Dost Ali Khan
Ali Dost Khan, often referred to as Dost Ali Khan, was the Mughal Empire's Nawab of the Carnatic from 1732 to 1740. He was the son of Ghulam Ali Khan, brother of the Nawab Saadatullah Khan. His childless uncle adopted him as heir, and he succeeded his uncle in 1732, he successfully gained the investiture and an official Firman by the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah.
Nawab of the Carnatic
Dost Ali Khan was appointed as the Nawab of the Carnatic in the year 1732 by the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah. He was a very tolerant ruler who maintained frendly relations with the French, English and Dutch he personally provided them with many facilities in order to promote trade within the Nawab of the Carnatic. His forces led by his capable son-in-law Chanda Sahib successfully obtained control over Trichinopoly and even challenged the Marathas at Tanjore.
Dost Ali Khan paid annual tribute to the imperial court of the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah, who praised Dost Ali Khan's loyalist characteristics. Unlike his predecessors Nawab of the Carnatic, Dost Ali Khan refused to pay any indemnity to his ally the Nizam of Hyderabad, Asaf Jah I causing their ties to sever. Dost Ali Khan also refused to pay any indemnity to the Maratha Confederacy.
Dost Ali Khan had two sons, Safdar Ali Khan, Hasan Ali Khan, and several daughters. He gave one daughter in marriage to Chanda Sahib whom he appointed as his Dewan, and another to Murtuza Ali. (Murtuza Ali assassinated Safdar Ali Khan in 1742.)
Maratha occupation of the Carnatic
Dost Ali Khan ordered Chanda Sahib to march against the Rajah of Tirusivapuram. There upon the Rajah invited the assistance of the Maratha Empire.
Battle of Damalcherry
The Battle of Damalcherry was a major confrontation between the Mughal Empire's Nawab of the Carnatic, Dost Ali Khan and his Maratha opponent Raghoji I Bhonsle and Fateh Singh. The battle concluded with the fall of the Nawab of the Carnatic, Dost Ali Khan and three years of Maratha occupation in the Carnatic.
In the year 1740, Raghoji I Bhonsle and Fateh Singh led the Maratha invasion of the Nawab of the Carnatic demanding heavy indemnities, which Dost Ali Khan vehemently refused to pay. Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan had consistently urged the Nizam of Hyderabad, Asaf Jah I to intervene in favor of the Nawab of the Carnatic, but the latter refused.
The Nawab of the Carnatic, Dost Ali Khan divided his forces into two battalions and placed his artillery carriages on higher ground at Damalcherry Canama and the rest were placed below. 40,000 Marathas led by Raghoji I Bhonsle and Fateh Singh surrounded and overran the forces of Nawab of the Carnatic, Dost Ali Khan who fell in battle along with his son Hassan Ali Khan and 80 elite Sowars. Dost Ali Khan's new Diwan, Mir Asad was captured.
Meanwhile Safdar Ali Khan the eldest son of the Nawab of the Carnatic hurried with reinforcements from Vellore but retreated to Pondicherry.
Chanda Sahib too gathered 5000 Sowars and 10,000 Sepoys to march to assist Dost Ali Khan, but the distance from the battlefield forced him to withdraw.
The remaining forces of the Nawab of the Carnatic had rallied under the command of Chanda Sahib and entrenched themselves at Trichinopoly. It was only after the Siege of Trichinopoly (1741) that the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah ratified Safdar Ali Khan as the next Nawab of the Carnatic, which itself was faced with Maratha occupation until it was liberated by a coalition led by Asaf Jah I in the year 1743.
Titles held
| Preceded by Muhammed Saadatullah Khan I |
Nawab of the Carnatic 1732 –20 May 1740 |
Succeeded by Safdar Ali Khan |