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Bardhaman Raj

The Bardhaman Raj (Bengali: বর্ধমান রাজ, Bengali pronunciation: [Bôrdhoman Raj]), also known as Burdwan Raj, was a zamindari Raja estate that flourished between 1657 and 1955 in the Indian state of West Bengal. Maharaja Sangam Rai Kapoor, a Punjabi Khatri from Kotli mahalla in Lahore, Punjab,[1] who was the first member of the family to settle in Bardhaman, was the original founder of the house of Bardhaman,[2] whereas his grandson Abu Rai, during whose time the zamindari started flourishing, is considered to be the patriarch of the Bardhaman Raj family.[3][4]

Mehtab Chand of Burdwan, c. 1860–65

Maharaja Kirti Chand Rai (1702–1740) extended the estates far and wide by attacking and defeating the Raja of Bishnupur. At its height in the early 19th century, it extended to around 5,000 square miles (13,000 km) and included many parts of what is now Burdwan, Bankura, Medinipur, Howrah, Hooghly and Murshidabad districts.[5][6] After his victory against the king of Vishnupur, he constructed a victory gate, Baraduari (the outer gate), at Kanchannagar in Bardhaman. In the 20th century, it covered an area of 2,689 sq mi or 6,960 km2.[5]

History edit

 
Burdwan Raj in 1931.

Sangam Rai edit

According to the tradition of the family, Sangam Rai, a Khatri of the Kapoor clan, from Kotli, was the founder of the house of Bardhaman.[7] He, on his way back from a pilgrimage to Puri, being much impressed with the advantages of Baikunthapur, a village near Bardhaman town in present-day Purba Bardhaman district of West Bengal, settled there permanently and devoted himself to commerce and money lending.[7] From this period onwards the history of the family is identical with that of the Bardhaman district. During the battle between Jagirdar Sher Afghan of Bardhaman and Him he won. As a reward, in 1610, the Emperor of Delhi conferred upon him the titles of Char Hazari Kotwal and Munsifdar.[8]

Banku Behari Rai edit

Sangam Rai's son Banku Behari Rai was also a Kotwal. The title of Rai-Raiyan was conferred upon him.[3] He was also involved in his family business. Not much is known about him.

Abu Rai edit

Abu Rai, the son of Banku Behari Rai, was appointed Choudhuri and Kotwal of Rekhabi Bazar in Bardhaman in 1657 under the Faujdar of Chakla Bardhaman. He is considered to be the patriarch of the Bardhaman Raj family as it was during his time the zamindari started flourishing and the zamindari was firmly established.[3][4]

Babu Rai edit

Babu Rai, the son of Abu Rai, was the first in the family to completely do away with the family business and invest more time in buying and managing profitable zamindari estates. He owned Pargana Bardhaman along with three other estates.[4][9]

Ghana Shyam Rai edit

After the death of Babu Rai, his son, Ghana Shyam Rai, succeeded him.[4]

Krishna Ram Rai edit

Upon Ghana Shyam Rai's death, his son, Krishna Ram Rai (1675-1696), succeeded to the zamindari. Among many other new estates he also acquired Pargana Senpahari.[4][10] In 1689, he was honoured with a farman from Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in the 38th year of his reign. This confirmed his title as the Zamindar and Choudhuri of Pargana Bardhaman.[4][10]

During his reign, in 1696, Sobha Singha, the zamindar of Chitua and Barda (in Medinipur District), then a part of Bardhaman Raj, with the help of Rahim Khan, an Afghan chief, started rebelling against the zamindar of Bardhaman. Their united forces advanced towards Bardhaman and in a battle killed Krishna Chand and captured his family members, except his son Jagat Ram Rai, who somehow managed to escape to seek the help of the governor of Bengal, Behar and Orissa. In an incident, Sobha Singha was killed by Raj Kumari Satyabati, the daughter of Krishna Ram Rai. After the death of Sobha Singha, the insurgents then elected Afghan chief Rahim Khan to be their commander. Under his leadership, the rebellion assumed so threatening an aspect that the emperor appointed his own grandson Azim-u-Shan to the government of Bengal, Behar and Orissa. In the meantime, Zabardust Khan, son of the nawab, had by a series of successful movements driven them back upon Bardhaman. They were finally defeated just outside the town by Azim-u-Shan and their leader Rahim Khan was killed.[4]

Jagat Ram Rai edit

Afterwards, Jagat Ram Rai (1699-1702), was restored to the estate and honours of his father. He made further additions to his family estate. He was honoured by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb with a farman. He was treacherously murdered in 1702. He left two sons- Kirti Chand Rai and Mitra Sen Rai.[11][12]

Kirti Chand Rai edit

Kirti Chand Rai (1702-1740), the eldest among the two sons of Jagat Ram Rai, inherited the ancestral zamindari. He expanded it further by acquiring the Parganas of Chitua, Bhurshut, Barda and Manoharshahi.[11] Kirti Chand was a man of adventurous spirit. He fought with the Rajas of Chandrakona and Barda near Ghatal (a part of Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal), and possessed their kingdoms. He also seized the estate of Balghara situated near the holy town of Tarakeswar in Hooghly district. He then proceeded to Murshidabad and had his name registered as a proprietor of new properties. The boldest achievement of Kirti Chand was his attacking, defeating the powerful Raja of Bishnupur Kingdom.[11]

Raja Chitra Sen Rai edit

Kirti Chand died in 1740 and was succeeded by Chitra Sen Rai (1740-1744), who added the parganas of Mandalghat, Arsha and Chandrakona to his paternal estate. He was first in the family to be invested with the title of Raja by the Delhi Emperor.[13][14]

Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Tilak Chand Rai edit

Chitra Sen Rai died in 1744 without issue and was succeeded by his cousin Tilak Chand Rai (1744-1770), who was honoured by the emperor Ahmad Shah with a farman confirming his right to the raj and was after a few years, invested with the title of Maharaj Adhiraj Bahadur and Panj Hazari (commander of five thousand troops) by emperor Shah Alam.[13][15] Three years after the battle of Plassey, on 27 September 1760, the zamindari of Bardhaman, together with the districts of Midnapur and Chittagong, was ceded to the East India Company by Nawab Mir Muhammad Kashim Khan, the governor of Bengal. At that time Bardhaman contained an area of 5,174 square miles and was considered the most productive district in Subah of Bengal.[16] But the country was in an unsettled state and the company didn't find the acquisition as profitable as they had hoped.

Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Tej Chand Rai edit

When Tilak Chand Rai died at the young age of 26 in 1770, his son Tej Chand Rai (b.1764 - d.1832) was just six years old. So, his mother Maharani Bishan Kumari managed the estate with the help of Dewan Rup Narayan Choudhury.[17] Since 1779, Tej Chand Bahadur started managing the estate by himself.[18][19]

In 1791, Maharaja Tej Chand's sixth wife Rani Nanaki Kumari gave birth to his only surviving son Pratap Chand Rai. After his mother died within 2 days of his birth, he was raised with much love and affection by his grandmother Bishan Kumari. He was called "Chota Raja" by his subjects and was universally loved and respected. Due to the conspiracies of Tej Chand's fifth queen Kamal Kumari and her brother Paran Chand Kapur, Pratap Chand disappeared in 1821 during the lifetime of his father and was never heard afterwards. [20]

Several years later, a pretender impersonating him appeared but his claim, without a proper investigation, was dismissed by a civil court. [21]

His Highness Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Mahtab Chand Rai edit

In 1832, Tej Chandra died at the age of 68. In 1827, due to the insistence of his wife Kamal Kumari, Maharaja Tej Chand adopted the youngest son of Paran Chand Kapur (Kamal Kumari's brother) named Chuni Lal Kapur, giving him a new name Mahtab Chand Rai (b.1820), and leaving him [22] his great landed and funded estates.[21] Maharaja Tej Chand's youngest wife, Rani Basanta Kumari, was Mahtab Chand's elder sister and a daughter of Paran Chand Kapur. She eloped and married Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee, a famous lawyer and Young Bengal member around 1835. [23]

In 1864, the Maharaja was appointed an additional member of the Viceregal Legislative Council, being the first native person of Bengal who was so honoured.[24]

Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Aftab Chand Mahtab edit

After Mahatab Chand's death, he was succeeded by his adopted son Aftab Chand Mahtab, who only lived until 1885. Aftab Chand left a widow whom he had empowered to adopt and she exercised the right in July, 1887 in favour of Sir Bijay Chand Mahtab Bahadur, who became the zamindar of Burdwan.[24]

Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Bijay Chand Mahtab edit

His predecessor, Maharaja Aftab Chand Mahtab died without heirs, and his widow adopted Bijay Chand Mahtab, son of Ban Behari Kapur, a relative of Mahtab Chand Bahadur, a past ruler of Bardhaman Estate. At the time of adoption, in 1887, he was only a child, therefore, the Court of Wards along with the Diwani-i-Raj, Ban Behari Kapoor, (the natural father of Bijay Chand), ruled the estate up to 1902. In 1893, the title of 'Raja' was bestowed on Ban Bihari Kapoor. The government permitted the Raj in 1897 to maintain an armed force of 600 people and 41 cannons.[25]

In 1899, Bijay Chand Mahtab passed the entrance examination of Calcutta University, and was the first in the Raj family to obtain a formal educational qualification.

In 1902, he came of age and was invested with full ruling powers to the throne of Bardaman Raj. Next year in 1903, the title of 'Rajadhiraj' was bestowed on him at the Delhi Durbar. A pompous coronation was organised in the palace at Bardhaman, where Lieutenant Governor Bourdillon was present to bestow the honour.[25]

In 1903, he invited the Governor General Lord Curzon to the Bardhaman palace and to commemorate the event constructed a gate now known as Curzon Gate in Gothic style, which is a major landmark of Bardhaman today and stands at junction of Bijoychand Road and Grand Trunk Road. The Royal Palace of Bardhaman is situated one km from the gate.[citation needed]

In 1903, he saved the life of the Lieutenant Governor, Sir Andrew Fraser. He risked his life to save that of Sir Andrew Fraser, lieutenant-governor of Bengal, when an attempt to assassinate him was made by Indian nationalists on 7 November 1908. In return for his loyalty to the British, he was honoured with the title of K.C.I.E. and Indian Order of Merit (Class III).[26][25]

 
Mahtab in 1906.

In 1908, as per a proclamation of Lord Minto, elevated to the title of 'Maharajadhiraja', which was bestowed on a hereditary basis.[25]

He also served as representative of Bengal zamindars in Legislative and Provincial council, continuously for many years.[26]

In 1908, he toured England and Europe and later wrote a book named Diary of an European Tour.[26]

He was also noted for his philanthropy, especially in field of education and health welfare. For example, in 1908, he donated Rs. 40,000/- towards construction of hostel and other facilities for Ranchi Arts College, Ranchi, where Burdwan Raj also held large estates.[27] Bijoy Chand Hospital was also founded by him during his reign in decade of 1910.

He was a member of the Bengal Legislative Council from 1907 to 1918, and of the Imperial Legislative Council from 1909 to 1912. He was associated with the state administration in subsequent years and Member of Executive Council of Bengal for the years 1919–1924.

He was also the President of British Indian Association from 1911 to 1918[28] and again in 1925.

In 1914, he was appointed as one of the members of the committee that investigated in to riots of Budge Budge and Komagata Maru incident[29]

In 1924, he was one of the members of a committee headed by Sir Charles Todhunter, which looked into taxation reforms in British India, which submitted its report in 1925.[30] and was also the member of Indian Reforms Enquiry Commission of 1924.

