58-516: Mir Syed Jafar Ali Khan Bahadur ( c. 1691 – 5 February 1765), more commonly known as just Mir Jafar , was a commander-in-chief or military general who reigned as the first dependent Nawab of Bengal of the British East India Company . His reign has been considered by many historians as the start of the expansion of British control of the Indian subcontinent in Indian history and
116-952: A base for the British East India Company , the French East India Company , the Danish East India Company , the Austrian East India Company , the Ostend Company , and the Dutch East India Company . The British company eventually rivaled the authority of the Nawabs. In the aftermath of the siege of Calcutta in 1756, in which the Nawab's forces overran the main British base, the East India Company dispatched
174-546: A fleet led by Robert Clive who defeated the last independent Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah at the Battle of Plassey in 1757. Mir Jafar was installed as the puppet Nawab. His successor Mir Qasim attempted in vain to dislodge the British. The defeat of Nawab Mir Qasim of Bengal, Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula of Oudh , and Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II at the Battle of Buxar in 1764 paved the way for British expansion across India. The South Indian Kingdom of Mysore led by Tipu Sultan overtook
232-510: A key step in the eventual British domination of vast areas of pre-partition India . Mir Jafar served as the commander of the Bengali army under Siraj ud-Daulah , but betrayed him during the Battle of Plassey and ascended to the masnad after the British victory in 1757. Mir Jafar received military support from the East India Company until 1760, when he failed to satisfy various British demands. In 1758, Robert Clive discovered that Jafar had made
290-583: A local businessman named Kantu borrowed money from Jagat Seth Fateh Chand and was interested in the purchase of silk. However, he failed to return the money. Indian businessmen refused to deal with the East India Company unless Kantu returned the money to Fateh Chand. This shows the great respect the local businessmen had for the Jagat Seths. Fateh Chand suffered a great loss in Delhi during Nader Shah's sack of
348-634: A monopoly of minting coins there. The Nawabs of Bengal such as Murshid Quli Khan used the credit networks of the Jagat Seth family to pay annual tribute to the Mughal Emperors in Delhi . Alivardi Khan came to the throne of Bengal in a military coup financed and planned by the Jagat Seths. According to William Dalrymple , they could "make or break anyone in Bengal, including the ruler, and their political instincts were sharp as their financial ones". Once
406-673: A period of economic and political consolidation. The third Nawab Sarfaraz Khan was preoccupied with military engagements, including Nader Shah's invasion of India . Sarfaraz Khan was killed at the Battle of Giria by his deputy Alivardi Khan . The coup by Alivardi Khan led to the creation of a new dynasty. Nawab Alivardi Khan endured brutal raids by the Maratha Empire . The Marathas undertook six expeditions in Bengal from 1741 to 1748. The Maratha general Raghoji I of Nagpur conquered large parts of Orissa. Nawab Alivardi Khan made peace with Raghoji in 1751, ceding large parts of Orissa up to
464-519: A result of the disputes. After the viceroy's exit, the provincial premier Murshid Quli Khan emerged as the de facto ruler of Bengal. His administrative coup merged the offices of the diwan (prime minister) and subedar (viceroy). In 1716, Khan shifted Bengal's capital from Dhaka to a new city named after himself. In 1717, Mughal Emperor Farrukhsiyar recognized Khan as the hereditary Nawab Nazim. The Nawab's jurisdiction covered districts in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. The Nawab's territory stretched from
522-560: 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
580-485: A treaty with the Dutch East India Company at Chinsurah through his agent Khoja Wajid . Dutch ships of the line were also seen in the River Hooghly . Jafar's dispute with the British eventually led to the Battle of Chinsurah . British company official Henry Vansittart proposed that since Jafar was unable to cope with the difficulties, Mir Qasim , Jafar's son-in-law, should act as Deputy Subahdar . In October 1760,
638-464: 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
SECTION 10
#1732855274610696-634: The British colonize India , and the eventual downfall of the Mughal Empire , Mir Jafar is reviled in the Indian subcontinent as a traitor, especially among the Bengalis in both India and Bangladesh . Mir Syed Muhammad Jafar was born in Delhi in 1691 as the second son of the seven sons and eight daughters of Syed Ahmad Najafi (Mir Mirak). They claimed descent from Hasan ibn Hasan . Jafar's paternal grandfather
754-1004: 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
812-574: The Mughal Crown Prince Ali Gauhar and his Mughal Army of 30,000 intended to overthrow Jafar, Imad-ul-Mulk after they tried to capture or kill him by advancing towards Awadh and Patna in 1759. But the conflict soon involved the increasingly assertive East India Company. The Mughals were led by Prince Ali Gauhar, who was accompanied by Muhammad Quli Khan, Hidayat Ali, Mir Afzal and Ghulam Husain Tabatabai. Their forces were reinforced by
