Fifth Maratha invasion of Bengal
| Fifth Maratha invasion of Bengal | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Maratha invasions of Bengal | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Bengal Subah | Afghan rebels | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Alivardi Khan Haider Ali Khan Dost Muhammad Khan Mir Kazim Khan Abdus Subhan Khan (POW) Ali Quli Khan Mir Jafar Siraj-ud-Daulah (AWOL) Durlabh Ram |
Janoji Mir Habib Sabaji Bhonsle Sayyid Nur (POW) Dharmadas Hazari (POW) Sarandaz Khan † Mohan Singh | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
Burdwan: 8,000 Midnapore: 5,000–6,000 cavalry |
Bihar: 5,000 cavalry; 7,000 infantry Cuttack: 7,000–8,000 Balasore: 40,000 Midnapore: 12,000 cavalry | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||||
The Fifth Maratha invasion of Bengal from 1748 to June 1751, was the final phase of the decade-long Maratha invasions of Bengal (1742–1751). Maratha forces led by Mir Habib and Janoji Bhonsle once again penetrated deep into Bengal and renewing widespread plunder across the western and southern districts. Despite Alivardi Khan's personal intervention and a decisive victory and recovery of Odisha in 1749, the Nawab’s army remained exhausted, his treasury depleted, and the province economically shattered. Simultaneously, Raghoji Bhonsle faced mounting debts and mutinous troops due to irregular pay. Mutual exhaustion forced both sides to the negotiating table. The campaign ended with treaty between the two parties, under which Bengal agreed to pay an annual chauth of 12 lakh rupees, ceded effective fiscal control of Orissa to the Marathas, and secured a permanent border along the Subarnarekha River. The treaty terminated the decade of devastating Bargi raids and marked the effective end of large-scale Maratha incursions into Bengal during Alivardi Khan's reign.