Siege of Cuttack (1749)
| Siege of Cuttack | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Fifth Maratha invasion of Bengal | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Bengal Subah | |||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Alivardi Khan Dost Muhammad Khan Mir Kazim Khan Mir Jafar Faqirullah Beg Raja Durlabh Ram Shaikh Abdus Subhan Khan (POW) |
Mir Habib Sabaji Sayyid Nur (POW) Sarandaz Khan † Dharmadas Hazari (POW) | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 5,000–6,000 cavalry | 7,000–8,000 | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Heavy | Unknown | ||||||||
Siege of Cuttack Location within Odisha Siege of Cuttack Siege of Cuttack (India) | |||||||||
The Siege of Cuttack occurred in May 1749 during the Fifth Maratha invasion of Bengal, when Alivardi Khan (r. 1740–1756), Nawab of Bengal, sought to reconquer Orissa which had been under Maratha possession since its capture in 1745. Leaving Murshidabad in mid-March, he assembled troops at Katwa, disbanded mutinous artillery at Burdwan, and advanced to Midnapore with 5,000–6,000 cavalry, forcing Maratha commander Mir Habib to retreat. Pursuing through Balasore and Cuttack's jungles, Alivardi crossed the Vaitarani River at Bhadrak and Jajpur. Disregarding surrender offers from Maratha-aligned defectors controlling Barabati Fort, he launched a surprise attack with 2,000 men. With only 300 troops, he reached the fort on 17 May. The garrison initially agreed to capitulate but Alivardi besieged it, securing surrender after 15 days.
Appointing Abdus Subhan Khan as deputy governor to avoid the monsoon, Alivardi departed for Murshidabad. Marathas soon reemerged, wounded the deputy, and retook Cuttack. Informed at Balasore on 6 June. The siege briefly restored Bengali control before Maratha resurgence.