Jagdishpur estate

Last updated
Jagdishpur Raj
1702–1858
Jagdishpur estate flag.png
Flag
StatusSelf-governing landownership under the Company rule
Capital Jagdishpur
Religion
Hinduism
Historical era Early modern period
 Established
1702
 Disestablished
1858

The Jagdishpur Raj was a feudatory zamindari ruled by a cadet branch of the Ujjainiya dynasty. It was situated in modern-day Jagdishpur, in the erstwhile Shahabad district (now in Bhojpur district) of Bihar. [1] The capital of the principality was the town of Jagdishpur by which the principality derived its name. [2]

Contents

Kunwar Singh, one of the most notable rulers of Jagdishpur. Kunvar singh.jpg
Kunwar Singh, one of the most notable rulers of Jagdishpur.

History

The Ujjainiya branch of Jagdishpur is considered as the one of the senior branch of the Ujjainiya dynasty. Raja Mandhata Singh, the last ruler of Bhojpur revolted against the Mughal authority. However, he was killed by his own family members. Due to confusion regarding the succession to the throne of Bhojpur, Mughal governor of Bihar used this opportunity to completely annex Bhojpur and was succeeded and Bhojpur came under the direct administration of Mughal dominion. [3]

However, Raja Sujan Singh, a brother of Raja Mandhata Singh succeeded in getting back 1/3 of his territory and also Jagdishpur, the capital of the erstwhile Kingdom of Bhojpur. He was succeeded by Raja Udwant Singh.

A son of Raja Sujan Singh, Raja Horil Singh established a separate independent principality and declared himself as the separate ruler of Dumraon. The Mughals returned their half of territories but this return of territory came at a cost, they were reduced to the status of minor feudal rulers. Also, the division of territory between family members caused the final downfall of Bhojpur. [3]

1857 rebellion

During the rule of Kunwar Singh, the estate took part in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. [4] [2] Kunwar Singh was motivated to rebel after having financial difficulties due to the high revenue demanded by the British authorities and family litigation. [5] The British also attempted to take over the management of the estate. [6]

As a result of this, Kunwar Singh (who was 80 at the time) decided to join the rebellion and was considered to be the leader of the rebellion in Bihar. [5] He was helped by his brother, Babu Amar Singh and his commander-in-chief, Hare Krishna Singh. After some initial success, Kunwar Singh and his forces were eventually driven out of Jagdishpur by the British. A year later, Kunwar Singh died and the rebellion was led by his brother who was eventually captured and hanged. [5] Because of these events, many consider Kunwar Singh to be one of the "greatest chiefs" of Jagdishpur. [7]

Rulers

From 1810 to 1947, the Jagdishpur estate was ruled by the following individuals [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zamindar</span> Indian hereditary aristocrat

A zamindar in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semi-autonomous feudal ruler of a zamindari. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals, and later the British began using it as a native synonym for "estate". The term means landowner in Persian. They were typically hereditary and held the right to collect tax on behalf of imperial courts or for military purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arrah</span> City in Bihar, India

Arrah is a city and a municipal corporation in Bhojpur district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is the headquarters of Bhojpur district, located near the confluence of the Ganges and Sone rivers, some 24 mi (39 km) from Danapur and 36 mi (58 km) from Patna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dumraon</span> Town in Bihar, India

Dumraon is a town, near Buxar city and nagar parishad corresponding community development block in Buxar district in the Indian state of Bihar. Historically, it was the capital of the Dumraon Raj.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhojpur district, India</span> District of Bihar in India

Bhojpur district is one of the 38 districts of the Indian state of Bihar. Arrah city is the administrative headquarters of this district. Bhojpur district came into existence in 1972. Earlier it was the part of Shahabad district. This district is named "Bhojpur" after great Parmara King Bhoja as most early settlers were Rajput rulers of Parmara dynasty then called as Ujjainiya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kunwar Singh</span> Leader of the Indian rebellion of 1857

Kunwar Singh, also known as Babu Kunwar Singh was a chief organiser of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 from the Bhojpur region of Bihar. He was originally the ruler of Jagdishpur estate. He led a selected band of armed soldiers against the troops under the command of the British East India Company.

Babu Amar Singh was a revolutionary in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the brother of Kunwar Singh, the ruler of Jagdishpur principality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonbarsa Raj</span> Zamindari estate

The Sonbarsa Raj was a medieval chieftaincy and later a zamindari (estate) during British Raj in modern-day Bihar, in erstwhile Bhagalpur district. It was controlled by the Gandhavariya Rajputs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jagdishpur</span> Nagar panchayat in Bihar, India

Jagdishpur is a nagar panchayat town of the district Bhojpur of the state of Bihar in eastern India. It was the capital of the eponymous Jagdishpur Raj ruled by Rajputs of the Ujjainiya clan. One of its rulers, Kunwar Singh, was a major figure in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, considered the leader of the rebellion in Bihar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ujjainiya</span> Rajput Clan

The Ujjainiya or Ujjainia is a clan of Rajputs mainly found in Bihar and Purvanchal. They are an off-shoot of Paramara dynasty of Malwa. The Ujjainiya dynasty historically ruled over the parts of Bhojpuri region during the medieval era. They were mainly rulers and aristocrats holding major power of the region.

