2409:4061:2C98:2B74:D02:2C5D:ACEC:BD14 at 17:34, 18 January 2021

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The '''Faujdars of Purnea''' were the rulers and governors of [[Purnea]] and the surrounding regions of modern-day [[Bihar]] in [[India]].<ref name="Khan2007">{{cite book|author=Abdul Majed Khan|title=The Transition in Bengal, 1756-75: A Study of Saiyid Muhammad Reza Khan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZL38wll43-MC&pg=PA184|date=3 December 2007|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-04982-5|pages=184–}}</ref> The Faujdars of Purnea were notable in that they had created an autonomous jurisdiction for themselves and did not allow the [[Nawabs of Bengal and Murshidabad]] to interfere.<ref name="Marshall2006">{{cite book|author=P. J. Marshall|title=Bengal: The British Bridgehead: Eastern India 1740-1828|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lIZrfokYSY8C&pg=PA50|date=2 November 2006|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-02822-6|pages=50}}</ref> They also carried the title of [[Nawab]] and so are sometimes referred to as the "Nawabs of Purnea".<ref name="Chatterjee1996">{{cite book|author=Kumkum Chatterjee|title=Merchants, Politics, and Society in Early Modern India: Bihar, 1733-1820|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wUeqQ2buQ80C&pg=PA88|year=1996|publisher=BRILL|isbn=90-04-10303-1|pages=88–}}</ref>

==History==
The first faujdar of Purnea was Saif Khan who was a member of the [[Muslims|Muslim]] nobility and was appointed in between [[1704]]-[[1707]] by the [[Mughal Empire|Mughals]].<ref name=Haque1995>{{cite journal | title=Saif Khan as a Faujdar of Purnia | author= Anwarul Haque | journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume = 56| year=1995 | pages= 240-242|jstor = 44158625}}</ref> During this period, Purnea was in a state of virtual anarchy with regular raids carried out by the zamindars of [[Morang]], the [[Chakwars|Chakwar]] tribe of [[Begusarai]] and neighbouring zamindars. After his appointment, Saif Khan set to work pacifying and restoring order to the region.<ref name=Haque1995 /> He was successful in defeating the enemies of the Mughal Empire and was eventually able to bring peace to the region. He also expanded his territories into modern-day [[Nepal]] and was a patron of arts. He eventually passed in 1748 and was succeeded by his son.<ref name=Haque1995 />

Fakhr-ud-in Hussain Khan (also known as Nawab Bahadur), the son of Saif Khan was the next in line as the faujdar of Purnea.<ref name="(India)Choudhury1957">{{cite book|author1=Pranab Chandra Roy Choudhury|title=Purnea: Bihar District Gazetteers|year=1968|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.460804|publisher=Superintendent, Secretariat Press, Bihar|pages=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.460804/page/n76 68]-75}}</ref> He was said to have had no talents or capacity as a governor and was also known for his hoarding of [[jewellery]]. He made several attempts to defy the Nawabs of Bengal who opposed his oppressive conduct. After a battle with the Nawabs, he escaped to Delhi and died in obscurity. After this period, the faujdars of Purnea were appointed by the Nawabs of Bengal however they all varied in the amount of loyalty they showed to the Nawabs.<ref name="(India)Choudhury1957" /> One of these faujdars, Shaukat Jang, fought on the side of the Bengal during the [[Battle of Plassey]].<ref name="Sengupta2011">{{cite book|author=Nitish K. Sengupta|title=Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal from the Mahabharata to Mujib|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kVSh_TyJ0YoC&pg=PA164|year=2011|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-14-341678-4|page=164}}</ref>

The French mercenary, [[Walter Reinhardt Sombre]] was briefly employed by the faujdars of Purnea in the 1760s and commanded an army to fight on their behalf that unusually reported directly to him rather than to the faujdars.<ref name="Keay2014">{{cite book|author=Julia Keay|title=Farzana: The Woman Who Saved an Empire|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yb57BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA44|date=30 August 2014|publisher=I.B.Tauris|isbn=978-1-78453-055-6|pages=44–}}</ref> This army was said to have consisted of local [[Bihari people|Bihari]] soldiers and other [[Europe]]an mercenaries.<ref name="Keay2014" />

==Expansion and conflict with Nepal==
Under the rule of Saif Khan, Purnea engaged in a protracted struggle with neighbouring kings in [[Nepal]].<ref name="Chemjong2014">{{cite book|author=Imanshing Chemjong|title=Kirat History and Culture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_7M9AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT82|date=15 April 2014|publisher=Amar Nembang|pages=82–83|id=GGKEY:PP03Y9PZZBD}}</ref> Due to repeated [[Gorkhali]] incursions into modern-day Bihar, Saif Khan led a campaign into Nepal (specifically in [[Morang]] district) that culminated in the sacking of [[Makwanpur]] and nearby towns where various atrocities were committed.<ref name="Chemjong2014"/>

== List of Faujdars/Nawabs of Purnea ==

*Saif Khan (shekh saju arfat alam sarkar)
*Fakhr-ud-in Hussain Khan
*Sayed Ahmed Khan
*Shaukat Jang
*Khadim Husain Khan<ref name="(India)Choudhury1957" />

== References ==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:1700s establishments in India]]
[[Category:Historical Indian regions]]
[[Category:Kingdoms of Bihar]]

Faujdars of Purnea - Revision history

2409:4061:2C98:2B74:D02:2C5D:ACEC:BD14 at 17:34, 18 January 2021