According to the contemporary English report, Rahim Khan was then controlling the revolt since his Afghan forces formed the principal element of the rebel army. At Rajmahal, the rebels had seized Sheddon and Teshmaker of the English company. The English tried to get their release through the intervention of Sobha Singh's widow. But Rahim Khan paid no heed since the English had failed to supply ammunition demanded by the rebel faujdar, Gujrat Khan, at Makhsudabad.
According to Salimullah, Rahim Khan had taken the title of 'Shah', although there is no contemporary evidence to support it. They appear even to have begun to mint coins at Barda. By the end of May 1697, Muhammed Yusuf, former faujdar of Rajmahal, had defeated and killed Gujrat Khan. This victory not only enabled Zabardast Khan to seize Makhsudabad but also opened the route for the Mughal army to come from north India. Prince azimuddin, the new subahdar of Bengal had arrived at Patna with a large force.
Niamat Khan with his son tried to resist Rahim Khan before the arrival of Zabardast Khan. In the battle that ensued, both Niamat Khan and his son were killed and the injured Rahim Khan managed to escape. This was followed by another battle at bhagwangola between Rahim Khan and Zabardast Khan in which the former was thoroughly routed. Rahim Khan fled to Burdwan pursued by Zabardast Khan. By the second week of June 1697, Zabardast Khan had become master of Burdwan area and the rebels were fleeing towards Barda. In December 1697, Zabardast Khan had left for Hindustan with the arrival of the new Subahdar Azimuddin at Burdwan in November. The Prince had nearly ten thousand cavalry and twelve thousand foot soldiers. The rebels had nearly the equal number of soldiers. The departure of Zabardast Khan with his troops gave Rahim Khan and Maha Singh some breathing space. They had placed toll stations on the river below Uluberia and had easily defeated Kamdar Khan, subahdar of Orissa, who had come forward to negotiate.
Ghulam Hussain has described the negotiation between Rahim Khan and Khawja Anwar, a companion of the Prince and his murder by Rahim Khan in the midst of negotiation. The English letters suggest some kind of negotiation but reported that the Prince had finally refused their offer. In early 1698, the Prince with his army had crossed the Damodar, by which time, the rebels had plundered Balasore and had advanced up to Nadia, from where Father Pierre Martin had fled.
jadunath sarkar, on the basis of the Akhbarat of the Prince, has stated that the Prince had marched up to Chandrakona and defeated and killed Sobha Singh and Rahim Khan. But that despatch is a suspect, since in 1704, murshid quli khan, the new Dewan, had to undertake an expedition to Chandrakona to pacify the area. Besides, Sobha Singh was already dead. Probably the Prince had killed Rahim Khan and Maha Singh, who was then succeeded by Himmat Singh. Ghulam Hussain has described the death of Rahim Khan in the battle in detail.
The transformation of the revolt of a petty zamindar to the ruler of the west bank of the Bhagirathi was largely the work of Rahim Khan, who took almost the entire northern and western part of Bengal under his control. But he had failed to establish a civil government that would generate regular revenue. This failure led him to maintain his Afghan mercenaries whom he had to pay at higher rates by plundering the rich towns on the Bhagirathi. Such unrestricted plunder not only alienated the European companies but also the peasants and the merchants. While the 'Raja' tried to establish a regular government, the plundering activities of the other section of the rebels, led by Rahim Khan, had allowed the Mughals to overcome them.
While the rich urban areas of northern Bengal was devastated by such plunder, affecting trade and commerce and creating scarcity of money, the European companies took the opportunity to fortify their enclaves, that enhanced their powers in Bengal. It is no wonder that the contemporary European documents stated the revolt as the fall-out of the impending civil war on the approaching death of emperor aurangzeb. [Aniruddha Ray]
According to Salimullah, Rahim Khan had taken the title of 'Shah', although there is no contemporary evidence to support it. They appear even to have begun to mint coins at Barda. By the end of May 1697, Muhammed Yusuf, former faujdar of Rajmahal, had defeated and killed Gujrat Khan. This victory not only enabled Zabardast Khan to seize Makhsudabad but also opened the route for the Mughal army to come from north India. Prince azimuddin, the new subahdar of Bengal had arrived at Patna with a large force.
Niamat Khan with his son tried to resist Rahim Khan before the arrival of Zabardast Khan. In the battle that ensued, both Niamat Khan and his son were killed and the injured Rahim Khan managed to escape. This was followed by another battle at bhagwangola between Rahim Khan and Zabardast Khan in which the former was thoroughly routed. Rahim Khan fled to Burdwan pursued by Zabardast Khan. By the second week of June 1697, Zabardast Khan had become master of Burdwan area and the rebels were fleeing towards Barda. In December 1697, Zabardast Khan had left for Hindustan with the arrival of the new Subahdar Azimuddin at Burdwan in November. The Prince had nearly ten thousand cavalry and twelve thousand foot soldiers. The rebels had nearly the equal number of soldiers. The departure of Zabardast Khan with his troops gave Rahim Khan and Maha Singh some breathing space. They had placed toll stations on the river below Uluberia and had easily defeated Kamdar Khan, subahdar of Orissa, who had come forward to negotiate.
Ghulam Hussain has described the negotiation between Rahim Khan and Khawja Anwar, a companion of the Prince and his murder by Rahim Khan in the midst of negotiation. The English letters suggest some kind of negotiation but reported that the Prince had finally refused their offer. In early 1698, the Prince with his army had crossed the Damodar, by which time, the rebels had plundered Balasore and had advanced up to Nadia, from where Father Pierre Martin had fled.
jadunath sarkar, on the basis of the Akhbarat of the Prince, has stated that the Prince had marched up to Chandrakona and defeated and killed Sobha Singh and Rahim Khan. But that despatch is a suspect, since in 1704, murshid quli khan, the new Dewan, had to undertake an expedition to Chandrakona to pacify the area. Besides, Sobha Singh was already dead. Probably the Prince had killed Rahim Khan and Maha Singh, who was then succeeded by Himmat Singh. Ghulam Hussain has described the death of Rahim Khan in the battle in detail.
The transformation of the revolt of a petty zamindar to the ruler of the west bank of the Bhagirathi was largely the work of Rahim Khan, who took almost the entire northern and western part of Bengal under his control. But he had failed to establish a civil government that would generate regular revenue. This failure led him to maintain his Afghan mercenaries whom he had to pay at higher rates by plundering the rich towns on the Bhagirathi. Such unrestricted plunder not only alienated the European companies but also the peasants and the merchants. While the 'Raja' tried to establish a regular government, the plundering activities of the other section of the rebels, led by Rahim Khan, had allowed the Mughals to overcome them.
While the rich urban areas of northern Bengal was devastated by such plunder, affecting trade and commerce and creating scarcity of money, the European companies took the opportunity to fortify their enclaves, that enhanced their powers in Bengal. It is no wonder that the contemporary European documents stated the revolt as the fall-out of the impending civil war on the approaching death of emperor aurangzeb. [Aniruddha Ray]
(3rd of 3rd part)
Bibliography Salimulla, Tarikh-i Bangla (tr. by F Gladwin), Calcutta, 1788;Ghulam Hussain Salim, Reaz-us Salatin (tr. into Bengali), Dacca, 1974-; Om Prakash, The Sobha Singh Revolt, Dutch Policy and Response, Bengal Past & Present, January-June 1975, Pt-I; Aniruddha Ray, Adventurers, Landowners and Rebels, Bengal c.1575 - c.1715, New Delhi, 1998.
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