 
Official seal of Bijay Chand Mahtab

In spite of his loyalty towards the British, he provided warm hospitality to Mahatma Gandhi, when he visited Bardhaman in 1925 and welcomed cordially Subhas Chandra Bose when he visited Bardhaman in 1928 to campaign in the municipal elections.

 
Mahtab in 1931.

During the later part of his rule, however, there were allegations of financial corruption coupled with mismanagement and the affairs of the Raj were in shambles. The British administrator took over the complete management of Bardhaman Raj and Bijoy Chand was deprived of management from the years 1929–1936.

In 1936, he was handed over the reign of his Estate back by British. In 1938, he was a member of the Francis Floud Commission to suggest changes in the Permanent Settlement of 1793. The commission recommended the replacement of the zamindari system by a ryotwari (tenancy) system in which the ownership of land would vest with the ryot (tenant) and the land revenue payable by him could be revised periodically. The recommendations could not be implemented because of differences in the Fazlul Huq ministry.

However, with the India's independence gaining momentum it was evident that the days of zemindars and princely states were coming to an end. It was this realisation that led Bijay Chand Mahtab to extend indirect support to the Congress.

Bijay Chand Mahtab was deeply involved with Bengali literature. He was president of the reception committee in the 8th session of the Bangya Sahitya Sammelan held at Bardhaman in 1914. From amongst the twenty books he wrote, mention may be made of Impression, The Indian Horizon, Meditation, Studies, Vijaygitika (collection of songs composed by him), Troyodashi (poem), Ranjit (play), and Manaslila (science-play).

Mahtab died on 29 August 1941 at Bardhaman.[31] His reign which began in 1887 and lasted until 1941, was the longest in history of Bardhaman Raj. He left behind two sons Uday Chand and Abhay Chand and two daughters, thereby ending the long history adoptions for succession in Bardhaman Raj. His elder son Uday Chand Mahtab, succeeded him to the throne of Burdwan Raj.

Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Uday Chand Mahtab edit

He was the eldest son of Bijay Chand Mahtab. He did his graduation from Presidency College, Calcutta and Calcutta University.[32]

During the regency of his father he served as Dewan-i-Raj for several years and succeeded to the throne of Burdwan Raj after the death of his father.

During British Raj, he headed and was a member of several committees like, member of the Damodar Canal Enquiry Committee 1938,[33] Select Committee on Calcutta Municipal (amendment) Bill 1940; Chairman of Burdwan District Flood Relief and Bengal Central Flood Relief Committees 1943–44; Chairman of Indian Red Cross Appeal (Bengal) 1943-1946 and of Calcutta War Committee 1943-1946 and of Damodar Flood Central Enquiry Committee 1944; Member of Bengal Tanks Improvement Bill Select Committee 1944 and of Advisory Committee on Terrorist Convicts in Bengal 1944; Member of West Bengal Forest Denudation Enquiry Committee 1944 and of Select Committee on Bengal Agricultural Income Tax Bill 1944; Member of the Indian Constituent Assembly - 1946–1947. He also presided the West Bengal group of Legislators, in 1946, which voted 58:21 in favor of partition of Bengal.[34]

He served as President of the non-Muslim block of the Bengal Partition meeting in 1947 and was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Bengal from years 1937 to 1952.[35] In the first election after independence in 1952, Sir Uday Chand Mahtab lost to a freedom fighter, Benoy Choudhury, in spite of a campaign in his favor by Jawaharlal Nehru. The election defeat was followed by legislation for abolition of the zamindari system in 1954.

After the abolition of the zamindari system in 1955, he shifted from Bardhaman to his family's house at Alipur in Calcutta. Here he became a director of IISCO, and several other leading mercantile firms of the day, such as Dunlop, Metal Box and Brooke Bond.[36] He acceded to the request of the then Chief minister of West Bengal, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy and handed over his palace, Mahtab Manzil and Golap Bagh to the University of Burdwan.[citation needed]

He donated a piece of land in Bardhaman to the numerous employees of the Raj so that they could build accommodation there. With the end of the Raj, he immersed himself in his commercial and business interests.

He was also a Steward of the Royal Calcutta Turf Club. He instituted a fund for The Maharajadhiraja Uday Chand Mahtab Of Burdwan Memorial Cup at Calcutta Race Course.

He died on 10 October 1984 leaving behind three sons and three daughters.

Raj Kumari Satyabati edit

During the reign of Krishna Ram Rai, when Sobha Singha, the zamindar of Chitua and Barda, along with Afghan Chief Rahim Khan captured Krishna Ram's family members after killing him. Amongst the captives of Bardhaman Raj family was Raj Kumari Satyabati, the daughter of Krishna Ram Rai, whom Sobha Singha kept in confinement until he decided to sacrifice her to his lust. When Sobha Singha tried to outrage her modesty, the heroic Raj Kumari Satyabati, drew a dagger from her clothes and stabbed him, killing him almost immediately. Feeling herself polluted by his touch, she then killed herself with the same dagger.[4][37]

List of rulers edit

The list of rulers:[38]

  • Kotwal Sangam Rai Kapoor, founder of Bardhaman Raj (1600s)
  • Rai-Raiyan Banku Behari Rai
  • Kotwal Choudhuri Abu Rai
  • Kotwal Choudhuri Babu Rai
  • Kotwal Choudhuri Ghana Shyam Rai
  • Zamindar Krishna Ram Rai (ruled 1675–1696)
  • Zamindar Jagat Ram Rai (ruled 1699–1702)
  • Zamindar Kirti Chand Rai (ruled 1702–1740)
  • Raja Chitra Sen Rai (ruled 1740–1744)
  • Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Tilak Chand Rai (ruled 1744–1770)
  • Maharani Bishtu Kumari (on behalf of his son Tej Chand Rai)
  • Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Tej Chand Rai (ruled 1770–1832)
  • His Highness Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Mahtab Chand (ruled 1830s to 1870s)
  • Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Aftab Chand (ruled 1870s - 1880s)
  • Raja Banbehari Kapoor (ruled as the Dewan of Burdwan on behalf of his son Bijay Chand) (mid 1880s-mid 1890s)
  • Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Sir Bijay Chand Mahtab (ruled 1887–1941) (b. 1881 – d. 1941)
  • Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Sir Uday Chand Mahtab (ruled 1941–55) (abdicated) (b. 1905 – d. 1984)

