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#REDIRECT [[Nawabs of Bengal and Murshidabad]]
{{Short description|Rulers of Eastern India and Bangladesh in the 18th-century}}
{{About|the last independent rulers of Bengal (1717–1757) and their titular successors (1757–1947)|the titular aristocrat family of Murshidabad (1882–1969)|Nawabs of Murshidabad}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox former monarchy
| royal_title      = [[Nawab]]
| realm            = [[Bengal Subah|Bengal]]
| border            = provincial
| coatofarms        = Flag of the Principality of Bengal (15th-18th century).svg
| coatofarmssize    =
| coatofarmscaption = [[Coat of Arms]] of the Nawabs of Bengal
| image            = India1760 1905.jpg
| caption          = Map of Bengal Subah (Red east)
| first_monarch    = [[Murshid Quli Khan]]
| last_monarch      = [[Siraj ud-Daulah]] (Independent)<br>[[Mansur Ali Khan]] (Under British)
| style            = [[Majesty|His Majesty]]
| residence        = [[Hazarduari Palace]]
| appointer        = {{ubl|[[Hereditary]] (1717–1757) | [[British Empire]] (1757–1884)}}
| began            = {{start date and age|1717}}
| ended            = {{start date and age|1884}}
|
}}
{{History of Bangladesh}}
The '''Nawab of Bengal'''<ref name="Ahmed2011">{{cite book|author=Farooqui Salma Ahmed|title=A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: From Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sxhAtCflwOMC&pg=PA366|year=2011|publisher=Pearson Education India|isbn=978-81-317-3202-1|pages=366–}}</ref><ref name="ChakrabartiChakrabarti2013">{{cite book|author1=Kunal Chakrabarti|author2=Shubhra Chakrabarti|title=Historical Dictionary of the Bengalis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QVOFAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA237|date=22 August 2013|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-8024-5|pages=237–}}</ref><ref>{{Cite ODNB|url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-63552|title=Bengal, nawabs of (act. 1756–1793), rulers in India|year=2004|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/63552}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ali-Vardi-Khan|title=ʿAlī Vardī Khān &#124; nawab of Bengal|website=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref> ({{lang-bn|বাংলার নবাব}}) was the hereditary ruler of [[Bengal Subah]] in [[Mughal Empire]]. In the early 18th-century, the Nawab of Bengal was the ''de facto'' independent ruler of the three regions of [[Bengal]], [[Bihar]], and [[Orissa]] which constitute the modern-day sovereign country of [[Bangladesh]] and the [[Indian state]]s of [[West Bengal]], [[Bihar]] and [[Orissa]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Bengal-region-Asia|title=Bengal &#124; region, Asia|website=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Odisha|title=Odisha - History|website=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://scroll.in/magazine/862281/murshidabad-can-teach-the-rest-of-india-a-lot-on-how-to-restore-heritage-and-market-the-past|title=Murshidabad can teach the rest of India how to restore heritage and market the past|first=Jael|last=Silliman|website=Scroll.in}}</ref> They are often referred to as the '''Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa''' ({{lang-bn|বাংলা, বিহার ও উড়িষ্যার নবাব}}).<ref>{{cite book|title=A Comprehensive History of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RAON5AW4yUEC&pg=PA27|date=1 December 2003|publisher=Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd|isbn=978-81-207-2506-5|page=27}}</ref> The Nawabs were based in [[Murshidabad]] which was centrally located within Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha. Their chief, a former prime minister, became the first Nawab. The Nawabs continued to issue coins in the name of the Mughal Emperor, but for all practical purposes, the Nawabs governed as independent monarchs. Bengal continued to contribute the largest share of funds to the imperial treasury in Delhi. The Nawabs, backed by bankers such as the [[Jagat Seth]], became the financial backbone of the Mughal court. During the 18th century, the Nawabs of Bengal were among the wealthiest rulers in the world.<ref name="auto1">William Dalrymple (10 September 2019). ''The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company''. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 308. {{ISBN|978-1-4088-6440-1}}.</ref>
 
The Nawabs, especially under the rule of [[Alivardi Khan]] of 16 years, was heavily engaged in various wars against the Marathas. Towards the end, he turned his attention to rebuilding and restoring [[Bengal]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Datta |first=Kalikinkar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p4wdAAAAMAAJ |title=The Dutch in Bengal and Bihar, 1740-1825 A.D. |date=1948 |publisher=University of Patna |pages=12 |language=en}}</ref>
 
The Nawabs of Bengal oversaw a period of [[proto-industrialization]]. The Bengal-Bihar-Orissa triangle was a major production center for cotton muslin cloth, silk cloth, shipbuilding, gunpowder, saltpetre, and metalworks. Factories were set up in Murshidabad, Dhaka, Patna, Sonargaon, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Cossimbazar, Balasore, Pipeli, and Hugli among other cities, towns, and ports. The region became a base for the [[British East India Company]], the [[French East India Company]], the [[Danish East India Company]], the [[Austrian East India Company]], the [[Ostend Company]], and the [[Dutch East India Company]].
 
The British company eventually rivaled the authority of the Nawabs. In the aftermath of the [[siege of Calcutta]] in 1756, in which the Nawab's forces overran the main British base, the East India Company dispatched a fleet led by [[Robert Clive]] who defeated the last independent Nawab [[Siraj-ud-Daulah]] at the [[Battle of Plassey]] in 1757. [[Mir Jafar]] was installed as the puppet Nawab. His successor [[Mir Qasim]] attempted in vain to dislodge the British. The defeat of Nawab Mir Qasim of Bengal, Nawab [[Shuja-ud-Daula]] of [[Oudh]], and Mughal Emperor [[Shah Alam II]] at the [[Battle of Buxar]] in 1764 paved the way for British expansion across India. The South Indian [[Kingdom of Mysore]] led by [[Tipu Sultan]] overtook the Nawab of Bengal as the subcontinent's wealthiest monarchy; but this was short-lived and ended with the [[Anglo-Mysore War]]. The British then turned their sights on defeating the [[Maratha Empire|Marathas]] and [[Sikh Empire|Sikhs]].
 
In 1772, Governor-General Warren Hastings shifted administrative and judicial offices from Murshidabad to [[Calcutta]], the capital of the newly formed [[Bengal Presidency]], and the ''de facto'' capital of British India.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Kolkata|title=Kolkata - Capital of British India|website=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref> The Nawabs had lost all independent authority since 1757. In 1858, the British government abolished the symbolic authority of the Mughal court. After 1880, the descendants of the Nawabs of Bengal were recognised simply as [[Nawabs of Murshidabad]] with the mere status of a [[peerage]].<ref name="Watt1987">{{cite book|author=Sir George Watt|title=Indian Art at Delhi 1903: Being the Official Catalogue of the Delhi Exhibition 1902-1903|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Oc_oAfZLKnoC&pg=RA4-PA421|year=1987|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=978-81-208-0278-0|page=4}}</ref>
 
==History==
[[File:Map of Bengal, Behar, Orissa 1813.jpg|thumb|A map of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa under British rule. The map roughly corresponds to the territory of the Nawab of Bengal.]]
 
