Question

When did the battle of Bhopal between the Marathas and the combined army of Mughals and their allies take place?
a. 24 December 1738
b. 14 December 1739
c. 24 December 1737
d. 26 December 1740

Answer 1

Hint: The Battle of Bhopal was fought between the Maratha Empire and the Mughal forces led by the Nizam of Hyderabad near Bhopal. It was the largest pitched battle that was fought in the 18th century. The Marathas had won the battle by the swift tactics of Peshwa Baji Rao.

Complete answer: The Mughal Empire continued to weaken after Aurangzeb’s death. Thus, Peshwa Baji Rao I entered Delhi and defeated the Mughals. Then the Mughal emperor asked for support from Nizam of Hyderabad as well as Rajputs of Amber. Thus, all the forces of Marathas and the British along with their allies clashed near Bhopal on December 24, 1737.
The Marathas had poisoned the water and other replenishment supplies of the Mughals. Chimaji, one of the Marathas, was sent with an army of ten thousand men to stop any reinforcements while Baji Rao had blocked the city instead of directly attacking the Nizam. So, the Nizam was forced to sue for peace as he was denied reinforcements from Delhi.
Let us look at the given options.
Option a- The Battle of Bhopal was fought on December 24 but not in the year 1738. It was fought earlier than that year. So, it is an incorrect option.
Option b- The battle of Bhopal which resulted in the huge victory of the Marathas was not fought on 14 December 1739. It was fought years before that. This is the wrong answer.
Option c- Peshwa Baji Rao had led the Maratha forces to fight against the Mughals and their allies. The former had won due to the smart strategies used by the Peshwa. The battle of Bhopal took place on December 24, 1737. Thus, it is the correct option.
Option d- The war was not fought on 26 December 1740. The aggressive battle took place in the month of December many years before 1740. Hence, it is not the right option.
Therefore, the correct answer is ‘c’.

Note: The Rajput ally of the Mughals included Sawai Raja Jai Singh and his forces under his son Ishwari Singh along with Diwan Raja Ayamal and Badan Singh’s forces under his son Pratap Singh. After the Mughals had lost, a peace treaty was signed between Peshwa Bajirao and Jai Singh at village Doraha near Bhopal on January 7, 1738.