Independent nawabs The Bengal Subah was the wealthiest
subah of the
Mughal Empire. 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. 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. By the early 1700s, the Nawabs were practically independent, despite a nominal tribute to the Mughal court. 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. They served as financiers to both the Nawabs and European companies operating in the region. in Murshidabad The Nawabs profited from the revenue generated by the worldwide demand of
muslin trade in Bengal, which was centred in Dhaka and
Sonargaon. Murshidabad was a major centre of silk production.
Shipbuilding in
Chittagong enjoyed Ottoman and European demand.
Patna was a centre of metalworks and the military-industrial complex. The Bengal-Bihar region was a major exporter of
gunpowder and
saltpetre. 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. 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. 400,000 civilian Bengalis were massacred by the
Bargis (Maratha warriors) including textile weavers, silk winders, and
mulberry cultivators. Many Bengalis were mutilated and contemporary accounts describe the scene of mass gang-rape against women. Alivardi Khan the Nawab of Bengal fearing even worse devastation and destruction agreed to pay Rs. 1.2 million of tribute annually as the
chauth of Bengal and Bihar to the Marathas, and the Marathas agreed not to invade Bengal again. The expeditions, led by
Raghuji Bhonsle of
Nagpur, also established de facto Maratha control over
Orissa, which was formally incorporated in the Maratha Empire in 1752.
British influence and succession Nawab Murshid Quli Khan was notorious for his repressive tax collection tactics, including torture for non-payment. 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. 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. 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. 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,
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. In 1765,
Robert Clive, as the representative of the
East India Company, was given the Diwani of Bengal by the
Mughal emperor Shah Alam II. With this a system of dual governance was established, with the Nawabs responsible for the Nizamat of Bengal and the Company responsible for the Diwani of Bengal. In 1772, this arrangement came to be abolished and Bengal was brought under direct control of the British. In 1793, the Mughal emperor also ceded the Nizamat of Bengal to the Company and the Nawab of Bengal was reduced to a mere titular position and 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
Crown rule in India, and the Nawabs had no political or any other kind of control over the territory. 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. 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.
Relations with the Zamindars of Bihar The
Zamindars of Bihar maintained a tenuous loyalty to the Nawabs of Bengal. Rebellion and the withholding of revenue was a common feature of the Nawab period in Bihar. Although Bihar had the potential to provide a large amount of revenue and tax, records show that the Nawabs were unable to extract any money from the chiefs of Bihar until 1748. And even following this, the amount gained was very low. This was again due to the rebellious nature of the zamindars who were "continually in arms".
Military campaigns According to
João de Barros, Bengal enjoyed military supremacy over
Arakan and
Tripura due to good
artillery. Its forces possessed notable large
cannons. It was also a major exporter of
gunpowder and
saltpeter to Europe. The
Mughal Army built
fortifications across the region, including
Idrakpur Fort,
Sonakanda Fort,
Hajiganj Fort,
Lalbagh Fort and
Jangalbari Fort. The Mughals expelled Arakanese and Portuguese
pirates from the northeastern coastline of the
Bay of Bengal. Throughout the late medieval and early modern periods, Bengal was notable for its navy and
shipbuilding. The following table covers a list of notable military engagements by Mughal Bengal: ==List of Nawabs==