870-690: The Mughal Emperor . In award, Farrukhsiyar conferred the title of Jagat Seth on Manik Chand, the head of the family, meaning "banker or merchant of the world". This indicates the favour the family had gained at the Mughal court. Roben Orme, the official historian of the British East India Company described Jagat Seth as the greatest banker and money changer known in the world at that time. The historian Ghulam Hussain Khan believed that "their wealth
928-627: 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
986-620: 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
1044-511: The British for the conspiracy. Any members of the conspiracy group had no intention to found British rule in India, instead they were just concerned about their political futures. After the Battle of Plassey , Mir Qasim became the new Nawab. He organised the killing of several members of the family including Jagat Seth Mehtab Chand and his cousin Swarup Chand, in 1763, and threw their bodies off
1102-460: The British government abolished the symbolic authority of the Mughal court. After 1880, the descendants of the Nawabs of Bengal were recognised simply as Nawabs of Murshidabad with the mere status of a peerage . 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
1160-518: 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,
1218-575: 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 . 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
SECTION 20
#17328552746101276-580: 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
1334-490: The Dutch at the Battle of Chinsurah in November 1759 and retaliated by forcing him to abdicate in favor of his son-in-law Mir Qasim. Qasim proved to be both able and independent-minded, although he soon came into dispute with the company over their refusal to pay taxes to Qasim. Mir Qasim formed an alliance to force the East India Company out of East India . The company soon went to war with him and his allies. The Battle of Buxar
1392-540: The Jagat Seths began declining. Govindchand, the next Seth , died in 1864, succeeded by Gopal Chand and Gulab Chand respectively. By then, the fortunes of the family had declined by a considerable amount. The last member of the family died in 1912, their fortunes being a thing of the past and surviving on a pension given by the British. The house of the Jagat Seths, complete with a secret tunnel as well as an underground chamber, where illegal trade plans were hatched, has been converted into museum . House of Jagat Seth Museum
1450-598: The Maratha Wars, to the powerful Jagat Seths . With nowhere else to turn, the plotters reached out to the Company , who had regained and strengthened their position in the region under Clive and Watson , hoping to use their military forces to their own ends. William Watts was the first to become aware of the mutterings of the disaffected nobles in Murshidabad, and sent his Armenian agent, Khwaja Petrus Aratoon, to investigate. The answer came back that Mir Jafar, in his position as
1508-474: The Mughal Empire began to decline, the Nawabs rose in power. By the early 1700s, the Nawabs were practically independent, despite a nominal tribute to the Mughal court. The Mughal court heavily relied on Bengal for revenue. Azim-us-Shan , the Mughal viceroy of Bengal, had a bitter power struggle with his prime minister ( diwan ) Murshid Quli Khan. Emperor Aurangzeb transferred Azim-us-Shan out of Bengal as
1566-579: The Nawab Nazims following Nawab Mansur Ali Khan's abdication, The Nawab Bahadurs had ceased to exercise any significant power. but were relegated to the status of a zamindar and continued to be a wealthy family, producing bureaucrats and army officers. The following is a list of the Nawabs of Bengal. Sarfaraz Khan and Mir Jafar were the only two to become Nawab Nazim twice. The chronology started in 1717 with Murshid Quli Khan and ended in 1880 with Mansur Ali Khan. Jagat Seth family Jagat Seth
1624-540: The Nawab of Bengal as the subcontinent's wealthiest monarchy; but this was short-lived and ended with the Anglo-Mysore War . The British then turned their sights on defeating the Marathas and Sikhs . In 1772, Governor-General Warren Hastings shifted administrative and judicial offices from Murshidabad to Calcutta , the capital of the newly formed Bengal Presidency , and the de facto capital of British India. The Nawabs had lost all independent authority since 1757. In 1858,
1682-562: 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
1740-415: The attack on Calcutta to the company and traders of the city. In addition, he gave bribes to the officials of the company. Robert Clive, for example, received over two million rupees, and William Watts received over one million. Soon, however, he realized that company's expectations were boundless and tried to wriggle out from under them; this time with the help of the Dutch . However, the British defeated
1798-528: 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
Mir Jafar - Misplaced Pages Continue