===Independent nawabs===
The Bengal Subah was the wealthiest [[subah]] of the [[Mughal Empire]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Bengal ''subah'' was one of the richest ''subahs'' of the Mughal empire |url= http://business.illinois.edu/doogar/www/other/jain/murshid.html |access-date=17 August 2012 |url-status= live |archive-url= http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20120819051449/http://business.illinois.edu/doogar/www/other/jain/murshid.html |archive-date=19 August 2012}}</ref> There were several posts under the Mughal administrative system of Bengal since [[Akbar]]'s conquest in the 1500s. ''Nizamat'' (governornership) and ''diwani'' (premiership) were the two main branches of provincial government under the Mughals.<ref name=nawab>{{cite web |publisher=Murshidabad.net |date=8 May 2012 |title=Murshidabad History - The Nawabs and Nazims |url=http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-nawab.htm |access-date=9 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120903091902/http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-nawab.htm |archive-date=3 September 2012 }}</ref> The ''[[Subahdar]]'' was in-charge of the ''nizamat'' and had a chain of subordinate officials on the executive side, including ''diwans'' (prime ministers) responsible for revenue and legal affairs.<ref name=nawab /> The regional decentralization of the Mughal Empire led to the creation of numerous semi-independent strongholds in the Mughal provinces. As the Mughal Empire began to decline, the Nawabs rose in power.<ref name=nawab /><ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ga-pmgxsWwoC&q=balaji+vishwanath+peshwa&pg=PA11 |title=History Modern India – S. N. Sen – Google Books |access-date=6 July 2012 |isbn=9788122417746 |last1=Sen |first1=S. N. |year=2006}}</ref> By the early 1700s, the Nawabs were practically independent, despite a nominal tribute to the Mughal court.<ref name="ReferenceA" />
 
The Mughal court heavily relied on Bengal for revenue. [[Azim-us-Shan]], the Mughal viceroy of Bengal, had a bitter power struggle with his prime minister (''[[Diwan (title)|diwan]]'') Murshid Quli Khan. Emperor Aurangzeb transferred Azim-us-Shan out of Bengal as a result of the disputes. After the viceroy's exit, the provincial premier Murshid Quli Khan emerged as the ''de facto'' ruler of Bengal. His administrative [[coup]] merged the offices of the ''diwan'' (prime minister) and ''subedar'' (viceroy). In 1716, Khan shifted Bengal's capital from [[Dhaka]] to a new city named after himself. In 1717, Mughal Emperor Farrukhsiyar recognized Khan as the hereditary Nawab Nazim. The Nawab's jurisdiction covered districts in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Nawab |title=Nawab |website=Banglapedia}}</ref> The Nawab's territory stretched from the border with [[Oudh]] in the west to the border with [[Arakan]] in the east.
 
The chief deputy of the Nawab was the Naib Nazim of Dhaka, the mayor of the former provincial capital whose own wealth was considerable; the Naib Nazim of Dhaka also governed much of eastern Bengal. Other important officials were stationed in Patna, [[Cuttack]], and Chittagong. The aristocracy was composed of the [[Zamindars of Bengal]]. The Nawab was backed up by the powerful Jagat Seth family of bankers and money lenders. The Jagat Seth controlled the flow of Bengali revenue into the imperial treasury in Delhi.<ref name="auto1"/> They served as financiers to both the Nawabs and European companies operating in the region.
[[File:Murshidabad.gif|thumb|Sketch of the main [[Katra Mosque|caravanserai and mosque]] in Murshidabad]]
The Nawabs profited from the revenue generated by the worldwide demand of [[muslin trade in Bengal]], which was centered in Dhaka and [[Sonargaon]]. Murshidabad was a major center of [[silk]] production.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://asianartnewspaper.com/murshidabad-the-forgotten-capital-of-bengal/ |title = Murshidabad: The forgotten capital of Bengal - Asian Art Newspaper}}</ref> [[Shipbuilding]] in [[Chittagong]] enjoyed Ottoman and European demand. [[Patna]] was a center of metalworks and the military-industrial complex. The Bengal-Bihar region was a major exporter of [[gunpowder]] and [[saltpetre]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archive.dhakatribune.com/heritage/2014/nov/01/gunpowder-plots |title=Gunpowder plots &#124; Dhaka Tribune |website=archive.dhakatribune.com |access-date=11 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929135203/http://archive.dhakatribune.com/heritage/2014/nov/01/gunpowder-plots |archive-date=29 September 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Saltpetre |title=Saltpetre |website=Banglapedia}}</ref> The Nawabs presided over an era of growing organization in banking, [[handicrafts]], and other trades.
 
Bengal attracted traders from across [[Eurasia]]. Traders were lodged at [[caravanserai]]s, including the [[Katra Masjid]] in Murshidabad; and the [[Bara Katra]] and [[Choto Katra]] in Dhaka. [[Dutch Bengal]]i trading posts included the main Dutch port of Pipeli in Orissa; the [[Dutch settlement in Rajshahi]]; and the towns of [[Cossimbazar]] and [[Hugli-Chuchura|Hugli]]. The Danes built trading posts in [[Bankipur (Bengal)|Bankipur]] and on islands of the [[Bay of Bengal]]. [[Balasore]] in Orissa was a prominent Austrian trading post. Bengali cities were full of brokers, workers, peons, naibs, wakils, and ordinary traders.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Murshidabad |title=Murshidabad |website=Banglapedia}}</ref>
[[File:Dutch VOC ships in Chittagong or Arakan.jpg|thumb|Dutch East India Company ships in Chittagong harbor, early 18th-century]]
The Nawabs were patrons of [[the arts]], including the Murshidabad style of [[Mughal painting]], [[Hindustani classical music]], the [[Baul]] tradition, and local craftsmanship. The second Nawab [[Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan]] developed Murshidabad's royal palace, military base, city gates, revenue office, public audience hall ([[durbar (court)|durbar]]), and mosques in an extensive compound called Farrabagh (Garden of Joy) which included canals, fountains, flowers, and fruit trees. The second Nawab's reign saw a period of economic and political consolidation.<ref name="auto"/>
 
The third Nawab [[Sarfaraz Khan]] was preoccupied with military engagements, including [[Nader Shah's invasion of India]]. Sarfaraz Khan was killed at the [[Battle of Giria]] by his deputy [[Alivardi Khan]]. The coup by Alivardi Khan led to the creation of a new dynasty. Nawab Alivardi Khan endured brutal raids by the [[Maratha Empire]]. The Marathas undertook [[Expeditions in Bengal|six expeditions in Bengal]] from 1741–1748. The Maratha general [[Raghunathrao|Raghunath Rao]] conquered large parts of Orissa.<ref>SNHM. Vol. II, pp.&nbsp;209, 224.</ref> Nawab Alivardi Khan made peace with Raghunathrao in 1751, ceding large parts of Orissa up to the river Subarnarekha. The Marathas demanded an annual tribute payment.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wernham |first=R. B. |title=The New Cambridge Modern History: Volume 3, Counter-Reformation and Price Revolution, 1559–1610 (Maratha invasion of Bengal) |date=1 November 1968 |publisher=CUP Archive |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=1BY9AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA555 |access-date=14 August 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170810081522/https://books.google.com/books?id=1BY9AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA555 |archive-date=10 August 2017 |url-status= live}}</ref> The Marathas also promised to never to cross the boundary of the Nawab's territory.<ref>{{cite book |last=Sarkar |first=Jadunath |title=Fall of the Mughal Empire- Vol. I (4Th Edn.) (Maratha ''Chauth'' from Bihar) |date=1 January 1991 |publisher=Orient Blackswan |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=gKOqA9lgtbwC&pg=PA64 | access-date=14 August 2012 |isbn=9788125011491 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Architecture and Art of the Deccan Sultanates, Volumes 1-7 (Maratha raids in Bihar) | author=George Michell and Mark Zebrowski |date=10 June 1999 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=aHcfv6zkJgQC&pg=PA21 |access-date=14 August 2012 |isbn=9780521563215 }}</ref> European trading companies also grew more influential in Bengal.
 
