EPISODE · Jun 2, 2026 · 6 MIN
The Maratha Raids on Bengal: Alivardi Khan and the Bargi Terror
from The Hidden History of Bengal: Kingdoms, Empires, and Revolution — Fexingo History · host Fexingo
In the 1740s, Bengal was ravaged by annual Maratha cavalry raids that looted villages, disrupted trade, and depopulated vast areas. This episode explores the Bargi invasions under Bhaskar Pandit and Raghuji Bhonsle, the desperate defense by Nawab Alivardi Khan, and the long-term impact on Bengal's economy and society. We discuss the political vacuum after Mughal decline, the Maratha goal of extracting chauth, and how these raids contributed to Bengal's vulnerability to the British East India Company. Alivardi's pragmatic diplomacy, the construction of the Maratha Ditch around Calcutta, and the cultural memory of the Bargi terror are all examined. Featuring the towns of Midnapore, Orissa, and Murshidabad, and the guerrilla tactics that defined this forgotten conflict. #MarathaRaids #AlivardiKhan #Bargi #BhaskarPandit #RaghujiBhonsle #BengalHistory #MarathaEmpire #NawabOfBengal #Chauth #Midnapore #Orissa #Murshidabad #MarathaDitch #Calcutta #18thCenturyIndia #MughalDecline #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
What this episode covers
In the 1740s, Bengal was ravaged by annual Maratha cavalry raids that looted villages, disrupted trade, and depopulated vast areas. This episode explores the Bargi invasions under Bhaskar Pandit and Raghuji Bhonsle, the desperate defense by Nawab Alivardi Khan, and the long-term impact on Bengal's economy and society. We discuss the political vacuum after Mughal decline, the Maratha goal of extracting chauth, and how these raids contributed to Bengal's vulnerability to the British East India Company. Alivardi's pragmatic diplomacy, the construction of the Maratha Ditch around Calcutta, and the cultural memory of the Bargi terror are all examined. Featuring the towns of Midnapore, Orissa, and Murshidabad, and the guerrilla tactics that defined this forgotten conflict. #MarathaRaids #AlivardiKhan #Bargi #BhaskarPandit #RaghujiBhonsle #BengalHistory #MarathaEmpire #NawabOfBengal #Chauth #Midnapore #Orissa #Murshidabad #MarathaDitch #Calcutta #18thCenturyIndia #MughalDecline #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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The Maratha Raids on Bengal: Alivardi Khan and the Bargi Terror
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