After 182 years of Mughal control, Bihar passed into the control of Nawabs of Bengal under British suzerainty. This period saw Bihar's exploitation at the hands of the rulers in the form of high taxes, but the Nawabs of Bengal also allowed trade to flourish in the region. Some of the greatest melas of the Indian subcontinent, such as the Soenpur Mela, which was the biggest cattle fair in India, were allowed to continue and even flourish with traders coming from near and far.