The Nawabs were also notorious for their repressive tactics, including torture for non-payment of land rent.<ref name="auto1"/> Nawab Alivardi Khan's successor was Nawab [[Siraj-ud-Daulah]].Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah grew increasingly wary of the British presence in Bengal. He also feared invasions by the [[Durrani Empire]] from the north and Marathas from the west. On 20 June 1756, Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah launched the [[siege of Calcutta]], in which he won a decisive victory. The British were briefly expelled from Fort William, which came under the occupation of the Nawab's forces. The East India Company dispatched a naval fleet led by [[Robert Clive]] to regain control of Fort William. By January 1757, the British retook Fort William. The stalemate with the Nawab continued into June. The Nawab also began cooperating with the French East India Company, raising the ire of the British further. Britain and France were at the time pitted against each other in the [[Seven Years' War]].
 
[[File:Clive.jpg|thumb|[[Robert Clive]] meets [[Mir Jafar]] at the [[Battle of Plassey]] in 1757]]
 
On 23 June 1757, the [[Battle of Plassey]] brought an end to the independence of the Nawabs of Bengal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/battle-plassey|title=Battle of Plassey &#124; National Army Museum|website=nam.ac.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/in-battle-for-bengal-a-plassey-redux-ians-exclusive/1526500|title=In battle for Bengal, a Plassey redux (IANS Exclusive)|website=outlookindia.com/}}</ref> Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah and his French allies were caught off guard by the defection of the Nawab's Commander-in-Chief [[Mir Jafar]] to the British side. The British, under the leadership of Robert Clive, gained enormous influence over Bengal Subah as a result of the battle. The last independent Nawab was arrested by his former officers and killed in revenge for the brutality against his courtiers.
 
===British influence and succession===
Mir Jafar was installed as the puppet Nawab by the British. However, Jafar entered into a secret treaty with the Dutch East India Company. This caused the British to replace Mir Jafar with his son-in-law [[Mir Qasim]] in October 1760. In one of his first acts, Mir Qasim ceded Chittagong,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Chittagong|title=Chittagong &#124; History, Population, & Facts|website=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref> [[Burdwan]] and [[Midnapore]] to the East India Company. Mir Qasim also proved to be a popular ruler. But Mir Qasim's independent spirit eventually raised British suspicions. Mir Jafar was reinstalled as Nawab in 1763. Mir Qasim continued opposing the British and his father-in-law. He set up his capital in [[Munger]] and raised an independent army. Mir Qasim attacked British positions in Patna, overrunning the Company's offices and killing its Resident. Mir Qasim also attacked the British-allied [[Gorkha Kingdom]]. Mir Qasim allied with Nawab [[Shuja-ud-Daula]] of [[Awadh]] and Mughal Emperor [[Shah Alam II]]. However, the Mughal allies were defeated at the [[Battle of Buxar]] in 1764, which was the last real chance of resisting British expansion across the northern Indian subcontinent.
 
The South Indian [[Kingdom of Mysore]] under [[Hyder Ali|Haider Ali]] and [[Tipu Sultan]] briefly eclipsed the dominant position of Bengal in the subcontinent. Tipu Sultan pursued aggressive military modernization; and set up a company to trade with communities around the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. Mysore's military technology at one point rivaled European technology. However, the [[Anglo-Mysore War]] ended Tipu Sultan's ascendancy.<ref>Parthasarathi, Prasannan (2011), Why Europe Grew Rich and Asia Did Not: Global Economic Divergence, 1600–1850, Cambridge University Press, {{ISBN|978-1-139-49889-0}}</ref><ref>William Dalrymple (10 September 2019). The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company. Bloomsbury Publishing. {{ISBN|978-1-4088-6440-1}}.</ref>
 
In 1765, [[Robert Clive]] became the first [[List of Governors of Bengal|Governor of Bengal]].<ref name="sirajbanglaped2">{{cite book |last1=Chaudhury |first1=Sushil |last2=Mohsin |first2=KM |year=2012 |chapter=Sirajuddaula |chapter-url= http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Sirajuddaula |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]] |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150614191817/http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Sirajuddaula |archive-date=14 June 2015}}</ref> He secured for the Company the ''diwani'' of the Bengal subah in perpetuity, from the Mughal emperor [[Shah Alam II]]. With this the system of dual governance was established and the [[Bengal Presidency]] was formed. In 1772, this arrangement came to be abolished and Bengal was brought under direct control of the British. In 1793, when the ''nizamat'' of the Nawab was also taken away they remained as the mere pensioners of the Company. After the [[Revolt of 1857]], Company rule in India ended, and the [[British Crown]], in 1858, took over the territories which were under direct rule of the Company. This marked the beginning of the [[British Raj]], and the Nawabs had no political or any other kind of control over the territory.<ref name=british>{{cite book |last=Singh |first=Vipul |title=Longman History & Civics (Dual Government in Bengal) |date=1 September 2009 |publisher=Pearson Education India |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=75avUTXB11AC&pg=PA29 |isbn=9788131728888 |access-date=13 February 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171004112457/https://books.google.com/books?id=75avUTXB11AC&pg=PA29 |archive-date=4 October 2017 |url-status= live}}</ref><ref name=dualgovernment>{{cite book |title=Madhya Pradesh National Means-Cum-Merit Scholarship Exam (Warren Hasting's system of Dual Government) |date=1 January 2009 |publisher=Upkar Prakashan |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=QnyaLNskRfEC&pg=PA11 |isbn=9788174827449}}</ref> Mir Jafar's descendants continued to live in Murshidabad. The [[Hazarduari Palace]] (''Palace of a Thousand Doors'') was built as the residence of the Nawabs in the 1830s. The palace was also used by British colonial officials.<ref name=feradun-jah>{{cite web|url= http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-feradun-jah.htm |title=Murshidabad History - Feradun Jah |date=8 May 2012 |website=Murshidabad.net |access-date=10 August 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120902005536/http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-feradun-jah.htm |archive-date=2 September 2012}}</ref>
[[File:Hazarduari1 debaditya chatterjee.jpg|thumb|Hazarduari Palace (''Palace of a Thousand Doors'') was home to the titular Nawabs of Bengal]]
Nawab Mansur Ali Khan was the last titular Nawab Nazim of Bengal. During his reign the ''nizamat'' at Murshidabad came to be debt-ridden. The Nawab left Murshidabad in February 1869, and had started living in England. The title of the Nawab of Bengal stood abolished in 1880.<ref name=feradun-jah /> He returned to Bombay in October 1880 and pleaded his case against the orders of the government, but as it stood unresolved the Nawab renounced his styles and titles, abdicating in favour of his eldest son on 1 November 1880.<ref name=feradun-jah />
 
