The Maratha plunder of Murshidabad would be one of the events in the first Maratha invasion of Bengal. The Marathas would penetrate as far as Murshidabad, and plunder it in the absence of Alivardi Khan.[1] The Nawab of Bengal, Alivardi Khan would make a return to Bengal from his Orissa campaign to avenge this act, repulsing the Marathas at First Battle of Katwa.[2]

Plunder of Murshidabad (1742)
Part of Maratha invasions of Bengal
Location
Murshidabad, West Bengal
Result

Maratha victory[3]

Belligerents

Maratha Empire

Nawab of Bengal
Commanders and leaders
Bhaskar Pandit
Mir Habib		 Alivardi Khan
Strength
Unknown Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown Heavy[4]

Battle

During the first Maratha invasion of Bengal, Alivardi Khan gathered fresh reinforcements from Murshidabad, leaving it undefended. Due to this act, Bhaskar Ram Kolhatkar decided to return to his own country, the newly defected Mir Habib however, objected this. He informed Bhaskar how it would be easy to plunder Murshidabad in the absence of Alivardi or a proper garrison. Soon, Mir Habib marched from Katwa to Murshidabad and plundered it, with the Marathas committing atrocities along the way.[5][6][7]

Atrocities

After plundering the capital, the Marathas committed many brutal atrocities in the area, such as raping women and killing civilians. All contemporary sources agree on said atrocities, with some sources even calling Marathas "Slayers of Pregnant Women and Infants.", several modern historians uncovered acts of gang-rape done by the Marathas.[8]

References

  1. ^ Jadunath Sarkar (1932). Bihar and Orissa During the Fall of Mughal Empire (Jadunath Sarkar).
  2. ^ Lindsay, J. O. (1957). The New Cambridge Modern History: Volume 7, The Old Regime, 1713-1763. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-04545-2.
  3. ^ Lindsay, J. O. (1957). The New Cambridge Modern History: Volume 7, the Old Regime, 1713-1763. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-04545-2.
  4. ^ Lindsay, J. O. (1957). The New Cambridge Modern History: Volume 7, the Old Regime, 1713-1763. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-04545-2.
  5. ^ Jadunath Sarkar (1932). Bihar and Orissa During the Fall of Mughal Empire (Jadunath Sarkar).
  6. ^ Datta, Kalikinkar (1939). Aliardi And His Times.
  7. ^ Lindsay, J. O. (1957). The New Cambridge Modern History: Volume 7, The Old Regime, 1713-1763. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-04545-2.
  8. ^ Lindsay, J. O. (1957). The New Cambridge Modern History: Volume 7, The Old Regime, 1713-1763. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-04545-2.
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