References edit

  1. ^ McLane 2002, p. 128, 130.
  2. ^ "Burdwan Municipality". burdwanmunicipality.gov.in. from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Sarkar, Nirad Baran (1999). Bardhaman Raj Itibritto (in Bengali). Bardhaman: Sujata Sarkar. p. 2.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Peterson, J.C.K. (1910). Bengal District Gazetteers : Burdwan. Calcutta: Bengal Secretariat Book Depot. p. 27.
  5. ^ a b McLane 2002, p. 126.
  6. ^ "Burdwan District Gazeteers". bardhaman.gov.in. from the original on 9 February 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  7. ^ a b Peterson, J.C.K. (1910). Bengal District Gazetteers : Burdwan. Calcutta: Bengal Secretariat Book Depot. p. 26.
  8. ^ Sarkar, Nirad Baran (1999). Bardhaman Raj Itibritto (in Bengali). Bardhaman: Sujata Sarkar. p. 1.
  9. ^ Sarkar, Nirad Baran (1999). Bardhaman Raj Itibritto (in Bengali). Bardhaman: Sujata Sarkar. p. 4.
  10. ^ a b Sarkar, Nirad Baran (1999). Bardhaman Raj Itibritto (in Bengali). Bardhaman: Sujata Sarkar. p. 5.
  11. ^ a b c Peterson, J.C.K. (1910). Bengal District Gazetteers : Burdwan. Calcutta: Bengal Secretariat Book Depot. p. 28.
  12. ^ Sarkar, Nirad Baran (1999). Bardhaman Raj Itibritto (in Bengali). Bardhaman: Sujata Sarkar. p. 17.
  13. ^ a b Peterson, J.C.K. (1910). Bengal District Gazetteers : Burdwan. Calcutta: Bengal Secretariat Book Depot. p. 31.
  14. ^ Sarkar, Nirad Baran (1999). Bardhaman Raj Itibritto (in Bengali). Bardhaman: Sujata Sarkar. p. 48.
  15. ^ Sarkar, Nirad Baran (1999). Bardhaman Raj Itibritto (in Bengali). Bardhaman: Sujata Sarkar. p. 77.
  16. ^ Peterson, J.C.K. (1910). Bengal District Gazetteers : Burdwan. Calcutta: Bengal Secretariat Book Depot. p. 32.
  17. ^ Sarkar, Nirad Baran (1999). Bardhaman Raj Itibritto (in Bengali). Bardhaman: Sujata Sarkar. p. 111.
  18. ^ Sarkar, Nirad Baran (1999). Bardhaman Raj Itibritto (in Bengali). Bardhaman: Sujata Sarkar. p. 125.
  19. ^ Peterson, J.C.K. (1910). Bengal District Gazetteers : Burdwan. Calcutta: Bengal Secretariat Book Depot. p. 34.
  20. ^ Sarkar, Nirad Baran (1999). Bardhaman Raj Itibritto (in Bengali). Bardhaman: Sujata Sarkar. p. 201.
  21. ^ a b Peterson, J.C.K. (1910). Bengal District Gazetteers : Burdwan. Calcutta: Bengal Secretariat Book Depot. p. 38.
  22. ^ Sarkar, Nirad Baran (1999). Bardhaman Raj Itibritto (in Bengali). Bardhaman: Sujata Sarkar. p. 210.
  23. ^ See Gautam Bhadra, Jal Rajar Galpa: Bardhamaner Pratap Chand, [Calcutta: Ananda Publishers, 2002] [in Bengali]
  24. ^ a b Peterson, J.C.K. (1910). Bengal District Gazetteers : Burdwan. Calcutta: Bengal Secretariat Book Depot. p. 39.
  25. ^ a b c d Imperial Gazetteer of India by Sir William Wilson Hunter, 1908 – Page 101
  26. ^ a b c Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (New Series) Table of Contents – October 1941 – Volume 73, Issue 04 pp: 387–388 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Obituary : Maharaja Adhiraja Bijay Chand Mahatab of Burdwan.
  27. ^ Education and Social Changes in Bihar 1900–1921: A Survey of Social History by S. N. Pandey, 1975– Page 86
  28. ^ "British Indian Association Annual Meeting". The Hindu. 23 March 2018. ISSN 0971-751X. from the original on 15 October 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  29. ^ Johnston, Hugh (2011). The Voyage of the Komagata Maru: The Sikh Challenge to Canada's Colour Bar By Hugh Johnston. UBC Press. p. 109. ISBN 9780774844727. from the original on 6 March 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  30. ^ Taxation and the Indian Economy by S.M. Jha, 1990– Page 166
  31. ^ "Maharaja of Burdwan Dead". The Straits Times. 31 August 1941. p. 2. from the original on 5 October 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  32. ^ The Indian Year-book and Annual - Page 361
  33. ^ The lower Damodar River, India - Page 81 - Google Books
  34. ^ Bengal Partition Stories: An Unclosed Chapter - Page 25
  35. ^ Constitutional Schemes and Political Development in India: Towards ... - Page 654
  36. ^ Heroes - Page 330
  37. ^ Sarkar, Nirad Baran (1999). Bardhaman Raj Itibritto (in Bengali). Bardhaman: Sujata Sarkar. p. 12 & 13.
  38. ^ Sarkar, Nirad Baran (1999). Bardhaman Raj Itibritto (in Bengali). Bardhaman: Sujata Sarkar.

