Bargi

Why in news?

• Trinamool Congress (TMC) has used the “Bargi” word to attack the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s outsider status.
• The term is a reference to the several Maratha invasions of West Bengal between 1741 and 1751, which resulted in looting, plundering and massacres in what was then Mughal territory.

About Bargis:

• Bargi referred to cavalrymen in Maratha and Mughal armies.
• The term became infamous as Bargis of Maratha Empire o indulged in large scale plundering of the countryside of western part of Bengal for about ten years (1741–1751) during the Maratha expeditions in Bengal.
• Maratha invasions took place almost as an annual event for 10 years.
• In the Maratha cavalry, any able-bodied person could enlist as a bargir, unless he had the means to buy a horse and military outfit– in which case he could join as a silhedar, who had “much better prospects of advancement”.
• Both the bargirs and silhedars were under the overall control of the Sarnobat (Persian for “Sar-i-Naubat”, or Commander in Chief).

PRELIMS QUESTION

The Term “Bargi” recently seen in news refers to:
(a)An Indian Translator under East India Company
(b)A Cavalry man serving Maratha empire.
(c)Imperial Treasurer under Delhi Sultanate
(d)None of the above

Answer to Prelims Question