Nawabs of Bengal

Quick Facts: Who was Nawabs of Bengal?

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Nawabs of Bengal

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Hereditary rulers of Bengal Subah, governing as de facto independent monarchs in 18th-century Mughal India.

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Origins & Early Life

The nawabs of Bengal were the hereditary rulers of Bengal Subah in Mughal India. In the early 18th century, the Nawab of Bengal was the de facto independent ruler of the three provinces of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa and they are often referred to as the nawabs of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. The nawabs were based in Murshidabad which was centrally located within Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. 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.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Bengal continued to contribute the largest share of funds to the imperial Mughal treasury in Delhi. The Bengal Subah reached its peak during the reign of Nawab Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan. 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.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

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 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 nawabs, backed by bankers such as the Jagat Seth, became the financial backbone of the Mughal court. The British company eventually rivaled the authority of the nawabs.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Nawabs of Bengal

True or False: “The Nawab's authority was completely dissolved immediately after the Battle of Plassey in 1757.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While the defeat at Plassey severely weakened them, the nawabs retained some semblance of power until later events, such as the British shifting administrative offices to Calcutta in 1772.

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