Mir Qasim at Monghyr
By Nandlal Chatterji
Summary
This article describes the administration of Nawab Mīr Qāsim when he withdrew to the fortified town of Monghyr in the early 1760s. The author narrates how Qāsim replaced the previous deputy governor of Bihar with his own nominee, punished the ex‑Naib for corruption and sought to free his rule from the interference of the East India Company. The paper recounts Qāsim’s attempts to modernise his army by adopting European military techniques and to reduce the power of local zamindars. It also examines his relations with British officials like Ellis, whom he held hostage in Monghyr to force negotiations. Using contemporary correspondence and the Bengal Public Consultations, the author shows how Qāsim removed import and export duties to attract traders, built arsenals and mint facilities and styled himself Asaf Jāh to project imperial aspirations. However, his policies alarmed the British and eventually led to war. The article ends with Qāsim’s abandonment of Monghyr and the subsequent battles at Buxar.
Conclusion
The author concludes that Mīr Qāsim’s tenure at Monghyr was marked by energetic reforms and a determined attempt to assert independence from the Company. Despite initial success, his inability to build a stable coalition among local elites and his clash with British interests precipitated conflict. His experiments foreshadowed later resistance movements and highlight the complex interplay of Indian and European politics in eighteenth‑century Bengal.