Plunder Of Pachet
In 1741, the Marathas, led by Bhaskar Ram, launched a major expedition into Orissa and Bengal with about 10,000 cavalry. Within months, they captured key regions including Katwa, Burdwan, Midnapur, and Birbhum, leaving only Murshidabad and parts of North and East Bengal under Alivardi Khan. The 1742 monsoon pause allowed them to further ravage Bengal, extending their control and causing widespread destruction.
| Plunder Of Pachet | |||||||||
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| Part of Maratha invasions of Bengal | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
.svg){kind=small} Bengal Subah | |||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Alivardi Khan |
 Bhaskar Pandit | ||||||||
BattleEdit
A powerful expedition was launched into Orissa and Bengal, beginning on the day of Dasara in 1741, with a force of around ten thousand cavalry. The campaign was led by Bhaskar Ram, who departed from Nagpur in November. Advancing through Ramgad, they plundered the district of Pachet, located about 60 miles east of Ranchi. The Marathas soon managed to bring Katwa, Dinajpur under their control. Mir Habib worked to consolidate their authority across other parts of West Bengal by opening negotiations with local zamindars and dispatching agents to collect customs and rents from the population.[1]
Within two to three months, the Marathas had taken control of Orissa, Midnapur, Burdwan, parts of the Bäjsáhl zamindari, Birbhum, and Rajmahal essentially, most of West Bengal and parts of Orissa. Only Murshidabad and the northern and eastern regions of Bengal remained under Alivardi Khan's authority. The lull in military operations during the monsoon of 1742 provided the Marathas an ideal opportunity to intensify their depredations across Burdwan, Midnapur, and Orissa, reaching as far as Dalkore. Historian Gangaram lists several key locations in the districts of Burdwan, Nadia, Birbhum, Murshidabad, Bankura, and Midnapur as having suffered from the Maratha invasions.[2]
Teritorial changesEdit
According to Gangaram, the Marathas began their campaign by plundering and burning Candrakona, Midnapur, Dignagars, Khirpai, Nimgichi, Sedga, Simaila, Candipura, Syampura, Anails, the city of Burdwan, and several surrounding villages. They then extended their devastation to Kathara, Sarai, Damdvai, Jadupura, Bhatehals, Miranpura, Candra, Palal, Bainci, Bedi, Samudragada, Jannagura, Nadia, Kadai, Baithana, Cadaila, Singi, Vaska, Ghodanis, Mastaila, Gospadi, Jugudes, Patalt, Ataihat, Pataibat, Disihat, Berabhausing (Bhowsingbera), and Vikihat. Afterward, they looted the Dutch factories at Kagrama and Mowgrama before advancing to Kandi. From Kandi, they moved toward Birbhum, where they plundered most of the district and then paused for a time at Amadahara and Mahespura.[3]
ReferenceEdit
- ↑ Datta, Kalikinkar. Alivardi And His Times.
- ↑ Sarkar, Jadunath. Fall Of The Mughal Empire- Vol. I (4Th Edn.), Volume 1.
- ↑ Datta, Kalikinkar. Alivardi And His Times.