Nawabs of Bengal: Map & History
The nawabs of Bengal were the hereditary rulers of Bengal Subah in Mughal India.
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The nawabs of Bengal were the hereditary rulers of Bengal Subah in Mughal India. In the early 18th century, the Nawab of Bengal was the de facto independent ruler of the three provinces of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa and they are often referred to as the nawabs of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. The nawabs were based in Murshidabad which was centrally located within Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. 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 Mughal treasury in Delhi.
Modern Countries Once Part of Nawabs of Bengal
At its mapped extent, Nawabs of Bengal covered territory in 2 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Nawabs of Bengal's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Nawabs of Bengal in Depth
History
The Bengal Subah was the wealthiest subah of the Mughal Empire. There were several posts under the Mughal administrative system of Bengal since Akbar's conquest in the 1500s. Nizamat (governornership) and diwani (premiership) were the two main branches of provincial government under the Mughals. The Subahdar was in-charge of the nizamat and had a chain of subordinate officials on the executive side, including diwans (prime ministers) responsible for revenue and legal affairs. The regional decentralization of the Mughal Empire led to the creation of numerous semi-independent strongholds in the Mughal provinces. As the Mughal Empire began to decline, the nawabs rose in power. By the early 1700s, the nawabs were practically independent, despite a nominal tribute to the Mughal court.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Nawabs of Bengal (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Nawabs of Bengal: Key Facts
| Founded | 1717 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 1880 |
Succeeded by
- nawab of Murshidabad
Facts from Wikidata Q2637089 (CC0).
Nawabs of Bengal Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 384,817 km² in 1748 CE.
Nawabs of Bengal: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Nawabs of Bengal exist?
Nawabs of Bengal is dated to 1718 CE – 1761 CE, in the Early Modern & Age of Discovery era.
How large was Nawabs of Bengal at its peak?
At its peak in 1748 Nawabs of Bengal covered about 384,817 km².
Other Sovereign Realms
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Söğüt, Bursa, Edirne, Constantinople
Industrial Era • Capital: London
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore, Delhi
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Raigad