The [[Nawabs of Murshidabad]] succeeded the Nawab Nazims following Nawab Mansur Ali Khan's abdication, The Nawab Bahadurs had ceased to exercise any significant power.<ref name=nawab /> but were relegated to the status of a [[zamindar]] and continued to be a wealthy family, producing bureaucrats and army officers.<ref name=nawab /><ref name=feradun-jah /><ref name=hassanalimirza>{{cite web |url=http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-hassan-ali.htm |title=Hassan Ali Mirza's succession |date=8 May 2012 |website=Murshidabad.net |access-date=10 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120802033722/http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-hassan-ali.htm |archive-date=2 August 2012 }}</ref>
 
==List of Nawabs==
The following is a list of the Nawabs of Bengal. Sarfaraz Khan and Mir Jafar were the only two to become Nawab Nazim twice.<ref name=dynasties>{{cite web|url= http://murshidabad.nic.in/history1.htm |title=The Nawabs of Bengal (chronologically) |access-date=28 July 2012 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120106125513/http://murshidabad.nic.in/history1.htm |archive-date=6 January 2012}}</ref> The chronology started in 1717 with Murshid Quli Khan and ended in 1880 with Mansur Ali Khan.<ref name=nawab /><ref name=feradun-jah /><ref name=dynasties />
 
===Nawabs of Bengal under Mughal suzerainty===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%; text-align:center;"
|-
! style="width:10%;"| Portrait
! Titular Name
! style="width:22%;"| Personal Name
! style="width:9%;"| Birth
! style="width:9%;"| Reign
! style="width:9%;"| Death
|-
! scope="row" colspan="6"| Nasiri dynasty
|-
| [[File:Murshid Quli Jafar Khan.jpg|90px]]
| ''Jaafar Khan Bahadur Nasiri''
| [[Murshid Quli Khan]]
| 1665
| 1717–1727
| June 1727<ref name=quli-khan>{{cite web |url= http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-murshid-quli-khan.htm |website=Murshidabad.net |title=Murshidabad History - Murshid Quli Khan |access-date=17 August 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120705195445/http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-murshid-quli-khan.htm |archive-date=5 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.britannica.com/biography/Murshid-Quli-Khan |title=Murshid Quli Khan {{!}} Indian nawab|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=7 May 2016|url-status=live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160801142917/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Murshid-Quli-Khan|archive-date=1 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Karim |first=Abdul |year=2012 |chapter=Murshid Quli Khan |chapter-url= http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Murshid_Quli_Khan |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]] |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170404111435/http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Murshid_Quli_Khan |archive-date=4 April 2017}}</ref>
|-
| [[File:Sarfaraz Khan.jpg|90px]]
| ''Ala-ud-Din Haidar Jung''
| [[Sarfaraz Khan]]
| After 1700
| 1727–1727 (for few days)
| 29 April 1740<ref name=sarfaraz-khan>{{cite web |website=Murshidabad.net |date=8 May 2012 |title=Murshidabad History - Sarfaraz Khan |url= http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-sarfaraz-khan.htm |access-date=9 August 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120623115607/http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-sarfaraz-khan.htm |archive-date=23 June 2012}}</ref>
|-
| [[File:Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan.jpg|90px]]
| ''Shuja ud-Daula''
| [[Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan]]
| ''circa'' 1670
| 1 July 1727 – 26 August 1739
| 26 August 1739<ref>{{cite book |last=Karim |first=KM |year=2012 |chapter=Shujauddin Muhammad Khan |chapter-url= http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Shujauddin_Muhammad_Khan |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]] |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150710002332/http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Shujauddin_Muhammad_Khan |archive-date=10 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-suja-ud-daulla.htm |title=Murshidabad History - Suja-ud-Daulla|last=Paul|first=Gautam|website=murshidabad.net|access-date=7 May 2016|url-status=live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160421195518/http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-suja-ud-daulla.htm |archive-date=21 April 2016}}</ref>
|-
| [[File:Sarfaraz Khan.jpg|90px]]
| ''Ala-ud-Din Haidar Jung''
| Sarfaraz Khan
| After 1700
| 13 March 1739 – 29 April 1740
| 29 April 1740<ref name=sarfaraz-khan />
|-
! scope="row" colspan="6"| Afshar dynasty
|-
| [[File:Alivardi Khan.jpg|90px]]
| ''Hashim ud-Daula ''
| [[Alivardi Khan]]
| Before 10 May 1671
| 29 April 1740 – 9 April 1756
| 9 April 1756<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-alivardi-khan.htm|title=Murshidabad History - Alivardi Khan|last=Paul|first=Gautam|website=murshidabad.net|access-date=7 May 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309144640/http://www.murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-alivardi-khan.htm|archive-date=9 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=1eMhAQAAIAAJ |title=Bengal, Past & Present: Journal of the Calcutta Historical Society|date=1962|publisher=The Society|pages=34–36|language=en|access-date=7 May 2016|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170706104029/https://books.google.com/books?id=1eMhAQAAIAAJ |archive-date=6 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[File:Siraj ud-Daulah.jpg|90px]]
| ''Siraj ud-Daulah ''
| [[Siraj ud-Daulah]]
| 1733
| 9 April 1756 – 23 June 1757
| 2 July 1757<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-siraj-ud-daulla.htm |title=Murshidabad History - Siraj-ud-Daulla|last=Paul|first=Gautam|website=murshidabad.net|access-date=7 May 2016|url-status=live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160507023706/http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-siraj-ud-daulla.htm |archive-date=7 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url= http://storyofpakistan.com/nawab-siraj-ud-daulah |title=Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah |date=3 January 2005 |website=Story of Pakistan |access-date=7 May 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160804104049/http://storyofpakistan.com/nawab-siraj-ud-daulah |archive-date=4 August 2016}}</ref>
|}
 
