Lesson 3/45 min
The Nawabs of Bengal
From the time of Murshid Quli Khan the Bengal suba became almost independent. He moved the capital from Dhaka to Murshidabad. The nawabi period lasted until the Battle of Plassey in 1757.
The Nawabs of Bengal
| Nawab | Years | To remember |
|---|---|---|
| Murshid Quli Khan | 1717–1727 | First independent nawab; moved the capital from Dhaka to Murshidabad |
| Shujauddin Khan | 1727–1739 | Came after Murshid Quli |
| Sarfaraz Khan | 1739–1740 | Defeated by Alivardi at Giria in 1740 |
| Alivardi Khan | 1740–1756 | Held off the Maratha (Bargi) raids; died 10 April 1756 |
| Siraj-ud-Daula | 1756–1757 | Last independent nawab of Bengal |
Alivardi Khan
- Became nawab in 1740 by defeating Sarfaraz Khan at Giria
- The Marathas raided Bengal, Bihar and Orissa every year; these raids are called the ‘Bargir Hangama’
- Saved Bengal by making a treaty with the Marathas
- He had no son and named Siraj-ud-Daula, the child of his youngest daughter Amena, as his successor
Siraj-ud-Daula
- Alivardi's grandson through his daughter; real name Mirza Muhammad; father Zain-ud-din (spelt ‘Joyen Uddin’ in the book)
- Took the throne in 1756 at only 23; he reigned about one year
- His elder aunt Ghaseti Begum and influential courtiers plotted against him, and the English joined in
- In 1756 he captured Fort William at Calcutta and renamed the city Alinagar, after his maternal grandfather
Did you know?: Asked in an exam: the last nawab of Dhaka was Khwaja Habibullah (PSC).
The end of the Mughal empire
- In the sepoy rising of 1857 the emperor was Bahadur Shah II. The English exiled him to Rangoon (Myanmar), where he died in 1862 aged 87. With this the Mughal empire fell; it had lasted 331 years (1526–1857).
Check yourself
Who was the first independent nawab of Bengal, and where did he move the capital?
At a glance
- 1
First independent nawab Murshid Quli Khan (1717–1727) moved the capital from Dhaka to Murshidabad.
- 2
Alivardi Khan (1740–1756) beat Sarfaraz at Giria in 1740, held off the Maratha ‘Bargi’ raids, and died on 10 April 1756.
- 3
Siraj-ud-Daula (1756–1757), Alivardi's grandson, was the last independent nawab of Bengal; he took the throne aged 23.
- 4
Siraj renamed Calcutta Alinagar (1756).
- 5
The Mughal empire fell in 1857; its last emperor Bahadur Shah II died at Rangoon in 1862.