Sheo Bhatt's invasions of Bengal: Difference between revisions

Initially tasked with collecting chauth from Bengal, Sheo Bhatt resumed raiding Bengal after Mir Qasim, the new Nawab, failed to pay. Sheo Bhatt attacked [[Birbhum]], [[Burdwan]], and Midnapur, leading to British military response. Despite Sheo Bhatt's claims that these territories belonged to [[Orissa]] and his occasional attempts at reconciliation, the British remained cautious and sought to expel the Marathas from Orissa. They planned an expedition with Nawab [[Mir Qasim]]'s financial support, but the Nawab later withdrew. In 1763, Sheo Bhatt supported [[Mir Qasim]] against the British, but after assurances from the British, he ceased support. Despite efforts to resolve the chauth payments, no settlement was reached before Sheo Bhatt's tenure ended.

By the end of June 1759, the conflict between [[Janoji Bhonsle]] and [[Mudhoji I]]  had eased somewhat. Sheo Bhatt finally reached [[Cuttack]] in July 1759 with a force of about 4,000 horsemen and 1,500 foot soldiers. By then, a settlement had been reached, and Mirza Saleh had ceded the Subahdarship to Chimna Sau. Sheo Bhatt then took over the province from Chimna Sau.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44304469#page_scan_tab_contents|title=SHEO BHATT SATHE IN ORISSA|publisher=Bhabani Charan Ray|year=1957|pages=235–299}}</ref>

Initially, the task was to collect chauth from Bengal. Following [[Mir Jafar]]'s replacement by [[Mir Qasim]] as [[Nawab of Bengal]], the new Nawab was reminded of the [[chauth]] payment but chose to remain silent. Fearing invasion if the chauth was not paid, Firt Shon Bhatt's threats had no effect. Consequently, Sheo Bhatt decided that since the Nawab had breached the 1751 treaty, he too could disregard the Maratha part of the agreement and resume his previous practice of Bengal Invasion by raiding  [[Bengal]] beyond the Subarnarekha River.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44140557|title=THE MARATHAS IN ORISSA|publisher=Kali Kinkar Datta|year=1949|pages=299–301}}</ref>

In 1761, Sheo Bhatt invaded Midnapur again, plundering it thoroughly. The British retaliated, capturing the money Sheo Bhatt had collected from Pataspur, a region under his control. To pressure Tilak Chand into paying the demanded sum, Sheo Bhatt appointed Rai Govind to the zamindari of Chitnam Berda, which belonged to Tilak Chand, but failed to achieve his goal.

Despite ongoing tensions and occasional raids, Sheo Bhatt sometimes showed a willingness to reconcile. The British appointed Khushal Chand at [[Cuttack]] to manage correspondence with Madras. Though initially imprisoned, Khushal Chand was later released, and British communications were resumed. When a British shipwrecked near Puri, Sheo Bhatt ensured the survivors reached safety and even offered to send representatives to Calcutta to resolve disputes over Pataspur and other territories.

|'''Maratha  Victory'''

|'''Maratha Victory'''

|'''Maratha  Victory'''

|'''Bengal-British Victory'''

|'''Maratha Victory'''

|'''British  Victory'''

|'''No Result'''

|'''No Result'''

|'''Peace Treaty'''

In 1764, Sheo Bhatt, unable to meet his financial obligations to [[Janoji Bhonsle]], was dismissed and replaced by Chimna Sau as the governor of [[Orissa]]. Sheo Bhatt was imprisoned on April 12, 1764, but Mukund Pandit, with some of Sheo Bhatt’s men, attacked Chimna Sau’s forces and was defeated, resulting in several casualties. Following Sheo Bhatt’s removal, Orissa experienced significant disorder as various zamindars exploited the situation, including the zamindar of Dhenkanal, who murdered Sheo Bhatt’s adopted son and seized his property.

Bhaskar Pandit, Sheo Bhatt’s brother and the faujdar of Balasore, fled with local zamindars to avoid capture by Chimna Sau due to arrears in revenue collection. Sheo Bhatt managed to escape from Nagpur, traveled to Oudh, and unsuccessfully sought support from Lord Clive. He obtained an Imperial Parwana from Delhi appointing [[Janoji Bhonsle]] as the Nizamat of Orissa and raised a contingent of 500 horsemen from Januji. Despite these efforts, Chimna Sau, who had aligned with the British, was well-prepared to counter Sheo Bhatt’s attempt to regain control.

Sheo Bhatt returned to Orissa and established his base at Kunjar, gaining the support of several zamindars and causing disturbances, including setting fire to Cuttack’s suburbs. He claimed British backing and sought support from Motte in Sambalpur, but the British rejected his claims and supported Chimna Sau instead. By February 1767, Sheo Bhatt was decisively defeated, ending his turbulent bid to regain power. Despite his dismissal, Sheo Bhatt is remembered for his effective revenue administration, having established a settlement of 18,00,000 Arcot rupees with a notable revenue system.