Heads of Bengal

Nawabs of Bengal

1821-1841: Ahmad Ali Khan

-after British Wars > First Anglo-Burmese War (1825-9) accepts Burmese hegemony over Bengal in place of British

-allowing it to post a resident and maintain a garrison

-and accepts the formal loss of most of eastern Bengal, which is now under direct Burmese rule

-this really isn't much of a difference from British rule

-Murshidabad, less devastated by the Burmese invasion than the rest of Bengal, sees impressive boom

-as a city, becomes quite large and for some time largest city in all Bengal

-successfully ensures Burmese rule is quite light in western Bengal

-sends troops to assist Burmese against Siamese

1841-1864: Mansur Ali Khan †

-comes to throne at age of 11

-puppet of pro-Burmese officials

-is increasingly unhappy with this and seeks to establish himself as the real ruler of Bengal

-establishes correspondence with Maharashtra and the British whose support he seeks to this end

-in 1846 formally overthrows his regency council

-which receives some degree of interference from Burma even though he seeks to reassure them of his loyalty

-when he gets kicked off that an expedition is coming he takes action

-kicks out the Burmese expedition and requests Anglo-Maratha aid

-leading to British Wars > Second Anglo-Burmese War (1847-9)

-after a fight concludes with Bengal becoming independent

-aside from Chittagong which is annexed by British directly

-in practice under heavy British influence

-British economic domination grows over the 1850s and this results in a growing crisis

-in 1864 Mansur attempts to overthrow British influence

-fails and he ends up killed

-for he prefers death over capture

-reducing it to a British puppet state