style="colour: white>Bengal commander</span>
			! style="background:orange;width: 320px;"\| <span style="colour:white">Outcome</span>
			\|-
			\|First Battle of Midnapur (1742)
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg}}[[Bhaskar Ram Kolhatkar]]{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg}}[[Mir Habib]]
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Principality of Bengal (15th-18th century).svg}}[[Alivardi Khan]]
			\|'''Bengal Victory'''<br> • The Bengal forces defeated the Maratha forces and they were driven from Orissa beyond the [[Chilka lake]].{{sfn\|Datta\|1963\|p=79\|}}
			\|-
			\|Battle of Birbhum (1743)
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg}}[[Raghoji]]
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg}}[[Balaji Rao]]<br>{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Principality of Bengal (15th-18th century).svg}}[[Alivardi Khan]]
			\|'''Bengal Victory'''<br> • The Maratha forces under Raghoji compelled to leave Bengal.{{sfn\|Datta\|1963\|p=86}}
			\|-
			\|[[First Battle of Katwa]] (1744)
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg}}[[Bhaskar Ram Kolhatkar]]{{assassinated}}<br>{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg}}Alibhai Qarawwal{{KIA}}<br>{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg}}[[Mir Habib]]
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Principality of Bengal (15th-18th century).svg}}[[Alivardi Khan]]
			\|'''Bengal Victory'''<br> • Maratha forces retreated.{{sfn\|Datta\|1963\|p=90-92}}
			\|-
			\|Battle of Champanager (1745)
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg}}[[Raghoji]]
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Principality of Bengal (15th-18th century).svg}}[[Alivardi Khan]]
			\|'''Bengal Victory'''<br> • Alivardi Khan with 600 men defeated Raghoji who had over 6000 men.{{sfn\|Datta\|1963\|p=98}}
			\|-
			\|[[Second Battle of Katwa]] (1745)
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg}}[[Raghoji]]<br>{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg}}[[Mir Habib]]
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Principality of Bengal (15th-18th century).svg}}[[Alivardi Khan]]
			\|'''Bengal Victory'''<br> • Maratha retreat
			\|-
			\|Second Battle of Midnapur (1746)
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg}}Sayyid Nur
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Principality of Bengal (15th-18th century).svg}}[[Mir Jafar Khan]]
			\|'''Bengal Victory'''<br> • Family of [[Mir Habib]] taken as prisoners.{{sfn\|Datta\|1963\|p=100-101}}
			\|-
			\|[[Battle of Burdwan]] (1747)
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg}}[[Nagpur Kingdom\|Janoji Bhonsale]]
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Principality of Bengal (15th-18th century).svg}}[[Alivardi Khan]]
			\|'''Bengal Victory'''{{sfn\|Datta\|1963\|p=101-102}}
			\|-
			\|Battle of Ranisarai (1748)
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg}}[[Nagpur Kingdom\|Janoji Bhonsale]]<br>{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg}}[[Mir Habib]]<br>Shamsir Khan
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Principality of Bengal (15th-18th century).svg}}[[Alivardi Khan]]
			\|'''Bengal Victory'''<br> Alivardi Khan defeated combined Afghan and Maratha forces.{{sfn\|Datta\|1963\|p=105}}
			\|-
			\|Third Battle of Midnapur (1749)
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg}}[[Mir Habib]]
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Principality of Bengal (15th-18th century).svg}}Dost Muhammad Khan<br>{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Principality of Bengal (15th-18th century).svg}}Mir Qasim Khan
			\|'''Bengal Victory'''{{sfn\|Datta\|1963\|p=106-107}}
			\|-
			\|Battle of Cuttack (1749)
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg}}Nilla Pundit{{POW}}
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Principality of Bengal (15th-18th century).svg}}[[Alivardi Khan]]
			\|'''Bengal Victory'''{{sfn\|Datta\|1963\|p=107}}
			\|-
			\|Siege of Barabati (1749)
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg}}Sayyid Nur{{surrender}}<br>{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg}}Dharmadas Hazari{{Surrendered}}<br>{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg}}Sarandaz Khan{{KIA}}
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Principality of Bengal (15th-18th century).svg}}[[Alivardi Khan]]
			\|'''Bengal Victory'''<br> • Fort surrendered to Nawab<br> • Orissa recovered.{{sfn\|Datta\|1963\|p=107-108}}
			\|-
			\|Fourth Battle of Midnapur (1750)
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg}}[[Mir Habib]]
			\|{{flagicon image\|Flag of the Principality of Bengal (15th-18th century).svg}}[[Mir Jafar Khan]]
			\|'''Bengal Victory'''<br> • Mir Habib retreated to Jungle.{{sfn\|Datta\|1963\|p=113}}
			\|}

