Battle of Bhopal
Part of Maratha–Nizam War
Date24 December 1737
Location
Bhopal, India
Result Maratha victory
Territorial
changes		 Mughal Empire ceded territory of Malwa to the Marathas
Belligerents
Maratha Confederacy Mughal Empire
 • Nizam of Hyderabad
Commanders and leaders
Baji Rao Asaf Jah I
Saadat Ali Khan
Strength
80,000 light cavalry[1] 70,000 with 120 cannons drawn by war-elephant corps, 3,000 Camel-drawn Zamburak gunnery[2][1]
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown

The Battle of Bhopal was fought on 24 December 1737 in Bhopal between the Maratha Confederacy and the combined army of the Nizam and several Mughal generals in which Marathas under Bajirao I were victorious.[3]

Background

As the Mughal Empire continued to weaken after Aurangzeb's death, the Maratha Peshwa Bajirao I invaded Mughal territories such as Malwa and Gujarat. The Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah was alarmed by the Marathas' conquest. Initially, Maratha war-bands that entered the province from the south (Deccan) were constantly defeated and repulsed by Jai Singh II, the Subahdar of Malwa.[4][5] In 1737, the Marathas invaded the northern frontiers of the Mughal Empire, reaching as far as the outskirts of Delhi, Bajirao was defeated by a Mughal army there and was marching back to Pune.[6]

Battle

The battle was fought between the Maratha Empire and Mughal forces led by the Nizam of Hyderabad near Bhopal in India in December 1737. The Marathas poisoned the water and the replenishment supplies of the besieged Mughal forces. Chimaji was sent with an army of 10,000 men to stop any reinforcements while Bajirao blockaded the city instead of directly attacking the Nizam. The Nizam sued for peace after he was denied reinforcements from Delhi.[1]

Aftermath

On 7 January 1738, a peace treaty known as Treaty of Bhopal was signed in Doraha near Bhopal and the Mughals agreed to pay 5,000,000 Rupees as war expenses to the Marathas.[7][1] The Marathas were given the territory of Malwa.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Chhabra, G.S. (2005). Advance Study in the History of Modern India (Volume-1: 1707-1803). Lotus Press. pp. 26–27. ISBN 978-81-89093-06-8.
  2. ^ Dighe, V.G., Peshwa Bajirao & the Maratha Expansion, p.145
  3. ^ Jaques, Tony (30 November 2006). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A Guide to 8,500 Battles from Antiquity through the Twenty-first Century [3 volumes]. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-313-02799-4.
  4. ^ R.K. Gupta, S.R. Bakshi (2008). Studies In Indian History: Rajasthan Through The Ages The Heritage Of Rajputs (1st ed.). Sarup and sons. pp. 92–93. ISBN 978-81-76258-418.
  5. ^ Husain, Zakir (2001). "The Rise of Dost Muhammad Khan (1708-1728), the First Nawab of Bhopal". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 62: 309–316. ISSN 2249-1937.
  6. ^ Malik, Zahiruddin (1977). The Reign of Muhammad Shah, 1719-1748. Asia Publishing House. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-210-40598-7.
  7. ^ Bakshi, S.R.; Ralhan, O.P. (2007). Madhya Pradesh Through the Ages. Sarup & Sons. p. 384. ISBN 978-81-7625-806-7.

23°15′N 77°25′E / 23.250°N 77.417°E / 23.250; 77.417

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