Expeditions in Bengal
Encyclopedia
The expeditions in Bengal
was taken by the Maratha Empire
after the successful campaign in Karnataka
at the Battle of Trichinopolly
. The leader of the expedition was Maratha
Maharaja
Raghuji
of Nagpur
. Raghoji was able to annex Orissa
and parts of Bengal permanently as he successfully exploited the chaotic conditions prevailing in the region after the death of their Governor Murshid Quli Khan
in 1727. The expeditions resulted in Bengal becoming a tributary region of the Marathas for a period of time.
, Patna
and Murshidabad
.
of Bengal and Bihar.
The net result of these campaigns is seen in the treaty concluded between Alivardi, the Nawab of Bengal
, and Raghuji in 1751. The terms of which are as follows:
The smaller states of Raipur, Ratanpur
, Bilaspur
and Sambalpur
belonging to Chhattisgad territory were conquered by Bhaskar Ram, and were placed in charge of Mohan Singh, the illegitimate son of Raghuji. Towards the end of his career, Raghuji was the master of the whole of Berar
; the Gond
kingdoms of Devgad including Nagpur, Gadha-Mandla and Chandrapur
; the Subha of Katak; and the smaller states spreading between Nagpur and Katak. Very few Maratha
noblemen had such a vast territory under them.
of Katak in the hands of the Bhonsles was of strategic importance as it stretched between the English
possessions of Bengal to the north and Madras to the south. The successors of Raghuji, however, could not utilise this situation to their advantage as they wasted their time and energy in fratricidal wars with the Peshwa
. When Mudhoji Bhosle was ruling in Nagpur, Nana Phadnavis proposed a Quadruple Alliance to oust the English from India
. In this alliance the Bhosles were to attack the English possessions in Bengal as they had not paid the dues of Chauth
from Bengal and Bihar for a long time. However, this plan could not be executed as Mudhoji gave it a lukewarm support.
Since the victory of the Nizam
at Sakarkherda, Berar was subject to the dual administration of the Nizam and the Bhonsles. In the contemporary language it was doamli region. Both the Nizam and the Bhonsles had their officers, but the stronger Bhonsles made actual collections of Chauth (25 per cent), Sardeshmukhi (10 per cent), and Ghaasdana charge for feeding the cavalry (5 per cent). Thus, out of the total collection 40 per cent was of the Bhonsles and the remaining 60 per cent was to be paid to the Nizam as the Subhedar of Deccan. In course of time, as the Bhonsles became stronger, they reversed the percentage, taking 60 per cent for themselves and leaving 40 per cent for the Nizam. This arrangement regarding the division of the revenue of Berar between the Nizam and the Bhonsles took place during the sena-saheb-subhaship of Janoji. The arrangement which existed at the time of Raghuji I cannot be ascertained, though by the sanad of Berar granted to him by Chhatrapati
Shahu it seems that he collected 25 per cent as Chauth and 10 per cent as Sardeshmukhi.
At the time of Raghuji III Bhonsle (1818–1853), the Nagpur kingdom
was divided into five Subhas: (1) Devgad above the Ghats; (2) Devgad below the Ghats, which included Nagpur and the surrounding region i.e. the region between the rivers Wardha
and Wainganga; (3) region between Nagpur and Chhattisgarh
; (4) Chandrapur
together with the forest area and (5) Orissa. The strategic forts of Gavilgad, Naranala and Manikdurg (near Mahur
) together with the territory attached to them for their maintenance were held by Raghuji.
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
was taken by the Maratha Empire
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km²....
after the successful campaign in Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
at the Battle of Trichinopolly
Siege of Trichinopoly (1741)
The Siege of Trichinopoly took place in early 1741 during an extended series of conflicts between the Mughal Empire and the Maratha Empire for control over what is now southern India...
. The leader of the expedition was Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
Maharaja
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
Raghuji
Raghoji I Bhonsle
Raghoji I Bhonsle was a Maratha general who took control of the Nagpur Kingdom in east-central Indiaduring the reign of Shahu. His successors ruled the kingdom until 1853....
of Nagpur
Nagpur kingdom
The Kingdom of Nagpur was a kingdom in east-central India founded by the Gond rulers of Deogarh in the early 18th century. It came under the rule of Marathas of the Bhonsle dynasty in the mid-18th century...
. Raghoji was able to annex Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
and parts of Bengal permanently as he successfully exploited the chaotic conditions prevailing in the region after the death of their Governor Murshid Quli Khan
Murshid Quli Khan
Murshid Quli Khan was the first Nawab of Bengal. In fact circumstances resulted in his being the first independent ruler of Bengal post the death of Emperor Aurangzeb...
in 1727. The expeditions resulted in Bengal becoming a tributary region of the Marathas for a period of time.
