History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c84.s1.t6: § 7. Rebellion of Shova Singh and Rahim Khan.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c84.s1.t6
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§ 7. Rebellion of Shova Singh and Rahim Khan.
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Shova Singh, the zamindar of Chatwa-Barda* in the Medinipur district, rebelled, and in alliance with Rahim Khan, the chief of the Orissa Afghans, began to plunder the lands of his neighbour Rajah Krishna Ram, a Panjabi Khatri settled in Bengal and then serving as the farmer-general of the revenue of the Bardwan district. Krishna Ram advanced against them with a small force, but was defeated and slain, and his wife, daughters and entire property and the town of Bardwan itself were captured by the rebels, while his son Jagat Ray fled to Dacca.
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∗ Shova Singh's rebellion : Salimullah's *Tarikh-i-Bangala*, I. O. L. MS. 2995, Eng. tr. by Gladwin as *Transactions in Bengal* (full); *Riyaz* (derivative); Stewart's *Bengal* (useful addition from Eng. factory records); Orme MSS. 119, Surat to Bombay 23 Oct. 1696, Sutanati to Bombay, 3 Sep. 1696 and 24 Nov. 1697 (most authentic); *Akhbarat* year 42. Cheto is a mistake for Jatra, 27 m. n.e. of Medinipur and 40 m. s. w. of Bardwan. Burdah is 9 m.e. of Jatra and 5 m. w. of Ghatal. Chandrakona is 5 m.w. of Jatra, and 25 m.n. of Medinipur. [Rennell's *Bengal Atlas*, sh. 7.] These three
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Ibrahim Khan at first underrated and neglected the danger. He merely ordered Nurullah Khan, the faujdar of west Bengal and the imperial officer nearest to the scene of disturbance, to march against Shova Singh. But their initial success had greatly swelled the rebels' ranks and heightened the terror of their arms. Nurullah, whose principal business had been money-making by private trade, timidly shut himself up in the fort of Hughli, where the rebels soon blockaded him. He slipped out of it at night with his bare life, but all his wealth and the fort (including its commandant) fell into Shova Singh's hands.
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On the outbreak of the rebellion, the three European nations in Bengal had enlisted Indian
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places are close to Radhanagar and Ghatal. The last battle took place not in the environs of Bardwan (as Salimullah implies), but near Chandrakona (as we learn from the victor's despatches.) Chandrakona continued as a rebel centre for some time longer, as Murshid Quli Khan had to conduct an expedition against it about 1702-3. [Inayet's Ahkam, 221 b.]
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soldiers to guard their property and obtained the subahdar's permission to put their factories in a state of defence. This was the origin of the forts round the three commercial settlements of Calcutta, Chandernagar and Chinsura, and these were the first defended places which the Mughal Government had suffered foreigners to build on the Indian soil. These places at once became the only havens of refuge amidst the general disturbance in Bengal.
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The rout of the imperial faujdar and the capture of Hughli fort crowned the rebels' success. They now lost every check or fear, and boldly sent out parties to plunder the rich. All who could, fled to the European settlements for shelter. After some time the newly arrived Bakhshi of the province entreated the Dutch of Chinsura to help the Government. They sent 300 European soldiers and Malays to attack Hughli on the land side, while two of their ships bombarded the ramparts from the river. At this the rebel garrison (200 horse and two to three hundred foot) escaped by the back door, August 1696. [Sutanati to Bombay, 3 Sep. 1696 in Orme 119.]