			===Later conflicts===
			==References==
			{{Reflist}}
			* {{Cite book \|last=Datta \|first=Kalikinkar \|url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=Tk7RAAAAMAAJ \|title=Alivardi and His Times \|date=1963 \|publisher=World Press \|language=en}}
			* [http://www.indhistory.com/maratha-bengal.html Marathas in Bengal]

	== Invasions of Bengal ==		== Invasions of Bengal ==

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{{EngvarB|date=March 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| image =
| caption =
| conflict =
| partof = [[Battles involving the Maratha Empire]]
| date = August 1741 – May 1751
| place = [[Bengal Subah]] ([[Bengal]], [[Bihar]], parts of modern [[Odisha|Orissa]])
| result = * Signing of a peace protocol<ref name="scroll">{{cite web |url=http://scroll.in/article/776978/forgotten-indian-history-the-brutal-maratha-invasions-of-bengal |title=Forgotten Indian history: The brutal Maratha invasions of Bengal |author=Shoaib Daniyal |date=21 December 2015 |website=Scroll.in}}</ref>
:* Maratha Army agreed to never cross the [[Subarnarekha River]]<ref name="Sen2011" />
:* ''De facto'' Maratha control over [[Odisha|Orissa]] in 1741, but ''de jure'' remained a part of [[Nawab of Bengal|Bengal Subah]] till 1751.<ref name="Sen" >{{cite book|last=Sen|first=Sailendra Nath |title=An Advanced History of Modern India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bXWiACEwPR8C&pg=PA1941-IA82|year=2010|page=15|publisher=Macmillan India|isbn=978-0-230-32885-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Sarkar|first=Jadunath|title=Fall of the Mughal Empire|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gKOqA9lgtbwC|edition=4th Vol. I|year=1991|publisher=Orient Longman|isbn=978-81-250-1149-1|author-link=Jadunath Sarkar}}</ref><ref name="বাংলাদেশের ইতিহাস"/>
:* After the assassination of [[Mir Habib]], the governor of [[Odisha|Orissa]] in 1751, Marathas formally incorporated Orissa in their dominion.<ref name="Sen" /><ref name="বাংলাদেশের ইতিহাস"/>
:* [[Nawab of Bengal]] agreed to pay Rs. 1.2 million of tribute annually as the ''[[chauth]]'' of Bengal and Bihar, and the Marathas agreed not to invade [[Bengal]] again.<ref name="scroll" /><ref name="oum" /><ref name="Sen2011">{{Cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=kVSh_TyJ0YoC&pg=PA162&lpg=PA162&dq=marathas+in+bengal+chauth+mir+habib#q=marathas%20in%20bengal%20chauth%20mir%20habib| title = Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal from the Mahabharata to Mujib| author1 =Nitish K. Sengupta| isbn = 9780143416784| year = 2011|pages=158–163|quote = Alivardi showed exemplary courage and military skill in every frontal battle that took place between his forces and the Marathas, in each of which, almost without exception, he had the upper hand.}}</ref>
:* The Nawab of Bengal also paid Rs. 3.2 million to the Marathas, towards the arrears of ''chauth'' for the preceding years.<ref name="Mehta2005" />
| territory = Incorporation of [[Odisha|Orissa]] into the [[Maratha Empire]]<ref>{{cite book|last=Sen|first=Sailendra Nath |title=An Advanced History of Modern India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bXWiACEwPR8C&pg=PA15-IA82&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false|year=2010|page=15|quote="In 1751,...promising cession of the province of Orissa...Orissa came under the Bhonsle's control."|publisher=Macmillan India|isbn=978-0-230-32885-3}}</ref><ref name="বাংলাদেশের ইতিহাস"/>
| combatant1 = [[File:Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|25px]] [[Maratha Empire]]
| combatant2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Principality of Bengal (15th-18th century).svg}} [[Nawab of Bengal]] 
{{flagicon image|Bengali Swastika.svg}} [[Mallabhum]]
| commander1 = [[File:Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|25px]] '''[[Raghuji Bhonsle]]''' [[File:Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|25px]] Bhaskar Pandit{{KIA}} [[File:Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|25px]] [[Janoji Bhonsle]] [[File:Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|25px]] Sabaji Bhonsle
| commander2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Principality of Bengal (15th-18th century).svg}} '''[[Alivardi Khan]]'''
*[[Mir Jafar]]
*Chitrasen Rai<ref>{{cite book |last=McLane |first=John R. |title=Land and local kinship in eighteenth-century Bengal |publisher=Cambridge University Press |pages=155–156 |isbn=0521410746}}</ref>
*Rai Durlabh
*Ghulam Mustafa Khan (''defector'')
*[[Mir Habib]] (''defector'')
*Ataullah Khan
*[[Zain ud-Din Ahmed Khan|Zaynuddin Ahmad Khan]]
*Abdus Salam
*Shaykh Masum
*Syed Ahmed Khan
 {{flagicon image|Bengali Swastika.svg}} '''[[Gopal Singha Dev]]'''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thestatesman.com/travel/bishnupur-myth-transcends-history-1502725761.html |title=Bishnupur — when myth transcends history |author=Buddhadev Nandi |date=19 January 2019 |website=The Statesman}}</ref>
| strength1 = [[File:Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|25px]] 40,000<ref name="বাংলাদেশের ইতিহাস"/> (in 1742) 12,000<ref name="archive.org">[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.43007/page/n121/mode/2up Jadunath Sarkar, Fall of Mughal Empire Volume 1, Pg.90]</ref> (in 1748)
| strength2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Principality of Bengal (15th-18th century).svg}} 15,000 Cavalry and 8,000 Musketeers<ref name="archive.org">[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.43007/page/n121/mode/2up Jadunath Sarkar, Fall of Mughal Empire Volume 1, Pg.90]</ref> (in 1748)
| casualties1 = [[File:Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|25px]] Unknown
| casualties2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Principality of Bengal (15th-18th century).svg}} 400,000 civilians deaths<ref name="Marshall73">{{cite book|title=Bengal: The British Bridgehead: Eastern India 1740-1828|author=P. J. Marshall|author-link=P. J. Marshall|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|year=2006|page=73|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lIZrfokYSY8C&pg=PA73|isbn=9780521028226}}</ref>
}}