Death of the Governor of Bengal
In 1727, Murshid Quli Khan, the Governor of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa died. His successor Sarfaraz Khan was killed by an ambitious Turk in his service in 1740, and the post of Nawab thus went to the usurper known as Aliwardi Khan. This most unworthy act of Alivardi was detested by one Mir Habib, a loyal servant of the late Nawab. Mir Habib, who had risen to the position of deputy of Nawab by the dint of his merit, resolved to overthrow his new treacherous master and for the accomplishment of his object sought Raghuji's aid. This was an excellent opportunity for Raghuji, who was eager to expand into Subhas of CuttackCuttack
Cuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
, Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
and Murshidabad
Murshidabad
Murshidabad is a city in Murshidabad district of West Bengal state in India. The city of Murshidabad is located on the southern bank of the Bhagirathi, a distributary of the Ganges River. It was the capital of undivided Bengal during the Mughal rule. Nawabs of Bengal used to rule Bengal from this...
.
Expedition of Bengal
From 1741 to 1748, Raghuji carried in all six expeditions to these regions; popularly known as Bengal expeditions. The first one in 1741, as also the third in 1744, were led by Raghuji's general Bhaskar Ram Kolhatkar. The second in 1742 and the fourth in 1745 were led by Raghuji himself. The fifth in 1747 and the sixth in 1748 were undertaken by Janoji and Sabaji respectively. Alivardi Khan made peace with Raghuji in 1751 ceding in perpetuity Katak up to the river Suvarnarekha, and agreeing to pay Rs. 12 lacs of tribute annually in lieu of the ChauthChauth
Chauth was a tax or tribute imposed, from early 18th century, by the Maratha Empire in India. It was nominally levied at 25% on revenue or produce, hence the name....
of Bengal and Bihar.
The net result of these campaigns is seen in the treaty concluded between Alivardi, the Nawab of Bengal
Nawab of Bengal
The Nawabs of Bengal were the hereditary nazims or subadars of the subah of Bengal during the Mughal rule and the de-facto rulers of the province.-History:...
, and Raghuji in 1751. The terms of which are as follows:
- Mir Habib was to be confirmed in the Government of OrissaOrissaOrissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
as the deputy Subhedar of MurshidabadMurshidabadMurshidabad is a city in Murshidabad district of West Bengal state in India. The city of Murshidabad is located on the southern bank of the Bhagirathi, a distributary of the Ganges River. It was the capital of undivided Bengal during the Mughal rule. Nawabs of Bengal used to rule Bengal from this...
.
- The Nawab of Bengal was to pay annually Rs. 12 lacs to the BhonsleBhonsleThe Bhonsle were a prominent clan within the Maratha clan system who served as rulers of several states in India.The most prominent member of the clan was Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha empire...
s in lieu of the ChauthChauthChauth was a tax or tribute imposed, from early 18th century, by the Maratha Empire in India. It was nominally levied at 25% on revenue or produce, hence the name....
of Bengal and Bihar.
- So long as this amount (Rs. 12 lacs) was regularly paid, the Bhonsles were not to harass the provinces of Bengal and Bihar.
- The district of Katak i.e., the territory up to the river Suvarna-Rekha was to be considered as the possession of the Bhonsles. [OUM. pp. 16, 17.]
The smaller states of Raipur, Ratanpur
Ratanpur
Ratanpur is a town and a nagar panchayat in Bilaspur district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. It is located about 25 km from Bilaspur on the National Highway 200 towards Ambikapur.-Demographics:...
, Bilaspur
Kahlur
Kahlur , covering an area of 1173 km², and currently a part of Himachal Pradesh state, was one of the Princely states of India during the period of the British Raj. The state was founded in/around 697 by Kahal Chand. Kahal Chand had built a fort, which was named after him, and was called...
and Sambalpur
Sambalpur
Sambalpur is a city in Sambalpur district in the Indian state of Orissa.It lies at a distance of 321 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar. In the year 1876, Sambalpur was established as a municipality. It is currently the headquarters and the largest city of Sambalpur district. It is also...
belonging to Chhattisgad territory were conquered by Bhaskar Ram, and were placed in charge of Mohan Singh, the illegitimate son of Raghuji. Towards the end of his career, Raghuji was the master of the whole of Berar
Berar Subah
-Origin of name:According to the Ain-i-Akbari, the original name of Berar was Waradatat .-History:Before the Mughal occupation, Berar was part of the Nizam Shahi sultanate of Ahmadnagar. It was ceded to the emperor Akbar by Chand Bibi in 1596, unable to stand against the imperial forces led by...