===Nawabs of Bengal under British rule===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%; text-align:center;"
|-
! style="width:10%;"| Portrait
! style="width:12%;"| Titular Name
! style="width:22%;"| Personal Name
! style="width:9%;"| Birth
! style="width:9%;"| Reign
! style="width:9%;"| Death
|-
! scope="row" colspan="6"| Najafi dynasty
|-
| [[File:Mir Jafar (left) and Mir Miran (right).jpg|90px]]
| ''Ja'afar 'Ali Khan Bahadur''
| [[Mir Jafar]]
| 1691
| 2 June 1757 – 20 October 1760
| 17 January 1765<ref>{{Cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=4gg9Zvqs7mwC |title=The Riyaz̤u-s-salāt̤īn: A History of Bengal|last=Zaidpūrī|first=Ghulām Ḥusain (called Salīm)|date=1902|publisher=Asiatic Society|page=384|language=en|access-date=7 May 2016|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170827231546/https://books.google.com/books?id=4gg9Zvqs7mwC |archive-date=27 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-mir-jafar.htm |title=Murshidabad History - Mir Muhammed Jafar Ali Khan|last=Paul|first=Gautam|website=murshidabad.net|access-date=7 May 2016|url-status=live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160408160557/http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-mir-jafar.htm |archive-date=8 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Portrait of an accidental Nawab |url= http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Portrait-of-an-accidental-Nawab/articleshow/40618038.cms |newspaper=The Times of India |access-date=7 May 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160822062815/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Portrait-of-an-accidental-Nawab/articleshow/40618038.cms |archive-date=22 August 2016}}</ref>
|-
| [[File:Mir Qasim.jpg|90px]]
| '' Itimad ud-Daulah''
| [[Mir Qasim]]
| ?
| 20 October 1760 – 7 July 1763
| 8 May 1777<ref name="Mir Jafar Ali Khan - Banglapedia">{{cite book |last=Shah |first=Mohammad |year=2012 |chapter=Mir Jafar Ali Khan |chapter-url= http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Mir_Jafar_Ali_Khan |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]] |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150703143931/http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Mir_Jafar_Ali_Khan |archive-date=3 July 2015}}</ref>
|-
| [[File:Mir Jafar (left) and Mir Miran (right).jpg|90px]]
| ''Ja'afar 'Ali Khan Bahadur''
| Mir Jafar
| 1691
| 25 July 1763 – 17 January 1765
| 17 January 1765<ref name="Mir Jafar Ali Khan - Banglapedia"/><ref>{{Cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/bibliothecaindi02indigoog |title=Bibliotheca Indica|date=1902|publisher=Baptist Mission Press|page=[https://archive.org/details/bibliothecaindi02indigoog/page/n426 397]|language=en|access-date=7 May 2016}}</ref>
|-
| [[File:Nazam ud-Daulah.jpg|90px]]
| ''Najm ud-Daulah''
| [[Najmuddin Ali Khan]]
| 1750
| 5 February 1765 – 8 May 1766
| 8 May 1766<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-najam-ud-daulla.htm|title=Murshidabad History - Najam-ud-Daulla|last=Paul|first=Gautam|website=murshidabad.net|access-date=16 May 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421182816/http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-najam-ud-daulla.htm|archive-date=21 April 2016}}</ref>
|-
| [[File:Saif ud-Daulah.jpg|90px]]
| ''Saif ud-Daulah''
| [[Najabut Ali Khan]]
| 1749
| 22 May 1766 – 10 March 1770
| 10 March 1770<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-saif-ud-daulla.htm|title=Murshidabad History - Saif-ud-Daulla|last=Paul|first=Gautam|website=murshidabad.net|access-date=16 May 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421183156/http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-saif-ud-daulla.htm|archive-date=21 April 2016}}</ref>
|-
|
|
| [[Ashraf Ali Khan]]
| Before 1759
| 10 March 1770 – 24 March 1770
| 24 March 1770
|-
| [[File:Mubaraq ud-Daulah.jpg|90px]]
| ''Mubarak ud-Daulah''
| [[Mubarak Ali Khan]]
| 1759
| 21 March 1770 – 6 September 1793
| 6 September 1793<ref>{{Cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ZL38wll43-MC&q=Mubarak%2520ud-Daulah&pg=PA224 |title=The Transition in Bengal, 1756-75: A Study of Saiyid Muhammad Reza Khan|last=Khan|first=Abdul Majed|date=3 December 2007|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521049825|language=en}}</ref>
|-
| [[File:Babar Ali.jpg|90px]]
| ''Azud ud-Daulah''
| [[Baber Ali Khan]]
| ?
| 1793 – 28 April 1810
| 28 April 1810<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-babar-ali.htm |title=Murshidabad History - Babar Ali Delair Jang|last=Paul|first=Gautam|website=murshidabad.net|access-date=9 October 2016|url-status=live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161021203935/http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-babar-ali.htm |archive-date=21 October 2016}}</ref>
|-
| [[File:Ali Jah.jpg|90px]]
| ''Ali Jah''
| [[Zain-ud-Din Ali Khan]]
| ?
| 5 June 1810 – 6 August 1821
| 6 August 1821<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-ali-jah.htm|title=Murshidabad History - Ali Jah|last=Paul|first=Gautam|website=murshidabad.net|access-date=9 October 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406052017/http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-ali-jah.htm|archive-date=6 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/musnudofmurshida00maju |quote= Ali Jah Murshidabad. |title=The Musnud of Murshidabad (1704-1904): being a synopsis of the history of Murshidabad for the last two centuries, to which are appended notes of places and objects of interest at Murshidabad|last=Majumdar|first=Purna Chundra|date=1905|publisher=Saroda Ray|pages=[https://archive.org/details/musnudofmurshida00maju/page/49 49]|language=en}}</ref>
|-
| [[File:Walla Jah.jpg|90px]]
| ''Walla Jah''
| [[Ahmad Ali Khan]]
| ?
| 1821 – 30 October 1824
| 30 October 1824<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-wala-jah.htm |title=Murshidabad History - Wala Jah|last=Paul|first=Gautam|website=murshidabad.net|access-date=9 October 2016|url-status=live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161021204215/http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-wala-jah.htm|archive-date=21 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/indianrecordswi00recogoog |title=Indian Records: With a Commercial View of the Relations Between the British Government and the Nawabs Nazim of Bengal, Behar and Orissa|date=1870|publisher=G. Bubb|pages=[https://archive.org/details/indianrecordswi00recogoog/page/n114 75]|language=en|access-date=9 October 2016}}</ref>
|-
| [[File:Nawab Nazim Humayun Jah.jpg|90px]]
| ''Humayun Jah''
| [[Mubarak Ali Khan II]]
| 29 September 1810
| 1824 – 3 October 1838
| 3 October 1838<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-humayun-jah.htm|title=Murshidabad History - Humayun Jah|last=Paul|first=Gautam|website=murshidabad.net|access-date=9 October 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610063712/http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-humayun-jah.htm|archive-date=10 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/musnudofmurshida00maju |quote= Humayun Jah. |title=The Musnud of Murshidabad (1704-1904): being a synopsis of the history of Murshidabad for the last two centuries, to which are appended notes of places and objects of interest at Murshidabad|last=Majumdar|first=Purna Chundra|date=1905|publisher=Saroda Ray|pages=[https://archive.org/details/musnudofmurshida00maju/page/50 50]|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=12IPDQAAQBAJ&q=Humayun+Jah&pg=PT570 |title=Towns and Cities of Medieval India: A Brief Survey|last=Ray|first=Aniruddha|date=13 September 2016|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781351997300|language=en}}</ref>
|-
| [[File:Feradun Jah.jpg|90px]]
| ''Feradun Jah''
| [[Mansur Ali Khan]]
| 29 October 1830
| 29 October 1838 – 1 November 1880 (abdicated)
| 5 November 1884<ref name=feradun-jah />
|}
 
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
 
==External links==
 
* [http://murshidabad.net/history/history.php The arrival of the Nawabs their decline]
* [http://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-nawab.htm History of the Nawabs]
* [http://murshidabad.net/glossary/glossary-do-list_by_letter-letter-N.htm Official posts under the administration of the Nawabs]
 
{{Bengal Zamindars|state=collapsed}}
 
{{West Bengal}}
 
[[Category:Nawabs of Bengal]]
[[Category:Bengal Subah]]
[[Category:Indian nobility]]
[[Category:Noble titles created in 1717]]
[[Category:1717 establishments in Asia]]
[[Category:Murshidabad district]]

Revision as of 09:08, 22 July 2023


This article is about the last independent rulers of Bengal (1717–1757) and their titular successors (1757–1947). For the titular aristocrat family of Murshidabad (1882–1969), see Nawabs of Murshidabad.

