Nawab Alivardi Khan: Bengal's Last Independent Ruler

Before the British took control, Bengal had one last great native ruler: Alivardi Khan, the Nawab who held off the Marathas, reformed the treasury, and presided over a twilight era of Mughal glory. This episode follows his rise from a Persian immigrant's son to the de facto emperor of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. We explore the ruthless Bargi raids that devastated the countryside, the desperate diplomacy with the Maratha Bhonsles, and the administrative innovations that kept the province stable through famine and war. Alivardi's court in Murshidabad was a centre of art and architecture, and his patronage of the arts left monuments like the Katra Masjid. We also examine the succession crisis that brought his grandson Siraj-ud-Daulah to power — and how Alivardi's death in 1756 opened the door for Plassey and Company rule. Listeners will learn about a ruler who stubbornly defended Bengal's fading independence, using both warfare and guile, only to see his dynasty crumble within a decade.

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