Sources edit

  • McLane, John R. (2002). Land and Local Kingship in Eighteenth-Century Bengal. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-52654-8.

Further reading edit

  • History of the Bengali-speaking People by Nitish Sengupta. [citation needed]
  • History of Burdwan estate

bardhaman, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, 2022, learn, whe. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Bardhaman Raj news newspapers books scholar JSTOR May 2022 Learn how and when to remove this message The Bardhaman Raj Bengali বর ধম ন র জ Bengali pronunciation Bordhoman Raj also known as Burdwan Raj was a zamindari Raja estate that flourished between 1657 and 1955 in the Indian state of West Bengal Maharaja Sangam Rai Kapoor a Punjabi Khatri from Kotli mahalla in Lahore Punjab 1 who was the first member of the family to settle in Bardhaman was the original founder of the house of Bardhaman 2 whereas his grandson Abu Rai during whose time the zamindari started flourishing is considered to be the patriarch of the Bardhaman Raj family 3 4 Mehtab Chand of Burdwan c 1860 65 Maharaja Kirti Chand Rai 1702 1740 extended the estates far and wide by attacking and defeating the Raja of Bishnupur At its height in the early 19th century it extended to around 5 000 square miles 13 000 km and included many parts of what is now Burdwan Bankura Medinipur Howrah Hooghly and Murshidabad districts 5 6 After his victory against the king of Vishnupur he constructed a victory gate Baraduari the outer gate at Kanchannagar in Bardhaman In the 20th century it covered an area of 2 689 sq mi or 6 960 km2 5 Contents 1 History 1 1 Sangam Rai 1 2 Banku Behari Rai 1 3 Abu Rai 1 4 Babu Rai 1 5 Ghana Shyam Rai 1 6 Krishna Ram Rai 1 7 Jagat Ram Rai 1 8 Kirti Chand Rai 1 9 Raja Chitra Sen Rai 1 10 Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Tilak Chand Rai 1 11 Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Tej Chand Rai 1 12 His Highness Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Mahtab Chand Rai 1 13 Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Aftab Chand Mahtab 1 14 Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Bijay Chand Mahtab 1 15 Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Uday Chand Mahtab 2 Raj Kumari Satyabati 3 List of rulers 4 References 4 1 Sources 5 Further readingHistory edit nbsp Burdwan Raj in 1931 Sangam Rai edit According to the tradition of the family Sangam Rai a Khatri of the Kapoor clan from Kotli was the founder of the house of Bardhaman 7 He on his way back from a pilgrimage to Puri being much impressed with the advantages of Baikunthapur a village near Bardhaman town in present day Purba Bardhaman district of West Bengal settled there permanently and devoted himself to commerce and money lending 7 From this period onwards the history of the family is identical with that of the Bardhaman district During the battle between Jagirdar Sher Afghan of Bardhaman and Him he won As a reward in 1610 the Emperor of Delhi conferred upon him the titles of Char Hazari Kotwal and Munsifdar 8 Banku Behari Rai edit Sangam Rai s son Banku Behari Rai was also a Kotwal The title of Rai Raiyan was conferred upon him 3 He was also involved in his family business Not much is known about him Abu Rai edit Abu Rai the son of Banku Behari Rai was appointed Choudhuri and Kotwal of Rekhabi Bazar in Bardhaman in 1657 under the Faujdar of Chakla Bardhaman He is considered to be the patriarch of the Bardhaman Raj family as it was during his time the zamindari started flourishing and the zamindari was firmly established 3 4 Babu Rai edit Babu Rai the son of Abu Rai was the first in the family to completely do away with the family business and invest more time in buying and managing profitable zamindari estates He owned Pargana Bardhaman along with three other estates 4 9 Ghana Shyam Rai edit After the death of Babu Rai his son Ghana Shyam Rai succeeded him 4 Krishna Ram Rai edit Upon Ghana Shyam Rai s death his son Krishna Ram Rai 1675 1696 succeeded to the zamindari Among many other new estates he also acquired Pargana Senpahari 4 10 In 1689 he was honoured with a farman from Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in the 38th year of his reign This confirmed his title as the Zamindar and Choudhuri of Pargana Bardhaman 4 10 During his reign in 1696 Sobha Singha the zamindar of Chitua and Barda in Medinipur District then a part of Bardhaman Raj with the help of Rahim Khan an Afghan chief started rebelling against the zamindar of Bardhaman Their united forces advanced towards Bardhaman and in a battle killed Krishna Chand and captured his family members except his son Jagat Ram Rai who somehow managed to escape to seek the help of the governor of Bengal Behar and Orissa In an incident Sobha Singha was killed by Raj Kumari Satyabati the daughter of Krishna Ram Rai After the death of Sobha Singha the insurgents then elected Afghan chief Rahim Khan to be their commander Under his leadership the rebellion assumed so threatening an aspect that the emperor appointed his own grandson Azim u Shan to the government of Bengal Behar and Orissa In the meantime Zabardust Khan son of the nawab had by a series of successful movements driven them back upon Bardhaman They were finally defeated just outside the town by Azim u Shan and their leader Rahim Khan was killed 4 Jagat Ram Rai edit Afterwards Jagat Ram Rai 1699 1702 was restored to the estate and honours of his father He made further additions to his family estate He was honoured by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb with a farman He was treacherously murdered in 1702 He left two sons Kirti Chand Rai and Mitra Sen Rai 11 12 Kirti Chand Rai edit Kirti Chand Rai 1702 1740 the eldest among the two sons of Jagat Ram Rai inherited the ancestral zamindari He expanded it further by acquiring the Parganas of Chitua Bhurshut