1856-456: The centralized Mughal empire by 1750, led to creation of a large number of independent kingdoms in Northern, Central and Western India, as also North-Western India (now Pakistan) and parts of Afghanistan (all provinces of the former Mughal empire). Each of them were in conflict with their neighbor. These kingdoms bought weapons from the British and French East India companies to aid their wars. Bengal
1914-523: The city in 1740 , but he was able to continue his business. He died on 2 December 1744. The Jagat Seths were the most prominent moneylenders to the East India Company . During the Maratha invasions of Bengal , the Bargi Maratha mercenaries plundered the mansion of the Jagat Seth, taking away two and a half crore rupees as booty. Siraj ud-Daulah , the new Nawab of Bengal, alienated figures important to
1972-576: The company forced him to abdicate in favor of Qasim. However, the East India Company eventually overthrew Qasim as well due to disputes over trade policies. Jafar was restored as the Nawab in 1763 with the support of the company. Mir Qasim, however, refused to accept this and went to war against the company. Jafar ruled until his death on 5 February 1765 and lies buried at the Jafarganj Cemetery in Murshidabad , West Bengal . Due to his role in helping
2030-418: 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
2088-568: The early 18th-century, the Nawab of Bengal was the de facto independent ruler of the three regions of Bengal , Bihar and Orissa which constitute the modern-day sovereign country of Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal , Bihar and Odisha . The Bengal Subah reached its peak during the reign of Nawab Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan . They are often referred to as the Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa ( Bengali : বাংলা, বিহার ও উড়িষ্যার নবাব ). The Nawabs were based in Murshidabad which
2146-710: The financial backbone of the Mughal court. The Nawabs, especially under the rule of Alivardi Khan of 16 years, were heavily engaged in various wars against the Marathas. Towards the end, he turned his attention to rebuilding and restoring Bengal . The Nawabs of Bengal oversaw a period of proto-industrialization . The Bengal-Bihar-Orissa triangle was a major production center for cotton muslin cloth, silk cloth, shipbuilding, gunpowder, saltpetre, and metalworks. Factories were set up in Murshidabad, Dhaka, Patna, Sonargaon, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Cossimbazar, Balasore, Pipeli, and Hugli among other cities, towns, and ports. The region became
2204-499: The financiers, and Clive with the mercenary army (ignoring strict instructions from London) were ready to stage a coup against the Nawab. Mir Jafar betrayed Siraj ud-Daulah to the British in the Battle of Plassey . After Siraj Ud Daulah's defeat and subsequent execution, Jafar achieved his long-pursued dream of gaining the throne, and was propped up by the East India company as a puppet Nawab. Jafar paid Rs. 17,700,000 as compensation for
2262-533: The forces of Shuja-ud-Daula and Najib-ud-Daula . The Mughals were also joined by Jean Law and two hundred Frenchmen and waged a campaign against the British during the Seven Years' War . Although the French were eventually defeated, the conflict between the British East India Company and the Mughal Empire would continue to linger and ended in a draw, which eventually culminated during the Battle of Buxar. The breakup of
2320-562: The interest of his state- including the Jagat Seth Mehtab Chand. The Nawab demanded a lavish tribute of 30 million rupees from the banker. Jagat Seth Mehtab Chand refused, and a result, Siraj ud-Daulah hit him. The Jagat Seth was a co-conspirator of Robert Clive against Siraj ud-Daulah , along with other alienated figures, among them prominent being- Mir Jafar , Krishnachandra Roy , Omichund , Ray Durlabh & other leading men. The Jagat Seth and other wealthy bankers funded
2378-537: The notable poet of Indian subcontinent , condemned Mir Jafar and Mir Sadiq as follows: جافر از بنگال، و صادق از دکن ننگِ آدم، ننگِ دین، ننگِ وطن Translation: Jafar of Bengal and Sadiq of the Deccan: A stigma on humanity, on religion, and the country. Nawab of Bengal The Nawab of Bengal ( Bengali : বাংলার নবাব , bāṅglār nôbāb ) was the hereditary ruler of Bengal Subah in Mughal India . In
Mir Jafar - Misplaced Pages Continue
2436-412: The paymaster of the Bengal army, was prepared to siphon off significant amounts of money (2.5 crore rupees then, £325 million today) for help in the removal of the Nawab . Watts wrote to Clive, who had himself observed that "he [Siraj] is a compound of everything that is bad, keeps company with none but his menial servants, and is universally hated and despised." The military under Mir Jafar, Jagat Seths as
2494-455: The position until his death in 1765. "Some ill-designing people had turned his brain, and carried him to the eastern part of the Mughal Empire, which would be the cause of much trouble and ruin to our regimes." Imad-ul-Mulk's letter to Mir Jafar, after the escape of the Mughal crown prince Ali Gauhar . In 1760, after gaining control over Bihar , Odisha and some parts of the Bengal ,