Template:Infobox former monarchy Template:History of Bangladesh The Nawab of Bengal[1][2][3][4] (Bengali: বাংলার নবাব) was the hereditary ruler of Bengal Subah in Mughal Empire. In the early 18th-century, the Nawab of Bengal was the de facto independent ruler of the three regions of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa which constitute the modern-day sovereign country of Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.[5][6][7] They are often referred to as the Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa (Bengali: বাংলা, বিহার ও উড়িষ্যার নবাব).[8] The Nawabs were based in Murshidabad which was centrally located within Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha. Their chief, a former prime minister, became the first Nawab. The Nawabs continued to issue coins in the name of the Mughal Emperor, but for all practical purposes, the Nawabs governed as independent monarchs. Bengal continued to contribute the largest share of funds to the imperial treasury in Delhi. The Nawabs, backed by bankers such as the Jagat Seth, became the financial backbone of the Mughal court. During the 18th century, the Nawabs of Bengal were among the wealthiest rulers in the world.[9]

The Nawabs, especially under the rule of Alivardi Khan of 16 years, was heavily engaged in various wars against the Marathas. Towards the end, he turned his attention to rebuilding and restoring Bengal.[10]

The Nawabs of Bengal oversaw a period of proto-industrialization. The Bengal-Bihar-Orissa triangle was a major production center for cotton muslin cloth, silk cloth, shipbuilding, gunpowder, saltpetre, and metalworks. Factories were set up in Murshidabad, Dhaka, Patna, Sonargaon, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Cossimbazar, Balasore, Pipeli, and Hugli among other cities, towns, and ports. The region became a base for the British East India Company, the French East India Company, the Danish East India Company, the Austrian East India Company, the Ostend Company, and the Dutch East India Company.

The British company eventually rivaled the authority of the Nawabs. In the aftermath of the siege of Calcutta in 1756, in which the Nawab's forces overran the main British base, the East India Company dispatched a fleet led by Robert Clive who defeated the last independent Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah at the Battle of Plassey in 1757. Mir Jafar was installed as the puppet Nawab. His successor Mir Qasim attempted in vain to dislodge the British. The defeat of Nawab Mir Qasim of Bengal, Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula of Oudh, and Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II at the Battle of Buxar in 1764 paved the way for British expansion across India. The South Indian Kingdom of Mysore led by Tipu Sultan overtook the Nawab of Bengal as the subcontinent's wealthiest monarchy; but this was short-lived and ended with the Anglo-Mysore War. The British then turned their sights on defeating the Marathas and Sikhs.

In 1772, Governor-General Warren Hastings shifted administrative and judicial offices from Murshidabad to Calcutta, the capital of the newly formed Bengal Presidency, and the de facto capital of British India.[11] The Nawabs had lost all independent authority since 1757. In 1858, the British government abolished the symbolic authority of the Mughal court. After 1880, the descendants of the Nawabs of Bengal were recognised simply as Nawabs of Murshidabad with the mere status of a peerage.[12]

History

A map of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa under British rule. The map roughly corresponds to the territory of the Nawab of Bengal.

Independent nawabs

The Bengal Subah was the wealthiest subah of the Mughal Empire.[13] There were several posts under the Mughal administrative system of Bengal since Akbar's conquest in the 1500s. Nizamat (governornership) and diwani (premiership) were the two main branches of provincial government under the Mughals.[14] The Subahdar was in-charge of the nizamat and had a chain of subordinate officials on the executive side, including diwans (prime ministers) responsible for revenue and legal affairs.[14] The regional decentralization of the Mughal Empire led to the creation of numerous semi-independent strongholds in the Mughal provinces. As the Mughal Empire began to decline, the Nawabs rose in power.[14][15] By the early 1700s, the Nawabs were practically independent, despite a nominal tribute to the Mughal court.[15]

The Mughal court heavily relied on Bengal for revenue. Azim-us-Shan, the Mughal viceroy of Bengal, had a bitter power struggle with his prime minister (diwan) Murshid Quli Khan. Emperor Aurangzeb transferred Azim-us-Shan out of Bengal as a result of the disputes. After the viceroy's exit, the provincial premier Murshid Quli Khan emerged as the de facto ruler of Bengal. His administrative coup merged the offices of the diwan (prime minister) and subedar (viceroy). In 1716, Khan shifted Bengal's capital from Dhaka to a new city named after himself. In 1717, Mughal Emperor Farrukhsiyar recognized Khan as the hereditary Nawab Nazim. The Nawab's jurisdiction covered districts in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.[16] The Nawab's territory stretched from the border with Oudh in the west to the border with Arakan in the east.

The chief deputy of the Nawab was the Naib Nazim of Dhaka, the mayor of the former provincial capital whose own wealth was considerable; the Naib Nazim of Dhaka also governed much of eastern Bengal. Other important officials were stationed in Patna, Cuttack, and Chittagong. The aristocracy was composed of the Zamindars of Bengal. The Nawab was backed up by the powerful Jagat Seth family of bankers and money lenders. The Jagat Seth controlled the flow of Bengali revenue into the imperial treasury in Delhi.[9] They served as financiers to both the Nawabs and European companies operating in the region.

Sketch of the main caravanserai and mosque in Murshidabad

The Nawabs profited from the revenue generated by the worldwide demand of muslin trade in Bengal, which was centered in Dhaka and Sonargaon. Murshidabad was a major center of silk production.[17] Shipbuilding in Chittagong enjoyed Ottoman and European demand. Patna was a center of metalworks and the military-industrial complex. The Bengal-Bihar region was a major exporter of gunpowder and saltpetre.[18][19] The Nawabs presided over an era of growing organization in banking, handicrafts, and other trades.

Bengal attracted traders from across Eurasia. Traders were lodged at caravanserais, including the Katra Masjid in Murshidabad; and the Bara Katra and Choto Katra in Dhaka. Dutch Bengali trading posts included the main Dutch port of Pipeli in Orissa; the Dutch settlement in Rajshahi; and the towns of Cossimbazar and Hugli. The Danes built trading posts in Bankipur and on islands of the Bay of Bengal. Balasore in Orissa was a prominent Austrian trading post. Bengali cities were full of brokers, workers, peons, naibs, wakils, and ordinary traders.[20]

Dutch East India Company ships in Chittagong harbor, early 18th-century

The Nawabs were patrons of the arts, including the Murshidabad style of Mughal painting, Hindustani classical music, the Baul tradition, and local craftsmanship. The second Nawab Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan developed Murshidabad's royal palace, military base, city gates, revenue office, public audience hall (durbar), and mosques in an extensive compound called Farrabagh (Garden of Joy) which included canals, fountains, flowers, and fruit trees. The second Nawab's reign saw a period of economic and political consolidation.[20]

The third Nawab Sarfaraz Khan was preoccupied with military engagements, including Nader Shah's invasion of India. Sarfaraz Khan was killed at the Battle of Giria by his deputy Alivardi Khan. The coup by Alivardi Khan led to the creation of a new dynasty. Nawab Alivardi Khan endured brutal raids by the Maratha Empire. The Marathas undertook six expeditions in Bengal from 1741–1748. The Maratha general Raghunath Rao conquered large parts of Orissa.[21] Nawab Alivardi Khan made peace with Raghunathrao in 1751, ceding large parts of Orissa up to the river Subarnarekha. The Marathas demanded an annual tribute payment.[22] The Marathas also promised to never to cross the boundary of the Nawab's territory.[23][24] European trading companies also grew more influential in Bengal.

The Nawabs were also notorious for their repressive tactics, including torture for non-payment of land rent.[9] Nawab Alivardi Khan's successor was Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah.Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah grew increasingly wary of the British presence in Bengal. He also feared invasions by the Durrani Empire from the north and Marathas from the west. On 20 June 1756, Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah launched the siege of Calcutta, in which he won a decisive victory. The British were briefly expelled from Fort William, which came under the occupation of the Nawab's forces. The East India Company dispatched a naval fleet led by Robert Clive to regain control of Fort William. By January 1757, the British retook Fort William. The stalemate with the Nawab continued into June. The Nawab also began cooperating with the French East India Company, raising the ire of the British further. Britain and France were at the time pitted against each other in the Seven Years' War.

