The first faujdar of Purnea was Saif Khan who was a member of the
Muslim nobility and was appointed in between
1704-
1707 by the
Mughals. During this period, Purnea was in a state of virtual anarchy with regular raids carried out by the zamindars of
Morang, the
Chakwar tribe of
Begusarai and neighbouring zamindars. After his appointment, Saif Khan set to work pacifying and restoring order to the region. He was said to have had no talents or capacity as a governor and was also known for his hoarding of
jewellery. He made several attempts to defy the Nawabs of Bengal who opposed his oppressive conduct. After a battle with the Nawabs, he escaped to Delhi and died in obscurity. After this period, the faujdars of Purnea were appointed by the Nawabs of Bengal however they all varied in the amount of loyalty they showed to the Nawabs. The French mercenary,
Walter Reinhardt Sombre was briefly employed by the faujdars of Purnea in the 1760s and commanded an army to fight on their behalf that unusually reported directly to him rather than to the faujdars. This army was said to have consisted of local
Bihari soldiers and other
European mercenaries. ==Expansion and conflict with Nepal==