Battle of Katwa (1742)

The Battle of Katwa was a decisive engagement fought on 27 September 1742 between the forces of Nawab Alivardi Khan of Bengal and the Maratha general Bhaskar Pandit during the Maratha invasions of Bengal. Launching a surprise dawn attack amid the Durga Puja festivities at Daihat, Alivardi exploited flooded terrain to neutralize Maratha cavalry superiority. After an initial rout, the nawab executed a daring night crossing of the Bhagirathi and Ajay River at Uddharanpur, overcoming the collapse of a boat-bridge that drowned 1,500 of his men. A force of 3,000 Bengal troops then struck the Maratha western flank, scattering the enemy toward Katwa and inflicting heavy losses.