Barda and Manoharshahi 11 Kirti Chand was a man of adventurous spirit He fought with the Rajas of Chandrakona and Barda near Ghatal a part of Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal and possessed their kingdoms He also seized the estate of Balghara situated near the holy town of Tarakeswar in Hooghly district He then proceeded to Murshidabad and had his name registered as a proprietor of new properties The boldest achievement of Kirti Chand was his attacking defeating the powerful Raja of Bishnupur Kingdom 11 Raja Chitra Sen Rai edit Kirti Chand died in 1740 and was succeeded by Chitra Sen Rai 1740 1744 who added the parganas of Mandalghat Arsha and Chandrakona to his paternal estate He was first in the family to be invested with the title of Raja by the Delhi Emperor 13 14 Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Tilak Chand Rai edit Chitra Sen Rai died in 1744 without issue and was succeeded by his cousin Tilak Chand Rai 1744 1770 who was honoured by the emperor Ahmad Shah with a farman confirming his right to the raj and was after a few years invested with the title of Maharaj Adhiraj Bahadur and Panj Hazari commander of five thousand troops by emperor Shah Alam 13 15 Three years after the battle of Plassey on 27 September 1760 the zamindari of Bardhaman together with the districts of Midnapur and Chittagong was ceded to the East India Company by Nawab Mir Muhammad Kashim Khan the governor of Bengal At that time Bardhaman contained an area of 5 174 square miles and was considered the most productive district in Subah of Bengal 16 But the country was in an unsettled state and the company didn t find the acquisition as profitable as they had hoped Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Tej Chand Rai edit When Tilak Chand Rai died at the young age of 26 in 1770 his son Tej Chand Rai b 1764 d 1832 was just six years old So his mother Maharani Bishan Kumari managed the estate with the help of Dewan Rup Narayan Choudhury 17 Since 1779 Tej Chand Bahadur started managing the estate by himself 18 19 In 1791 Maharaja Tej Chand s sixth wife Rani Nanaki Kumari gave birth to his only surviving son Pratap Chand Rai After his mother died within 2 days of his birth he was raised with much love and affection by his grandmother Bishan Kumari He was called Chota Raja by his subjects and was universally loved and respected Due to the conspiracies of Tej Chand s fifth queen Kamal Kumari and her brother Paran Chand Kapur Pratap Chand disappeared in 1821 during the lifetime of his father and was never heard afterwards 20 Several years later a pretender impersonating him appeared but his claim without a proper investigation was dismissed by a civil court 21 His Highness Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Mahtab Chand Rai edit In 1832 Tej Chandra died at the age of 68 In 1827 due to the insistence of his wife Kamal Kumari Maharaja Tej Chand adopted the youngest son of Paran Chand Kapur Kamal Kumari s brother named Chuni Lal Kapur giving him a new name Mahtab Chand Rai b 1820 and leaving him 22 his great landed and funded estates 21 Maharaja Tej Chand s youngest wife Rani Basanta Kumari was Mahtab Chand s elder sister and a daughter of Paran Chand Kapur She eloped and married Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee a famous lawyer and Young Bengal member around 1835 23 In 1864 the Maharaja was appointed an additional member of the Viceregal Legislative Council being the first native person of Bengal who was so honoured 24 Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Aftab Chand Mahtab edit After Mahatab Chand s death he was succeeded by his adopted son Aftab Chand Mahtab who only lived until 1885 Aftab Chand left a widow whom he had empowered to adopt and she exercised the right in July 1887 in favour of Sir Bijay Chand Mahtab Bahadur who became the zamindar of Burdwan 24 Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Bijay Chand Mahtab edit Main article Bijay Chand Mahtab His predecessor Maharaja Aftab Chand Mahtab died without heirs and his widow adopted Bijay Chand Mahtab son of Ban Behari Kapur a relative of Mahtab Chand Bahadur a past ruler of Bardhaman Estate At the time of adoption in 1887 he was only a child therefore the Court of Wards along with the Diwani i Raj Ban Behari Kapoor the natural father of Bijay Chand ruled the estate up to 1902 In 1893 the title of Raja was bestowed on Ban Bihari Kapoor The government permitted the Raj in 1897 to maintain an armed force of 600 people and 41 cannons 25 In 1899 Bijay Chand Mahtab passed the entrance examination of Calcutta University and was the first in the Raj family to obtain a formal educational qualification In 1902 he came of age and was invested with full ruling powers to the throne of Bardaman Raj Next year in 1903 the title of Rajadhiraj was bestowed on him at the Delhi Durbar A pompous coronation was organised in the palace at Bardhaman where Lieutenant Governor Bourdillon was present to bestow the honour 25 In 1903 he invited the Governor General Lord Curzon to the Bardhaman palace and to commemorate the event constructed a gate now known as Curzon Gate in Gothic style which is a major landmark of Bardhaman today and stands at junction of Bijoychand Road and Grand Trunk Road The Royal Palace of Bardhaman is situated one km from the gate citation needed In 1903 he saved the life of the Lieutenant Governor Sir Andrew Fraser He risked his life to save that of Sir Andrew Fraser lieutenant governor of Bengal when an attempt to assassinate him was made by Indian nationalists on 7 November 1908 In return for his loyalty to the British he was honoured with the title of K C I E and Indian Order of Merit Class III 26 25 nbsp Mahtab in 1906 In 1908 as per a proclamation of Lord Minto elevated to the title of Maharajadhiraja which was bestowed on a hereditary basis 25 He also served as representative