Rajputs in Bihar are members of the Rajput community living in the eastern Indian state of Bihar. They traditionally formed part of the feudal elite in Bihari society. Rajputs were pressed with the Zamindari abolition and Bhoodan movement in post-independence India; along with other Forward Castes, they lost their significant position in Bihar's agrarian society, leading to the rise of Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

Hare Krishna Singh (1826-1858) was the commander-in-chief of Kunwar Singh's forces in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and also served under his brother Babu Amar Singh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kharagpur Raj</span>

Kharagpur Raj was a prominent chieftaincy, founded in the early 16th century in Bihar situated mainly in modern-day Munger district. They were notable for being one of the few chieftaincies in Bihar to convert to Islam and many of the rulers became firm allies of the Mughal authorities. At its peak, the Kharagpur Raj encompassed parts of the modern-day districts of Munger, Bhagalpur, Jamui, Lakhisarai, Godda and Deoghar. Due to its size, the Privy Council compared it with the Kingdom of Sardinia.

The Chero dynasty or Chyavana dynasty was a polity that ruled the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, corresponding to the present-day Indian states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand, after the fall of the Pala Empire; their rule lasted from the 16th century CE to the starting of the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dumraon Raj</span> Princely state

The Dumraon Raj was a feudal principality in the Bhojpur region ruled by the Ujjainiya dynasty. The principality was founded when Raja Horil Singh founded a separate capital for himself in the town of Dumraon. The name Dumraon Raj came from its capital town.

Deo Raj, was a zamindari (estate) situated in what is now Aurangabad district of Bihar. The Deo Raj family were notable for being the protectors of Deo Sun shrine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gidhaur chieftaincy</span>

The Gidhaur Chieftaincy was a principality which controlled parts of South Bihar for much of the medieval period in India. The chieftaincy was named after the town of Gidhaur in Jamui district but its territory extended into the wider region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhojpur Kadim</span> Village in Bihar, India

Bhojpur Kadim is a historic village in Dumraon block of Buxar district, Bihar, India. As of 2011, its population was 18,243, in 3,024 households. Together with the neighboring Bhojpur Jadid, it lends its name to the surrounding Bhojpuri region.

Kunwar Dhir Singh was an Ujjainya Parmar Rajput chieftain and rebel who fought against the Mughal Empire in Bihar during the 17th century. He was the son of Bikram Shahi of Piru pargana in Bhojpur district.

Raja Gajpati Ujjainia, also known as Raja Gajpati Sahi was a ruler of Bhojpur belonging to the Ujjainiya dynasty.

References

  1. Usha Jha (2003). Land, Labour, and Power: Agrarian Crisis and the State in Bihar (1937–1952). Aakar Books. pp. 50–. ISBN   978-81-87879-07-7.
  2. 1 2 Anand A. Yang (1 February 1999). Bazaar India: Markets, Society, and the Colonial State in Bihar. University of California Press. pp. 145–147. ISBN   978-0-520-91996-9. Archived from the original on 14 April 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  3. 1 2 Sanjay Garg (30 August 2018). Studies in Indo-Muslim History by S.H. Hodivala Volume II: A Critical Commentary on Elliot and Dowson's History of India as Told by Its Own Historians (Vols. V–VIII) & Yule and Burnell's Hobson-Jobson. Taylor & Francis. pp. 423–424. ISBN   978-0-429-75777-8. Archived from the original on 14 April 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  4. Jeffrey Witsoe (5 November 2013). Democracy against Development: Lower-Caste Politics and Political Modernity in Postcolonial India. University of Chicago Press. pp. 172–. ISBN   978-0-226-06350-8. Archived from the original on 14 April 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 S. Purushottam Kumar (1983). "Kunwar Singh's Failure in 1857". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 44: 360–369. JSTOR   44139859.
  6. Mia Carter; Barbara Harlow (31 December 2003). Archives of Empire: Volume 2. The Scramble for Africa. Duke University Press. pp. 401–402. ISBN   0-8223-3164-0. Archived from the original on 14 April 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  7. Tahir Hussain Ansari (20 June 2019). Mughal Administration and the Zamindars of Bihar. Taylor & Francis. pp. 135–140. ISBN   978-1-00-065152-2.
  8. Datta, K.K (1957). Biography of Kunwar and Amar Singh. K. P. Jayaswal Institute. pp.  7–12. Retrieved 25 April 2019.