; the Gond
Gondi people
The Gondi, Goindi or Gond people are people in central India, spread over the states of Madhya Pradesh, eastern Maharashtra , Chhattisgarh, northern Andhra Pradesh, and Western Orissa. With over four million people, they are the largest tribe in Central India.The Gondi language is related to...
kingdoms of Devgad including Nagpur, Gadha-Mandla and Chandrapur
Chandrapur
Chandrapur is city and a municipal council in Chandrapur district in the state of Maharashtra, India. It is also the headquarters of Chandrapur district....
; the Subha of Katak; and the smaller states spreading between Nagpur and Katak. Very few Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
noblemen had such a vast territory under them.
Raghuji's Successors
Looking at the geo-political condition at that time, the SubhaSubha
Subha may refer to:* Subha , the Tamil detective novelists* Misbaha, Muslim prayer beads, also known as subhaThe subha is made up of three sets of thirty-three beads and one large one making one hundred in total. They are often made from wood or plastic. The ninety-nine beads are used to say the...
of Katak in the hands of the Bhonsles was of strategic importance as it stretched between the English
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
possessions of Bengal to the north and Madras to the south. The successors of Raghuji, however, could not utilise this situation to their advantage as they wasted their time and energy in fratricidal wars with the Peshwa
Peshwa
A Peshwa is the titular equivalent of a modern Prime Minister. Emporer Shivaji created the Peshwa designation in order to more effectively delegate administrative duties during the growth of the Maratha Empire. Prior to 1749, Peshwas held office for 8-9 years and controlled the Maratha army...
. When Mudhoji Bhosle was ruling in Nagpur, Nana Phadnavis proposed a Quadruple Alliance to oust the English from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. In this alliance the Bhosles were to attack the English possessions in Bengal as they had not paid the dues of Chauth
Chauth
Chauth was a tax or tribute imposed, from early 18th century, by the Maratha Empire in India. It was nominally levied at 25% on revenue or produce, hence the name....
from Bengal and Bihar for a long time. However, this plan could not be executed as Mudhoji gave it a lukewarm support.
Since the victory of the Nizam
Nizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
at Sakarkherda, Berar was subject to the dual administration of the Nizam and the Bhonsles. In the contemporary language it was doamli region. Both the Nizam and the Bhonsles had their officers, but the stronger Bhonsles made actual collections of Chauth (25 per cent), Sardeshmukhi (10 per cent), and Ghaasdana charge for feeding the cavalry (5 per cent). Thus, out of the total collection 40 per cent was of the Bhonsles and the remaining 60 per cent was to be paid to the Nizam as the Subhedar of Deccan. In course of time, as the Bhonsles became stronger, they reversed the percentage, taking 60 per cent for themselves and leaving 40 per cent for the Nizam. This arrangement regarding the division of the revenue of Berar between the Nizam and the Bhonsles took place during the sena-saheb-subhaship of Janoji. The arrangement which existed at the time of Raghuji I cannot be ascertained, though by the sanad of Berar granted to him by Chhatrapati
Chhatrapati
Chhatrapati is the Indian honorific title equivalent to the European Emperor. It is more formally written as Kshetrapati, from the Sanskrit kshetra- and -pati...
Shahu it seems that he collected 25 per cent as Chauth and 10 per cent as Sardeshmukhi.
At the time of Raghuji III Bhonsle (1818–1853), the Nagpur kingdom
Nagpur kingdom
The Kingdom of Nagpur was a kingdom in east-central India founded by the Gond rulers of Deogarh in the early 18th century. It came under the rule of Marathas of the Bhonsle dynasty in the mid-18th century...
was divided into five Subhas: (1) Devgad above the Ghats; (2) Devgad below the Ghats, which included Nagpur and the surrounding region i.e. the region between the rivers Wardha
Wardha
Wardha is a city and a municipal council in Wardha district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarters of Wardha district. Wardha gets its name from the Wardha River which flows at the North, West and South boundaries of district. Founded in 1866, the town is now an...
and Wainganga; (3) region between Nagpur and Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000....
; (4) Chandrapur
Chandrapur
Chandrapur is city and a municipal council in Chandrapur district in the state of Maharashtra, India. It is also the headquarters of Chandrapur district....
together with the forest area and (5) Orissa. The strategic forts of Gavilgad, Naranala and Manikdurg (near Mahur
Mahur
Mahur or Mahurgad is a religious place in Maharashtra, India. Mahur is said to be the birth place of Hindu Goddess Renuka, mother of Lord Parshuram. The three and half Shakti Peethas of Maharashtra are Tuljapur enshrining Bhavani, Kolhapur enshrining Mahalakshmi, Mahur enshrining Mahamaya, and...
) together with the territory attached to them for their maintenance were held by Raghuji.