Bargis
| Founded | unknown |
|---|---|
| Named after | Hindustani word for "to seize" |
| Founding location | Indian subcontinent |
| Years active | unknown |
| Territory | Indian subcontinent |
| Membership | unknown |
| Allies | Nagpur Kingdom Peshwa |
| Rivals | Nawab of Bengal Mughal Empire Durrani Emirate British Raj |
Bargis were a light cavalry mercenary group of Maratha Empire's who indulged in large scale plundering of the countryside of western part of Bengal for about ten years (1741–1751) during the Maratha invasions of Bengal. Maratha invasions took place almost as an annual event for 10 years.
Etymology
According to historians the term Bargi comes from the Hindustani word bargi, which described cavalry whose equipment and horses were provided by the government. The bargi were distinct from the shiledars, who owned their equipment and horses.[1] Bargi are also known as Jogi or Gosain in Eastern Bundelkhand region.[citation needed]
History
Alivardi Khan became Nawab of Bengal in April 1740 by defeating and killing Sarfaraz Khan.[2] His seizure of power was challenged by Sarfaraz Khan's brother-in-law Rustam Jung, who enlisted the backing of Raghoji I Bhonsle, the Maratha ruler of Nagpur. Historians writes that in the ensuing campaign, the Marathas "discovered the Bengal's rich countryside through lightning raids". Maratha cavalry pillaged the army of the Nawab on being requested by Rustam Jung.[3] In April 1742, they crossed the Damodar River at Panchet and began looting and burning the army of the Nawab.[3][4] The Maratha Ditch was built by the British East India Company around Fort William to protect the city of Calcutta from the ruthless Bargi raids.[5][6][7][8]
For about ten years, the Bargis raided and plundered the army of the Nawab, every year.[3] Contemporary sources describe the ineffectiveness of the nawab's army in the face of the Bargis' hit-and-run tactics. The raiders' aim was not battle or conquest, but to plunder the Nawab's territories.
Alivardi's soldiers could not match the Maratha horsemen in speed and maneuverability. Only the Ganges-Bhagirathi river line restrained them. They crossed it to raid eastern Bengal only a few times.[9]
The Bargi invasions ended in May 1751 when the Nawab and the Marathas made peace.[10]
The Bargi remained in the cultural memory of the Bengali people in the form of songs and poems.[11] One traditional song, translated, reads:[11]
When the children fall asleep, silence sets in, the Bargis come to our lands
Bulbuls have eaten the grains, how shall I pay the nawabs tax demands?
See also
References
- ^ Sengupta, Nitish (2001). History of the Bengali-speaking People. UBS Publishers' Distributors. p. 137. ISBN 978-81-7476-355-6.
This is a popular corruption of a Maratha word bargi, which meant horsemen who were provided with horses and arms by the Maratha state in contrast to siladars who provided their own horses and arms.
- ^ Shah, Mohammad (2012). "Alivardi Khan". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
- ^ a b c Sengupta, Nitish (2001). History of the Bengali-speaking People. UBS Publishers' Distributors. p. 132. ISBN 978-81-7476-355-6.
Within a few months of his accession by the power of sword ... his rule was challenged by Rustam Jung ... Jung sought the help of Bhonsle, the Maratha ruler of Nagpur ... having once discovered how easy it was to plunder Bengal's rich countryside through lightning raids, the Marathas were tempted to invade Bengal again and again ... Maratha cavalry under Bhaskar Pandit was sent to Bengal by the Bhonsle ruler of Nagpur. It entered Burdwan through Panchet and started looting ... For about 10 years ... Maratha horsemen would appear every year, plundering the whole territory west of the Hooghly river.
- ^ Shah, Mohammad (2012). "Maratha Raids". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. Archived from the original on 18 October 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
- ^ Borden, Iain; Kerr, Joe; Pivaro, Alicia; Rendell, Jane (2002). The Unknown City: Contesting Architecture and Social Space. MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-52335-6.
- ^ foundation, Temple of India (10 August 2018). Bengal – India’s Rebellious Spirit. Notion Press. ISBN 978-1-64324-746-5.
- ^ Acworth, Harry Arbuthnot (1894). Ballads of Marathas. Longmans, Green, and Company.
- ^ Cooper, Randolf G. S. (2003). The Anglo-Maratha Campaigns and the Contest for India: The Struggle for Control of the South Asian Military Economy. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-82444-6.
- ^ Sengupta, Nitish (2001). History of the Bengali-speaking People. UBS Publishers' Distributors. p. 133. ISBN 978-81-7476-355-6.
Contemporary chroniclers also left vivid descriptions of the bargi terror, their hit-and-run tactics and the helplessness of the nawab's army in effectively checking them in the face of their unwillingness to be engaged in pitched battles ... [Alivardi's] soldiers were unable to move fast and keep pace with the speed and easy maneuverability of the Maratha horsemen ... their object was not occupation but plundering ... Only the Ganga-Bhagirath river-line proved an effective barrier to their movement. They crossed over to the eastern side only on a few occasions.
- ^ Sengupta, Nitish (2001). History of the Bengali-speaking People. UBS Publishers' Distributors. p. 135. ISBN 978-81-7476-355-6.
The nearly 10 year period of Maratha invasion came to an end only in May 1751 when the Marathas and the nawab entered into a peace treaty
- ^ a b Ahmed, Wakil (2012). "Folk Literature". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.