File:Clive.jpg
Robert Clive meets Mir Jafar at the Battle of Plassey in 1757

On 23 June 1757, the Battle of Plassey brought an end to the independence of the Nawabs of Bengal.[25][26] Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah and his French allies were caught off guard by the defection of the Nawab's Commander-in-Chief Mir Jafar to the British side. The British, under the leadership of Robert Clive, gained enormous influence over Bengal Subah as a result of the battle. The last independent Nawab was arrested by his former officers and killed in revenge for the brutality against his courtiers.

British influence and succession

Mir Jafar was installed as the puppet Nawab by the British. However, Jafar entered into a secret treaty with the Dutch East India Company. This caused the British to replace Mir Jafar with his son-in-law Mir Qasim in October 1760. In one of his first acts, Mir Qasim ceded Chittagong,[27] Burdwan and Midnapore to the East India Company. Mir Qasim also proved to be a popular ruler. But Mir Qasim's independent spirit eventually raised British suspicions. Mir Jafar was reinstalled as Nawab in 1763. Mir Qasim continued opposing the British and his father-in-law. He set up his capital in Munger and raised an independent army. Mir Qasim attacked British positions in Patna, overrunning the Company's offices and killing its Resident. Mir Qasim also attacked the British-allied Gorkha Kingdom. Mir Qasim allied with Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula of Awadh and Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II. However, the Mughal allies were defeated at the Battle of Buxar in 1764, which was the last real chance of resisting British expansion across the northern Indian subcontinent.

The South Indian Kingdom of Mysore under Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan briefly eclipsed the dominant position of Bengal in the subcontinent. Tipu Sultan pursued aggressive military modernization; and set up a company to trade with communities around the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. Mysore's military technology at one point rivaled European technology. However, the Anglo-Mysore War ended Tipu Sultan's ascendancy.[28][29]

In 1765, Robert Clive became the first Governor of Bengal.[30] He secured for the Company the diwani of the Bengal subah in perpetuity, from the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II. With this the system of dual governance was established and the Bengal Presidency was formed. In 1772, this arrangement came to be abolished and Bengal was brought under direct control of the British. In 1793, when the nizamat of the Nawab was also taken away they remained as the mere pensioners of the Company. After the Revolt of 1857, Company rule in India ended, and the British Crown, in 1858, took over the territories which were under direct rule of the Company. This marked the beginning of the British Raj, and the Nawabs had no political or any other kind of control over the territory.[31][32] Mir Jafar's descendants continued to live in Murshidabad. The Hazarduari Palace (Palace of a Thousand Doors) was built as the residence of the Nawabs in the 1830s. The palace was also used by British colonial officials.[33]

Hazarduari Palace (Palace of a Thousand Doors) was home to the titular Nawabs of Bengal

Nawab Mansur Ali Khan was the last titular Nawab Nazim of Bengal. During his reign the nizamat at Murshidabad came to be debt-ridden. The Nawab left Murshidabad in February 1869, and had started living in England. The title of the Nawab of Bengal stood abolished in 1880.[33] He returned to Bombay in October 1880 and pleaded his case against the orders of the government, but as it stood unresolved the Nawab renounced his styles and titles, abdicating in favour of his eldest son on 1 November 1880.[33]

The Nawabs of Murshidabad succeeded the Nawab Nazims following Nawab Mansur Ali Khan's abdication, The Nawab Bahadurs had ceased to exercise any significant power.[14] but were relegated to the status of a zamindar and continued to be a wealthy family, producing bureaucrats and army officers.[14][33][34]

List of Nawabs

The following is a list of the Nawabs of Bengal. Sarfaraz Khan and Mir Jafar were the only two to become Nawab Nazim twice.[35] The chronology started in 1717 with Murshid Quli Khan and ended in 1880 with Mansur Ali Khan.[14][33][35]

Nawabs of Bengal under Mughal suzerainty

Portrait Titular Name Personal Name Birth Reign Death
Nasiri dynasty
Jaafar Khan Bahadur Nasiri Murshid Quli Khan 1665 1717–1727 June 1727[36][37][38]
Ala-ud-Din Haidar Jung Sarfaraz Khan After 1700 1727–1727 (for few days) 29 April 1740[39]
Shuja ud-Daula Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan circa 1670 1 July 1727 – 26 August 1739 26 August 1739[40][41]
Ala-ud-Din Haidar Jung Sarfaraz Khan After 1700 13 March 1739 – 29 April 1740 29 April 1740[39]
Afshar dynasty
Hashim ud-Daula Alivardi Khan Before 10 May 1671 29 April 1740 – 9 April 1756 9 April 1756[42][43]
Siraj ud-Daulah Siraj ud-Daulah 1733 9 April 1756 – 23 June 1757 2 July 1757[44][45]

Nawabs of Bengal under British rule

Portrait Titular Name Personal Name Birth Reign Death
Najafi dynasty
Ja'afar 'Ali Khan Bahadur Mir Jafar 1691 2 June 1757 – 20 October 1760 17 January 1765[46][47][48]
Itimad ud-Daulah Mir Qasim ? 20 October 1760 – 7 July 1763 8 May 1777[49]
Ja'afar 'Ali Khan Bahadur Mir Jafar 1691 25 July 1763 – 17 January 1765 17 January 1765[49][50]
Najm ud-Daulah Najmuddin Ali Khan 1750 5 February 1765 – 8 May 1766 8 May 1766[51]
Saif ud-Daulah Najabut Ali Khan 1749 22 May 1766 – 10 March 1770 10 March 1770[52]
Ashraf Ali Khan Before 1759 10 March 1770 – 24 March 1770 24 March 1770
Mubarak ud-Daulah Mubarak Ali Khan 1759 21 March 1770 – 6 September 1793 6 September 1793[53]
Azud ud-Daulah Baber Ali Khan ? 1793 – 28 April 1810 28 April 1810[54]
Ali Jah Zain-ud-Din Ali Khan ? 5 June 1810 – 6 August 1821 6 August 1821[55][56]
Walla Jah Ahmad Ali Khan ? 1821 – 30 October 1824 30 October 1824[57][58]
Humayun Jah Mubarak Ali Khan II 29 September 1810 1824 – 3 October 1838 3 October 1838[59][60][61]
Feradun Jah Mansur Ali Khan 29 October 1830 29 October 1838 – 1 November 1880 (abdicated) 5 November 1884[33]

