The Third Battle of Katwa occurred between the Nawab of Bengal, Mir Qasim and the British East India Company in 1763. [1] [2] Dissatisfied with Nawab Mir Qasim's administration, the English deposed him in favor of his father-in-law Mir Jafar and officially declared war against Mir Qasim on July 7, 1763. The English command was given to Major Thomas Adams, who led a small force, variously estimated as between 3,000 and 5,000 men, of whom, approximately 1,000 were European. [3] [4] The Nawab had a total of approximately 25,000 troops at his disposal, led by the Armenian general Gurgin Khan. [4] [5] Although the Nawab's forces were numerically larger, they were hastily cobbled together and riven by internal strife. [4] The Nawabi force that confronted the English at Katwa was a much smaller contingent under the leadership of the accomplished general Muhammad Taqi Khan, the Faujdar of Birbhum. [1]
On July 17, 1763, the English forces marching from various cantonments in Medinipur and Bardhaman districts, established post at Agradwip, a village 14 km downstream from Katwa. There they were met by the newly re-instated Nawab Mir Jafar. Meanwhile, Mir Qasim's forces had established themselves at Palashi, 20 km upstream from Katwa. On that morning, a band of irregular Nawabi forces, mostly cavalry, engaged Lieutenant Glenn of the English forces, who was escorting a convoy of cattle, grain, and treasure to Agradwip. The battle lasted four hours with the treasure changing hands three times. Ultimately, after heavy casualties on both sides, the Nawabi forces withdrew and Lieutenant Glenn pressed his advantage by marching upon the fort at Katwa. The Nawabi garrison at Katwa surrendered after putting up a feeble resistance. [1]
Meanwhile, Muhammad Taqi Khan had advanced the main body of his forces to Katwa; and on the morning of July 19, 1763, Major Adams advanced to attack him. The battle which followed has been described as "one of the bloodiest and best-contested of the whole war." [1] Ultimately, the British were able to ambush and kill Muhammad Taqi Khan, dealing a double blow to Mir Qasim's cause by winning the immediate battle and depriving Mir Qasim of the expertise and military acumen of one of his best generals in future battles. [1] [4]
The Battle of Plassey was a decisive victory of the British East India Company, under the leadership of Robert Clive, over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies on 23 June 1757. Robert Clive was paid £1 million by the Jagat Seth family – a rich Indian family business group – to defeat Siraj-ud-Daulah. The victory was made possible by the defection of Mir Jafar, Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah's commander in chief who was also paid by the Jagat Seths, as well as much of the Bengal Subah's armies being earlier committed against an Afghan invasion led by Ahmad Shah Durrani against the Mughal Empire. The battle helped the British East India Company take control of Bengal in 1772. Over the next hundred years, they continued to expand their control over vast territories in the rest of the Indian subcontinent, including Burma.
Mirza Muhammad Siraj-ud-Daulah, commonly known as Siraj-ud-Daulah or Siraj ud-Daula, was the last independent Nawab of Bengal. The end of his reign marked the start of the rule of the East India Company over Bengal and later almost all of the Indian subcontinent.
Murshidabad is a historical city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located on the eastern bank of the Bhagirathi River, a distributary of the Ganges. It forms part of the Murshidabad district.
Shah Alam II, also known by his birth name Ali Gohar, or Ali Gauhar, was the seventeenth Mughal emperor and the son of Alamgir II. Shah Alam II became the emperor of a crumbling Mughal Empire. His power was so depleted during his reign that it led to a saying in the Persian language, Sultanat-e-Shah Alam, Az Dilli ta Palam, meaning, 'The empire of Shah Alam is from Delhi to Palam', Palam being a suburb of Delhi.
The Nawab of Bengal was the hereditary ruler of Bengal Subah in Mughal India. In 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. The Nawabs were based in Murshidabad which 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 the financial backbone of the Mughal court.
Mir Syed Jafar Ali Khan Bahadur, 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 a key step in the eventual British domination of vast areas of pre-partition India.
Katwa is a sub-divisional town and railway junction in Purba Bardhaman district of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Katwa subdivision. The town was built at the confluence of Ganga and Ajay. Katwa is a border city of three districts; Purba Bardhaman District, Nadia District and Murshidabad District.
Mir Qasim was the Nawab of Bengal from 1760 to 1763. He was installed as Nawab with the support of the British East India Company, replacing Mir Jafar, his father-in-law, who had himself been supported earlier by the East India Company after his role in winning the Battle of Plassey for the British. However, Mir Jafar eventually ran into disputes with the East India Company and attempted to form an alliance with the Dutch East India Company instead. The British eventually defeated the Dutch at Chinsura and overthrew Mir Jafar, replacing him with Mir Qasim. Qasim too later fell out with the British and fought against them at Buxar. His defeat has been suggested as a key reason in the British becoming the dominant power in large parts of North and East India.
Diwan Mohanlal of Purnia was a Hindu diwan serving under Siraj ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal, at Murshidabad.
The Battle of Giria were two battles that took place in Giria, an insignificant census town in Bengal, although not well known, were very significant in the history of Bengal and like the Battle of Plassey, had far reaching consequences.
Thomas Adams, was a British Army major, posthumously promoted to Brigadier-general based on accounts of his defence of the British position in Bengal in 1763.
Mehar un-Nisa Begum, better known as Ghaseti Begum, was the eldest daughter of Alivardi Khan, Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa during 1740–1756.
Jafarganj Cemetery is located in Murshidabad, West Bengal, India.
The Battle of Burdwan occurred between the Bengal Subah and the Maratha Confederacy in 1747. After the dismissal of Mir Jafar by Alivardi Khan, an army was amassed to defend against the invading Maratha forces of Janoji Bhonsle at Orissa. Alivardi Khan managed to heavily repulse and defeat the Marathas in this battle.
Events in India in 1761
Mīrzā Muḥammad Iʿtiṣām ad-Dīn Panchnūrī or Itesham Uddin, was a diplomat for the Mughal Empire. He became the first Indian to travel to Europe, in the modern era, in 1765. He was also a munshi serving the Nawabs of Bengal as well as the British East India Company. He had also written the text of the 1765 Treaty of Allahabad.
Munni Begum was the second wife of the Nawab of Bengal, Mir Jafar.
The Bengal War, also called the second Anglo-Mughal war, was waged by the Mughal Empire in order to to expel the British East India Company (EIC) from Bengal Subah. Hostilities began in 1763 and ended in 1765.
The Plunder of Murshidabad was an event during the Maratha invasions of Bengal where Maratha forces plundered Murshidabad and committed numerous atrocities against its people, especially women. The city had been left unguarded as the Nawab of Bengal, Alivardi Khan was at the Orissa campaign where he repulsed the Marathas at First Battle of Katwa.
Khoja Gregory, better known as Gurgin Khan, was an Armenian merchant and military leader who served Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal from 1760 to 1764, as minister of war and commander-in-chief. He was responsible for reforming the nawab's army along European lines. He was assassinated under unclear circumstances—possibly on Mir Qasim's orders—during the nawab's conflict with the British.
mir qasim battle katwa.