Durlabhrām: A Prominent Bengal Officer of the Mid‑eighteenth Century

Summary

‘Durlabhrām, a Prominent Bengal Officer of the Mid‑eighteenth Century’ reconstructs the career of Durlabhrām, a little‑known but influential officer in the administration of Bengal during the 1740s and 1750s. Drawing on Persian chronicles, Company records and regional histories, the author shows that Durlabhrām served under Nawab Alivardi Khan and played a key role in tax collection, logistics and military organisation. During the Maratha incursions he coordinated defence and provisioning in western Bengal and negotiated with local zamindars to maintain revenue flows. The article places Durlabhrām’s career within the shifting alliances of the time: he was initially aligned with Mir Habib and later supported Siraj‑ud‑Daula. His attempts to balance loyalty to the Nawab with his own regional power base illustrate the precarious position of provincial officers. The narrative traces how Durlabhrām managed tensions between Bengal’s civilian administration and its army and how he used his position to amass wealth and influence. The article also examines his eventual downfall—after Siraj‑ud‑Daula’s defeat at Plassey, Durlabhrām fell from favour and his estates were confiscated by the East India Company. By piecing together scattered evidence, the author illuminates the complex functioning of mid‑eighteenth‑century Bengal’s government and highlights the careers of indigenous elites who mediated between the nawabi regime and emerging European power. The study contributes to our understanding of pre‑colonial administration and the roots of later transformations in Bengal.