Battle of Rani Sarai
| Battle of Rani Sarai | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Fifth Maratha invasion of Bengal and Afghan insurrections in Bengal Subah | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Bengal Subah | Afghan rebels | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Alivardi Khan Commanders:
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Janoji Mir Habib Shamshir Khan † Murad Sher Khan † Sardar Khan † Mirza Mahmed Saleh Mohan Singh Hayat Khan | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
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15,000–16,000 cavalry 8,000 musketeers 20,000 infantry Total: 23,000–44,000 |
Afghan: 35,000–40,000 cavalry and approx. similar number of infantry Maratha: 12,000 cavalry Total: 47,000–52,000 | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||||
Battle of Rani Sarai Location within Bihar Battle of Rani Sarai Battle of Rani Sarai (India) | |||||||||
The Battle of Rani Sarai also known as the Battle of Kaladiara, fought on 16 April 1748 near Rani Sarai, eight miles west of Barh in Bihar, was a decisive engagement in the Afghan insurrections in Bengal Subah. Nawab Alivardi Khan's Bengal army defeated a rebel alliance of Afghans under Shamshir Khan and Murad Sher Khan, supported by Maratha forces led by Mir Habib and Janoji. The conflict was sparked by the Afghan seizure of Patna and the killing of Alivardi's kin. The deaths of Shamshir Khan, Sardar Khan and Murad Sher Khan in the battle precipitated a rebel rout, allowing Alivardi to reclaim Bihar and suppress the revolt, though Maratha incursions continued.