other · South Asia

Nawabate of Bengal

1717 CE – 1765 CE · capital Murshidabad

The hereditary regime of the Nawabs of Bengal at Murshidabad, whose defeat at Plassey in 1757 opened India to British rule.

Origins

Murshid Quli Khan, appointed diwan of Bengal by Aurangzeb, moved the revenue office to Murshidabad and in 1717 became governor (subahdar) as well. Under him and his successors Bengal, Bihar and Odisha became a largely autonomous hereditary state, nominally loyal to the Mughal Empire but sending only fixed tribute.

Rule and society

The nawabs relied on Hindu bankers such as the Jagat Seths and on zamindars for revenue. Bengal was the richest province of India, exporting silk, muslin and saltpetre through European companies at Calcutta, Chinsurah and Chandernagore. Alivardi Khan fought Maratha raids in the 1740s. Siraj ud-Daulah attacked Calcutta in 1756.

Decline and legacy

Robert Clive's victory at Plassey in 1757, helped by Mir Jafar's betrayal, made the nawabs dependent on the East India Company. After the Battle of Buxar the Company received the diwani in 1765, beginning Company rule in India; the nawabs survived as pensioners.

Connections (2)

More states of South Asia →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Nawabate of Bengal. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/nawabate-of-bengal
MLA
“Nawabate of Bengal.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/nawabate-of-bengal. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Nawabate of Bengal.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/nawabate-of-bengal.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Nawabate of Bengal’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/nawabate-of-bengal (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