The Nawabs of Murshidabad under Colonial Rule: Political Interactions and Changing Status (1750–1850)

This talk will examines the Nawabs of Murshidabad's gradual transformation from sovereign rulers to ceremonial elites between 1750 and 1850.

This research examines the transformation of political authority in Bengal through the changing status of the Nawabs of Murshidabad between 1750 and 1850. Rather than viewing the Battle of Plassey (1757) as an abrupt rupture, it explores colonial transition as a gradual process of negotiation, adaptation, and redefinition. The appointment of a British Resident in 1765, the transfer of the capital to Calcutta in 1772, the Regulating Act (1773), and the Permanent Settlement (1793) progressively reduced the Nawabs from sovereign rulers to ceremonial elites. Yet Murshidabad remained an important site where authority, legitimacy, and courtly identity continued to be negotiated. 

Drawing on archival records, Persian and Bengali chronicles, paintings, architecture, travel accounts, and official documents, the project investigates how diplomacy, revenue reforms, courtly consumption, and ceremonial practices reshaped ideas of sovereignty under colonial rule. It also highlights the often-overlooked role of the Begams and the Nawabi household in sustaining courtly traditions amid political decline. By placing Murshidabad at the centre of Bengal's colonial transition, the research demonstrates that the erosion of Nawabi power was not an immediate collapse but a complex process through which political authority and cultural legitimacy were continually reimagined.