of Bengal zamindars in Legislative and Provincial council continuously for many years 26 In 1908 he toured England and Europe and later wrote a book named Diary of an European Tour 26 He was also noted for his philanthropy especially in field of education and health welfare For example in 1908 he donated Rs 40 000 towards construction of hostel and other facilities for Ranchi Arts College Ranchi where Burdwan Raj also held large estates 27 Bijoy Chand Hospital was also founded by him during his reign in decade of 1910 He was a member of the Bengal Legislative Council from 1907 to 1918 and of the Imperial Legislative Council from 1909 to 1912 He was associated with the state administration in subsequent years and Member of Executive Council of Bengal for the years 1919 1924 He was also the President of British Indian Association from 1911 to 1918 28 and again in 1925 In 1914 he was appointed as one of the members of the committee that investigated in to riots of Budge Budge and Komagata Maru incident 29 In 1924 he was one of the members of a committee headed by Sir Charles Todhunter which looked into taxation reforms in British India which submitted its report in 1925 30 and was also the member of Indian Reforms Enquiry Commission of 1924 nbsp Official seal of Bijay Chand Mahtab In spite of his loyalty towards the British he provided warm hospitality to Mahatma Gandhi when he visited Bardhaman in 1925 and welcomed cordially Subhas Chandra Bose when he visited Bardhaman in 1928 to campaign in the municipal elections nbsp Mahtab in 1931 During the later part of his rule however there were allegations of financial corruption coupled with mismanagement and the affairs of the Raj were in shambles The British administrator took over the complete management of Bardhaman Raj and Bijoy Chand was deprived of management from the years 1929 1936 In 1936 he was handed over the reign of his Estate back by British In 1938 he was a member of the Francis Floud Commission to suggest changes in the Permanent Settlement of 1793 The commission recommended the replacement of the zamindari system by a ryotwari tenancy system in which the ownership of land would vest with the ryot tenant and the land revenue payable by him could be revised periodically The recommendations could not be implemented because of differences in the Fazlul Huq ministry However with the India s independence gaining momentum it was evident that the days of zemindars and princely states were coming to an end It was this realisation that led Bijay Chand Mahtab to extend indirect support to the Congress Bijay Chand Mahtab was deeply involved with Bengali literature He was president of the reception committee in the 8th session of the Bangya Sahitya Sammelan held at Bardhaman in 1914 From amongst the twenty books he wrote mention may be made of Impression The Indian Horizon Meditation Studies Vijaygitika collection of songs composed by him Troyodashi poem Ranjit play and Manaslila science play Mahtab died on 29 August 1941 at Bardhaman 31 His reign which began in 1887 and lasted until 1941 was the longest in history of Bardhaman Raj He left behind two sons Uday Chand and Abhay Chand and two daughters thereby ending the long history adoptions for succession in Bardhaman Raj His elder son Uday Chand Mahtab succeeded him to the throne of Burdwan Raj Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Uday Chand Mahtab edit Main article Uday Chand Mahtab He was the eldest son of Bijay Chand Mahtab He did his graduation from Presidency College Calcutta and Calcutta University 32 During the regency of his father he served as Dewan i Raj for several years and succeeded to the throne of Burdwan Raj after the death of his father During British Raj he headed and was a member of several committees like member of the Damodar Canal Enquiry Committee 1938 33 Select Committee on Calcutta Municipal amendment Bill 1940 Chairman of Burdwan District Flood Relief and Bengal Central Flood Relief Committees 1943 44 Chairman of Indian Red Cross Appeal Bengal 1943 1946 and of Calcutta War Committee 1943 1946 and of Damodar Flood Central Enquiry Committee 1944 Member of Bengal Tanks Improvement Bill Select Committee 1944 and of Advisory Committee on Terrorist Convicts in Bengal 1944 Member of West Bengal Forest Denudation Enquiry Committee 1944 and of Select Committee on Bengal Agricultural Income Tax Bill 1944 Member of the Indian Constituent Assembly 1946 1947 He also presided the West Bengal group of Legislators in 1946 which voted 58 21 in favor of partition of Bengal 34 He served as President of the non Muslim block of the Bengal Partition meeting in 1947 and was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Bengal from years 1937 to 1952 35 In the first election after independence in 1952 Sir Uday Chand Mahtab lost to a freedom fighter Benoy Choudhury in spite of a campaign in his favor by Jawaharlal Nehru The election defeat was followed by legislation for abolition of the zamindari system in 1954 After the abolition of the zamindari system in 1955 he shifted from Bardhaman to his family s house at Alipur in Calcutta Here he became a director of IISCO and several other leading mercantile firms of the day such as Dunlop Metal Box and Brooke Bond 36 He acceded to the request of the then Chief minister of West Bengal Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy and handed over his palace Mahtab Manzil and Golap Bagh to the University of Burdwan citation needed He donated a piece of land in Bardhaman to the numerous employees of the Raj so that they could build accommodation there With the end of the Raj he immersed himself in his commercial and business interests He was also a Steward of the Royal Calcutta Turf Club He instituted a fund for The Maharajadhiraja Uday Chand Mahtab Of Burdwan Memorial Cup at Calcutta Race Course He died on 10 October 1984 leaving behind three