References

  1. ↑ Farooqui Salma Ahmed (2011). A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: From Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century. Pearson Education India. pp. 366–. ISBN 978-81-317-3202-1.
  2. ↑ Kunal Chakrabarti; Shubhra Chakrabarti (22 August 2013). Historical Dictionary of the Bengalis. Scarecrow Press. pp. 237–. ISBN 978-0-8108-8024-5.
  3. ↑ "Bengal, nawabs of (act. 1756–1793), rulers in India". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/63552. Template:ODNBsub
  4. ↑ "ʿAlī Vardī Khān | nawab of Bengal". Encyclopædia Britannica.
  5. ↑ "Bengal | region, Asia". Encyclopædia Britannica.
  6. ↑ "Odisha - History". Encyclopædia Britannica.
  7. ↑ Silliman, Jael. "Murshidabad can teach the rest of India how to restore heritage and market the past". Scroll.in.
  8. ↑ A Comprehensive History of India. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 1 December 2003. p. 27. ISBN 978-81-207-2506-5.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 William Dalrymple (10 September 2019). The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 308. ISBN 978-1-4088-6440-1.
  10. ↑ Datta, Kalikinkar (1948). The Dutch in Bengal and Bihar, 1740-1825 A.D. University of Patna. p. 12.
  11. ↑ "Kolkata - Capital of British India". Encyclopædia Britannica.
  12. ↑ Sir George Watt (1987). Indian Art at Delhi 1903: Being the Official Catalogue of the Delhi Exhibition 1902-1903. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 4. ISBN 978-81-208-0278-0.
  13. ↑ "Bengal subah was one of the richest subahs of the Mughal empire". Archived from the original on 19 August 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 "Murshidabad History - The Nawabs and Nazims". Murshidabad.net. 8 May 2012. Archived from the original on 3 September 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Sen, S. N. (2006). History Modern India – S. N. Sen – Google Books. ISBN 9788122417746. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  16. ↑ "Nawab". Banglapedia.
  17. ↑ "Murshidabad: The forgotten capital of Bengal - Asian Art Newspaper".
  18. ↑ "Gunpowder plots | Dhaka Tribune". archive.dhakatribune.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  19. ↑ "Saltpetre". Banglapedia.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Murshidabad". Banglapedia.
  21. ↑ SNHM. Vol. II, pp. 209, 224.
  22. ↑ Wernham, R. B. (1 November 1968). The New Cambridge Modern History: Volume 3, Counter-Reformation and Price Revolution, 1559–1610 (Maratha invasion of Bengal). CUP Archive. Archived from the original on 10 August 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  23. ↑ Sarkar, Jadunath (1 January 1991). Fall of the Mughal Empire- Vol. I (4Th Edn.) (Maratha Chauth from Bihar). Orient Blackswan. ISBN 9788125011491. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  24. ↑ George Michell and Mark Zebrowski (10 June 1999). Architecture and Art of the Deccan Sultanates, Volumes 1-7 (Maratha raids in Bihar). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521563215. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  25. ↑ "Battle of Plassey | National Army Museum". nam.ac.uk.
  26. ↑ "In battle for Bengal, a Plassey redux (IANS Exclusive)". outlookindia.com/.
  27. ↑ "Chittagong | History, Population, & Facts". Encyclopædia Britannica.
  28. ↑ Parthasarathi, Prasannan (2011), Why Europe Grew Rich and Asia Did Not: Global Economic Divergence, 1600–1850, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-1-139-49889-0
  29. ↑ William Dalrymple (10 September 2019). The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4088-6440-1.
  30. ↑ Chaudhury, Sushil; Mohsin, KM (2012). "Sirajuddaula". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. Archived from the original on 14 June 2015.
  31. ↑ Singh, Vipul (1 September 2009). Longman History & Civics (Dual Government in Bengal). Pearson Education India. ISBN 9788131728888. Archived from the original on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  32. ↑ Madhya Pradesh National Means-Cum-Merit Scholarship Exam (Warren Hasting's system of Dual Government). Upkar Prakashan. 1 January 2009. ISBN 9788174827449.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4 33.5 "Murshidabad History - Feradun Jah". Murshidabad.net. 8 May 2012. Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  34. ↑ "Hassan Ali Mirza's succession". Murshidabad.net. 8 May 2012. Archived from the original on 2 August 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 "The Nawabs of Bengal (chronologically)". Archived from the original on 6 January 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  36. ↑ "Murshidabad History - Murshid Quli Khan". Murshidabad.net. Archived from the original on 5 July 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  37. ↑ "Murshid Quli Khan | Indian nawab". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 1 August 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  38. ↑ Karim, Abdul (2012). "Murshid Quli Khan". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. Archived from the original on 4 April 2017.
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 "Murshidabad History - Sarfaraz Khan". Murshidabad.net. 8 May 2012. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  40. ↑ Karim, KM (2012). "Shujauddin Muhammad Khan". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. Archived from the original on 10 July 2015.
  41. ↑ Paul, Gautam. "Murshidabad History - Suja-ud-Daulla". murshidabad.net. Archived from the original on 21 April 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  42. ↑ Paul, Gautam. "Murshidabad History - Alivardi Khan". murshidabad.net. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  43. ↑ Bengal, Past & Present: Journal of the Calcutta Historical Society. The Society. 1962. pp. 34–36. Archived from the original on 6 July 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  44. ↑ Paul, Gautam. "Murshidabad History - Siraj-ud-Daulla". murshidabad.net. Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  45. ↑ "Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah". Story of Pakistan. 3 January 2005. Archived from the original on 4 August 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  46. ↑ Zaidpūrī, Ghulām Ḥusain (called Salīm) (1902). The Riyaz̤u-s-salāt̤īn: A History of Bengal. Asiatic Society. p. 384. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  47. ↑ Paul, Gautam. "Murshidabad History - Mir Muhammed Jafar Ali Khan". murshidabad.net. Archived from the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  48. ↑ "Portrait of an accidental Nawab". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  49. ↑ 49.0 49.1 Shah, Mohammad (2012). "Mir Jafar Ali Khan". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. Archived from the original on 3 July 2015.
  50. ↑ Bibliotheca Indica. Baptist Mission Press. 1902. p. 397. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  51. ↑ Paul, Gautam. "Murshidabad History - Najam-ud-Daulla". murshidabad.net. Archived from the original on 21 April 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  52. ↑ Paul, Gautam. "Murshidabad History - Saif-ud-Daulla". murshidabad.net. Archived from the original on 21 April 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  53. ↑ Khan, Abdul Majed (3 December 2007). The Transition in Bengal, 1756-75: A Study of Saiyid Muhammad Reza Khan. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521049825.
  54. ↑ Paul, Gautam. "Murshidabad History - Babar Ali Delair Jang". murshidabad.net. Archived from the original on 21 October 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  55. ↑ Paul, Gautam. "Murshidabad History - Ali Jah". murshidabad.net. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  56. ↑ Majumdar, Purna Chundra (1905). The Musnud of Murshidabad (1704-1904): being a synopsis of the history of Murshidabad for the last two centuries, to which are appended notes of places and objects of interest at Murshidabad. Saroda Ray. pp. 49. Ali Jah Murshidabad.
  57. ↑ Paul, Gautam. "Murshidabad History - Wala Jah". murshidabad.net. Archived from the original on 21 October 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  58. ↑ Indian Records: With a Commercial View of the Relations Between the British Government and the Nawabs Nazim of Bengal, Behar and Orissa. G. Bubb. 1870. pp. 75. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  59. ↑ Paul, Gautam. "Murshidabad History - Humayun Jah". murshidabad.net. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  60. ↑ Majumdar, Purna Chundra (1905). The Musnud of Murshidabad (1704-1904): being a synopsis of the history of Murshidabad for the last two centuries, to which are appended notes of places and objects of interest at Murshidabad. Saroda Ray. pp. 50. Humayun Jah.
  61. ↑ Ray, Aniruddha (13 September 2016). Towns and Cities of Medieval India: A Brief Survey. Routledge. ISBN 9781351997300.

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