The '''Maratha invasions of Bengal''' (1741-1751),<ref>{{cite book|last=McLane|first=John R.|title=Land and Local Kingship in Eighteenth-Century Bengal|date=2002|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|isbn=9780521526548|page=166|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YH6ijJnUPmcC&pg=PA166|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Jaques|first1=Tony|title=Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: F-O|date=2007|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]|isbn=9780313335389|page=516|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dh6jydKXikoC&pg=PA516|language=en}}</ref> also known as the '''Maratha expeditions in Bengal''', refers to the frequent invasions by the [[Maratha Empire|Maratha forces]] in the [[Bengal Subah]] ([[West Bengal]], [[Bihar]], parts of modern [[Odisha|Orissa]]), after their successful campaign in the [[Carnatic region]] at the [[Siege of Trichinopoly (1741)|Battle of Trichinopoly]]. The leader of the expedition was [[Maratha]] [[Maharaja]] [[Raghoji Bhonsle]] of [[Nagpur Kingdom|Nagpur]].<ref>SNHM. Vol. II, pp. 209, 224.</ref> The Marathas invaded Bengal six times from August 1741 to May 1751. [[Nawab]] [[Alivardi Khan]] succeeded in resisting all the invasions in western Bengal, however, the frequent Maratha invasions caused great destruction in the western Bengal Subah, resulting in heavy civilian casualties and widespread economic losses.

