On September 27, 1760, Mir Qasim Ali Khan became the Nawab of Bengal, who was removed by the East India Company for his incapability to serve British interests. Unlike his ancestor, Mir Qasim sought to affirm Bengal’s sovereignty and free his administration from the company’s overpowering influence, whose officials were notorious for their corruption and oppression of the people.
Mir Qasim moved Bengal’s capital from Murshidabad to Monghyr after repeated requests to the company to restrain its representatives were ignored in 1762. This move was intended to strengthen his rule and distance his administration from British control. When diplomatic protest failed, he made the brave decision to wage war against the British on June 10, 1763. His forces were finally defeated and he was forced to seek protection in Awadh.
To resist the British, Mir Qasim forged a critical alliance with Awadh’s Nawab Shuja-ud-Daulah and Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II. However, at the Battle of Buxar in 1764, internal treachery led to a crushing defeat, with his allies playing a passive role.
Mir Qasim refused to submit to British power despite the defeat. He spent his last years seeking alliances with native rulers to reignite the struggle against colonisation. Although his effort was finally successful, it left a legacy of boldness, representing prompt resistance to British domination. He died near Delhi in 1777, steadfast in his opposition.
