Chakwars

According to Muslim and British sources, the territory of the Chakwar kingdom extended from Rajmahal in the east and Begusarai in the west. The Chakwars began to grow in strength following the disintegration of the Mughal Empire and they asserted independence by issuing land grants with their own signatures and seals. These were issued by various Chakwar kings including Raja Bakhtawar Singh who ruled between 1718 and 1727. The strength of the Chakwars stemmed from the fact that they controlled various important river-routes across the Ganges and was able to extort a large amount of money from European traders. They also carried out raids on neighbouring regions.^[2] European sources from 1719 to 1721 note that skirmishes between Europeans and the Chakwars were common and many traders requested increased protection from Chakwar attacks.^[3]

In 1720, Nasrat Khan was appointed the governor of Bihar however he was unable to subdue the Chakwars.^{[citation needed]}