== Invasions of Bengal ==

From 1741 to 1751, the Marathas under [[Raghuji Bhonsle]] invaded [[Nawab of Bengal|Bengal]] six times. The first one in 1741, as also the third in 1744, were led by Raghuji's general Pandit Bhaskar Ram Kolhatkar or Bhaskar Pandit, a [[Brahmin]]. The second in 1742 and the fourth in 1745 were led by Raghuji himself. The fifth in 1747 and the sixth in 1748 were undertaken by Janoji and Sabaji respectively. These invasions caused heavy destruction in [[Bengal]], however, each of the invasions was repelled by the armies under Nawab [[Alivardi Khan]]. But the continuous conflict took a heavy toll on the population of Bengal.<ref name="বাংলাদেশের ইতিহাস">ড. মুহম্মদ আব্দুর রহিম. "মারাঠা আক্রমণ". বাংলাদেশের ইতিহাস. ২৯৩–২৯৯.</ref>

=== First invasion (1741) ===

After the inauguration of [[Alivardi Khan]] as the [[Nawab of Bengal]], the provincial governor of Orissa, Zafar Khan Rustam Jung, more commonly known as Murshid Quli II, revolted against him. The revolt was crushed by Alivardi in March 1741, but Murshid Quli II escaped with his family and took shelter of [[Raghuji Bhonsle]], the Maratha ruler of [[Nagpur]]. Raghuji agreed to assist Murshid Quli II in regaining Orissa. Murshid Quli II's son-in-law Mirza Baker, assisted by Maratha troops and the rebel forces of Orissa (who were dissatisfied with the governor of Orissa), invaded Orissa in August 1741. Orissa's governor, Syed Ahmed Khan (a nephew of Alivardi Khan), was defeated and captured along with his family.<ref name="বাংলাদেশের ইতিহাস"/>

Hearing of this, Alivardi rushed to Orissa and Alivardi's commander [[Mir Jafar]] freed Syed Ahmed and his family.<ref name="বাংলাদেশের ইতিহাস"/> Alivardi regained control of Orissa and returned to [[Murshidabad]]. Marathas retook Orissa in 1749.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.43007/page/n121/mode/2up Jadunath Sarkar,Fall of the Mughal Empire Volume 1, Pg. 97]</ref>

== End of hostilities ==
In 1751, the Marathas signed a peace treaty with the [[Nawab of Bengal]], according to which [[Mir Habib]] (a former courtier of [[Alivardi Khan]], who had defected to the Marathas) was made provincial governor of [[Odisha|Orissa]] under nominal control of the [[Nawab of Bengal]].<ref name="বাংলাদেশের ইতিহাস">ড. মুহম্মদ আব্দুর রহিম. "মারাঠা আক্রমণ". বাংলাদেশের ইতিহাস. ২৯৩–২৯৯.</ref> It made The Nawab of Bengal a tributary to the Marathas who agrees to pay Rs. 1.2 million annually as the ''[[chauth]]'' of Bengal and Bihar, and the Marathas agreed not to invade [[Bengal]] again.<ref name="scroll" /><ref name="oum">OUM. pp. 16, 17</ref> The Nawab of Bengal also paid Rs. 3.2 million to the Marathas, towards the arrears of ''chauth'' for the preceding years.<ref name="Mehta2005">{{Cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=d1wUgKKzawoC&pg=PA201&lpg=PA201&dq=marathas+in+bengal+chauth+mir+habib#q=marathas%20in%20bengal%20chauth%20mir%20habib| title = Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813| author1 =Jaswant Lal Mehta| isbn = 9781932705546| year = 2005}}</ref>

The ''chauth'' was paid annually by the Nawab of Bengal up to 1758, until the East India Company took over.<ref name="Sarkar1932">{{Cite book |author=Jadunath Sarkar |author-link=Jadunath Sarkar |year=1997 |orig-year=First published 1932 |title=Fall of the Mughal Empire |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gKOqA9lgtbwC&pg=PA85 |edition=4th |isbn=9788125011491}}
[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.43007/page/n121/mode/2up]</ref>

==See also==
*[[Maratha Ditch]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* [http://www.indhistory.com/maratha-bengal.html Marathas in Bengal]

{{MarathaEmpire|state=expanded}}

[[Category:Maratha Empire]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Maratha Empire]]
[[Category:History of Bengal]]
[[Category:History of West Bengal]]