| Conflict: | Plunder of Murshidabad |
| Partof: | Maratha invasions of Bengal |
| Date: | 1742 CE |
| Place: | Murshidabad, Bengal Subah (now West Bengal, India) |
| Result: | Maratha victory[1] [2] |
| Combatant1: | Nagpur |
| Combatant2: | Nawab of Bengal |
| Commander1: | Bhaskar Pandit Mir Habib |
| Strength2: | Unknown |
| Strength1: | Unknown |
| Casualties1: | Unknown |
| Casualties2: | Unknown |
| Territory: | Marathas plunder Murshidabad[3] [4] |
| Commander2: | Haji Ahmed |
The Plunder of Murshidabad was an event during the Maratha invasions of Bengal where Maratha forces plundered Murshidabad and committed numerous atrocities against its people, especially women.[5] The city had been left unguarded as the Nawab of Bengal, Alivardi Khan was at the Orissa campaign where he repulsed the Marathas at First Battle of Katwa.[6]
In 1742, the Maratha General Raghoji I of Nagpur had invaded the Bengal Sultanate in hopes of gaining the annual Chauth payment from the Nawab Alivardi Khan. Mir Habib, who was a general for Alivardi had defected to the side of the Maratha Empire and decided to help in the First Maratha invasion of Bengal, where him and Bhaskar Ram Kolhatkar would march to Murshidabad, at the time the capital of the Bengal Sultanate, and plunder it in the absence of Nawab Alivardi Khan.[7]
During the first Maratha invasion of Bengal, Alivardi Khan gathered reinforcements from Murshidabad for his Orissa campaign, which left it undefended. Bhaskar Ram Kolhatkar decided to return to his own country to stop the campaigns in Orissa. Mir Habib however, objected this. He informed Bhaskar how it would be easy to plunder Murshidabad in the absence of Alivardi or a proper garrison. Mir Habib then marched from Katwa to Murshidabad and started plundering the town, with the Marathas committing several atrocities along the way.[8] [9] [10] Upon hearing news of the Marathas having plundered his capital, Alivardi Khan would make a quick march back to Murshidabad, however Mir Habib had already departed. Alivardi Khan would pursue them, meeting them at the First Battle of Katwa where he defeated the Marathas and repulsed them from Bengal. Peace negotiations would take place later where Alivardi Khan agreed to pay Chauth and cede parts of Odisha to the Marathas.[11] [12] [13] [14]
After plundering the capital, the Marathas committed many atrocities in the area, such as raping women and killing civilians. Many contemporary historians agree on said atrocities, with some historians calling the Marathas "Slayers of pregnant women and infants," several modern historians uncovered acts of gang-rape done by the Marathas.[15] [16]
After the plunder, the Marathas attempted to expand further into the territory of Eastern Bengal, however they would be repulsed by Nawab Alivardi Khan, who would then later enter into a peace treaty with the Marathas, in which he agreed to pay Chauth.[17] [18] The Marathas would annex parts of Odisha, and incorporate it as a province.[19] [20] [21]