sons and three daughters Raj Kumari Satyabati editDuring the reign of Krishna Ram Rai when Sobha Singha the zamindar of Chitua and Barda along with Afghan Chief Rahim Khan captured Krishna Ram s family members after killing him Amongst the captives of Bardhaman Raj family was Raj Kumari Satyabati the daughter of Krishna Ram Rai whom Sobha Singha kept in confinement until he decided to sacrifice her to his lust When Sobha Singha tried to outrage her modesty the heroic Raj Kumari Satyabati drew a dagger from her clothes and stabbed him killing him almost immediately Feeling herself polluted by his touch she then killed herself with the same dagger 4 37 List of rulers editThe list of rulers 38 Kotwal Sangam Rai Kapoor founder of Bardhaman Raj 1600s Rai Raiyan Banku Behari Rai Kotwal Choudhuri Abu Rai Kotwal Choudhuri Babu Rai Kotwal Choudhuri Ghana Shyam Rai Zamindar Krishna Ram Rai ruled 1675 1696 Zamindar Jagat Ram Rai ruled 1699 1702 Zamindar Kirti Chand Rai ruled 1702 1740 Raja Chitra Sen Rai ruled 1740 1744 Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Tilak Chand Rai ruled 1744 1770 Maharani Bishtu Kumari on behalf of his son Tej Chand Rai Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Tej Chand Rai ruled 1770 1832 His Highness Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Mahtab Chand ruled 1830s to 1870s Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Aftab Chand ruled 1870s 1880s Raja Banbehari Kapoor ruled as the Dewan of Burdwan on behalf of his son Bijay Chand mid 1880s mid 1890s Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Sir Bijay Chand Mahtab ruled 1887 1941 b 1881 d 1941 Maharajadhiraj Bahadur Sir Uday Chand Mahtab ruled 1941 55 abdicated b 1905 d 1984 References edit McLane 2002 p 128 130 Burdwan Municipality burdwanmunicipality gov in Archived from the original on 25 September 2020 Retrieved 23 September 2020 a b c Sarkar Nirad Baran 1999 Bardhaman Raj Itibritto in Bengali Bardhaman Sujata Sarkar p 2 a b c d e f g h Peterson J C K 1910 Bengal District Gazetteers Burdwan Calcutta Bengal Secretariat Book Depot p 27 a b McLane 2002 p 126 Burdwan District Gazeteers bardhaman gov in Archived from the original on 9 February 2020 Retrieved 23 September 2020 a b Peterson J C K 1910 Bengal District Gazetteers Burdwan Calcutta Bengal Secretariat Book Depot p 26 Sarkar Nirad Baran 1999 Bardhaman Raj Itibritto in Bengali Bardhaman Sujata Sarkar p 1 Sarkar Nirad Baran 1999 Bardhaman Raj Itibritto in Bengali Bardhaman Sujata Sarkar p 4 a b Sarkar Nirad Baran 1999 Bardhaman Raj Itibritto in Bengali Bardhaman Sujata Sarkar p 5 a b c Peterson J C K 1910 Bengal District Gazetteers Burdwan Calcutta Bengal Secretariat Book Depot p 28 Sarkar Nirad Baran 1999 Bardhaman Raj Itibritto in Bengali Bardhaman Sujata Sarkar p 17 a b Peterson J C K 1910 Bengal District Gazetteers Burdwan Calcutta Bengal Secretariat Book Depot p 31 Sarkar Nirad Baran 1999 Bardhaman Raj Itibritto in Bengali Bardhaman Sujata Sarkar p 48 Sarkar Nirad Baran 1999 Bardhaman Raj Itibritto in Bengali Bardhaman Sujata Sarkar p 77 Peterson J C K 1910 Bengal District Gazetteers Burdwan Calcutta Bengal Secretariat Book Depot p 32 Sarkar Nirad Baran 1999 Bardhaman Raj Itibritto in Bengali Bardhaman Sujata Sarkar p 111 Sarkar Nirad Baran 1999 Bardhaman Raj Itibritto in Bengali Bardhaman Sujata Sarkar p 125 Peterson J C K 1910 Bengal District Gazetteers Burdwan Calcutta Bengal Secretariat Book Depot p 34 Sarkar Nirad Baran 1999 Bardhaman Raj Itibritto in Bengali Bardhaman Sujata Sarkar p 201 a b Peterson J C K 1910 Bengal District Gazetteers Burdwan Calcutta Bengal Secretariat Book Depot p 38 Sarkar Nirad Baran 1999 Bardhaman Raj Itibritto in Bengali Bardhaman Sujata Sarkar p 210 See Gautam Bhadra Jal Rajar Galpa Bardhamaner Pratap Chand Calcutta Ananda Publishers 2002 in Bengali a b Peterson J C K 1910 Bengal District Gazetteers Burdwan Calcutta Bengal Secretariat Book Depot p 39 a b c d Imperial Gazetteer of India by Sir William Wilson Hunter 1908 Page 101 a b c Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society New Series Table of Contents October 1941 Volume 73 Issue 04 pp 387 388 Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Obituary Maharaja Adhiraja Bijay Chand Mahatab of Burdwan Education and Social Changes in Bihar 1900 1921 A Survey of Social History by S N Pandey 1975 Page 86 British Indian Association Annual Meeting The Hindu 23 March 2018 ISSN 0971 751X Archived from the original on 15 October 2020 Retrieved 26 January 2020 Johnston Hugh 2011 The Voyage of the Komagata Maru The Sikh Challenge to Canada s Colour Bar By Hugh Johnston UBC Press p 109 ISBN 9780774844727 Archived from the original on 6 March 2024 Retrieved 30 October 2020 Taxation and the Indian Economy by S M Jha 1990 Page 166 Maharaja of Burdwan Dead The Straits Times 31 August 1941 p 2 Archived from the original on 5 October 2018 Retrieved 9 May 2017 The Indian Year book and Annual Page 361 The lower Damodar River India Page 81 Google Books Bengal Partition Stories An Unclosed Chapter Page 25 Constitutional Schemes and Political Development in India Towards Page 654 Heroes Page 330 Sarkar Nirad Baran 1999 Bardhaman Raj Itibritto in Bengali Bardhaman Sujata Sarkar p 12 amp 13 Sarkar Nirad Baran 1999 Bardhaman Raj Itibritto in Bengali Bardhaman Sujata Sarkar Sources edit McLane John R 2002 Land and Local Kingship in Eighteenth Century Bengal Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 52654 8 Further reading editHistory of the Bengali speaking People by Nitish Sengupta citation needed History of Burdwan estate Burdwan estate in the pre British and British eras Next weekend you can be at Burdwan Vijay Manzil the estate of the Maharaja of Burdwan Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bardhaman Raj amp oldid 1219224857, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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