Treaty of Bhopal

The Treaty of Bhopal was an agreement signed in 1738 following the Battle of Bhopal, which took place on December 24, 1737. The battle pitted the Maratha Confederacy led by Peshwa Bajirao I against a combined force of the Mughals, Nizam of Hyderabad, the Nawab of Oudh, and other Mughal vassals. ^[1]

Treaty of Bhopal

Context	Battle of Bhopal
Signed	7 January, 1738
Location	Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
Signatories	Muhammad Shah Dost Mohammad Khan [2] Peshwa Bajirao I
Parties	Mughal Empire [3] Bhopal State Maratha Confederacy
Languages	Farsi, Marathi

The battle and its aftermath

Main article: Battle of Bhopal

The Battle of Bhopal, occurring on December 24, 1737, pitted the Maratha Confederacy against the combined forces of the Mughals, Rajputs, and Nizams. The Marathas secured a decisive victory, largely attributed to the swift tactics of Bajirao Peshwa. Concerned by the Marathas' growing power, the Mughal Emperor called upon the Nizam to assist in driving them out, but Bajirao defeated him near Bhopal in December 1737, compelling him to agree to Maratha terms. This led to the signing of the humiliating Treaty of Bhopal on January 7, 1738, wherein the Nizam ceded Malwa to the Marathas and the Mughals agreed to pay 5,000,000 as indemnity. ^[4]

Terms of the treaty

• Mughal concessions: The Mughal Empire agreed to pay a significant financial sum of 5,000,000 rupees to the Marathas as war indemnity. ^[5]
• Maratha gains: The Maratha Confederacy secured territorial concessions, potentially including the Malwa territories. ^[6]
• Bhopal's status: The Nawab of Bhopal, Dost Mohammad Khan, who had sided with the Mughals, might have retained his position but became a tributary of the Marathas. ^[7]

References

1. 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. 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. JSTOR   44155775.
3. Malik, Zahiruddin (1977). The Reign of Muhammad Shah, 1719-1748. Asia Publishing House. p. 133. ISBN   978-0-210-40598-7.
4. Bakshi, S.R.; Ralhan, O.P. (2007). Madhya Pradesh Through the Ages. Sarup & Sons. p. 384. ISBN   978-81-7625-806-7.
5. Malik, Zahiruddin (1977). The Reign of Muhammad Shah, 1719-1748. Asia Publishing House. p. 133. ISBN   978-0-210-40598-7.
6. Gordon, Stewart (2007). The Marathas, 1600-1818. Cambridge University Press. p. 139. ISBN   9780521033169.
7. 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. JSTOR   44155775.