2552-456: The ramparts of Munger Fort . Mahtab Chand's son, Kushal Chand, was granted the title of Jagat Seth, but with the transfer of the treasury and mint to Kolkata by the British, the need of a private banker at Murshidabad was vastly diminished. Kushal Chand was only 18 years old when he became the Seth . He lacked his father Mehtab Chand's political shrewdness and was a spendthrift. Thus the fortunes of
2610-452: The river Subarnarekha. The Marathas demanded an annual tribute payment. The Marathas also promised to never to cross the boundary of the Nawab's territory. European trading companies also grew more influential in Bengal. 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
2668-524: The territories of Alivardi Khan, the Nawab of Bengal. During the Maratha invasion of Odisha , its subedar Mir Jafar and Ataullah the faujdar of Rajmahal completely withdrew all forces until the arrival of Alivardi Khan and the Mughal Army at the Battle of Burdwan where Raghoji I Bhonsle and his Maratha forces were completely routed. The enraged Alivardi Khan then dismissed the shamed Mir Jafar. Mir Jafar
2726-444: 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
2784-449: 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. The regional decentralization of the Mughal Empire led to the creation of numerous semi-independent strongholds in the Mughal provinces. As
2842-608: Was Syed Husayn Tabatabaei, who migrated from Najaf in Iraq (then part of the Safavid Empire ) and settled in Delhi on 24 April 1675 after being invited by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb . Tabatabaei married the emperor's niece and served as a Qadi in the Mughal court. Jafar's paternal aunt, Begum Sharfunnisa, was the wife of Nawab Alivardi Khan of Bengal. In 1747 the Maratha Empire led by Raghoji I Bhonsle , began to raid, pillage and annex
2900-513: Was a major center of silk production. Shipbuilding in Chittagong enjoyed Ottoman and European demand. Patna was a center 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
2958-753: Was a wealthy merchant, banker and money lender family from Murshidabad in Bengal during the time of the Nawabs of Bengal . Though not at the same scale, but the influence exercised by this family in the finances of the Mughal Empire during the 17th and 18th century would be akin to that exercised by the Rothschild family in Europe. The house was founded by a Jain Oswal Bania named Hiranand Shah from Nagaur , Rajasthan , who came to Patna in 1652. In 1707, Manikchand helped Prince Farrukhsiyar financially to become
SECTION 50
#17328552746103016-421: 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. The Nawabs profited from the revenue generated by the worldwide demand of muslin trade in Bengal , which was centered in Dhaka and Sonargaon . Murshidabad
3074-530: Was centrally located within Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha. Their chief, a former prime minister, became the first Nawab. The Nawabs continued to issue coins in the name of the Mughal Emperor, but for all practical purposes, the Nawabs governed as independent monarchs. Bengal continued to contribute the largest share of funds to the imperial treasury in Delhi. The Nawabs, backed by bankers such as the Jagat Seth , became
3132-538: Was fought on 22 October 1764 between the forces under the command of the East India Company led by Hector Munro , and the combined armies of Mir Qasim the Nawab of Bengal, Shuja-ud-Daula the Nawab of Awadh, and the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II . With the defeat in Buxar, Mir Qasim was eventually overthrown. Mir Jafar managed to regain the good graces of the British; he was again installed Nawab in 1764 and held
3190-421: Was one such kingdom. The British and French supported whichever princes ensured their trading interest. Jafar came to power with support of British East India Company. After the defeat of Sirajuddoula and later Mir Qasim the British strengthened their position in Bengal and in 1793 abolished the nizamat (referring to the Mughal suzerainty) and took complete control of the former Mughal province. Muhammad Iqbal ,
3248-407: Was such that there is no mentioning it without seeming to exaggerate and to deal in extravagant fables". They built up their business towards the last quarter of the 17th century and by the 18th century, it was perhaps the largest banking house in the country. In the 1750s, their entire wealth was estimated to be 14 crores. Jagat Seth was extremely influential in financial matters in Bengal and had
3306-519: 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. He returned to Bombay in October 1880 and pleaded his case against the orders of the government, but as it stood unresolved the Nawab renounced his styles and titles, abdicating in favour of his eldest son on 1 November 1880. The Nawabs of Murshidabad succeeded
3364-554: Was the principal general of Alivardi Khan 's successor, Siraj ud-Daulah , who led the Nawab's army to victory against the British on 19 June 1756. Governor Drake abandoned Fort William and fled with a small number of friends and principal persons, abandoning his compatriots to their fates. In spite of having led a successful attack against the Company, Jafar found himself sidelined by Siraj in favour of his rival, Raja Manikchand. A discontent Mir Jafar found support in others who opposed Siraj's tyrannical rule, from his brothers-in-arms from
#609390