Krishna Kanta Nandi

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Krishna Kanta Nandi, also known as Kanta Babu, [1] was a banian/commercial agent to Warren Hastings and Sir Francis Sykes, 1st Baronet; and made a fortune working for the East India Company and trading silk. [2] [3] He is the founder of the Cossimbazar Raj based in Cossimbazar. [4] [5]

Contents

Early life

Nandi was born in about 1700 in Cossimbazar in Tilli family from Burdwan District. [6]

Career

Nandi was a trader who traded in cotton, salt, and silk. [7] Nandi met Warren Hastings in 1750 when they were supposedly of the same age. [8] He saved Hastings life when he was imprisoned by the Nawab of Bengal Siraj ud-Daulah by helping him escape prison. [9] From 1754 to 1756, he served as a banian to Warren Hastings. [6] He had loaned money to Hastings and had a good relationship with him. [8] After Hastings left India, Nadi was hired by Francis Sykes on Hastings's recommendation. [6]

Nandi acquired Pargana Baharbund. [7] Nandi, and other revenue agents of East India company, such as Akrur Dutta, Baranashi Ghosh, Ganga Govind Singh, Gokul Ghoshal, Hidaram Banerjee, Manshur Mukherjee, and Nabakrishna Deb, made a significant fortune working for the company. [10] [11] While Gokul Ghosh went after properties in sparsely populated areas Nandi preferred densely populated areas such as Murshidbad. [12]

Nandi expanded further through buying estates under the Permanent Settlement in Bengal. [7] He had acquired properties across northern and western Bengal. [13] Hastings seized the estate of Rani Bhabani and handed it over to Nandi. [14] He built the Kasimbazer Rajbari which had marbles from Baneras. [15] The marbles were gained by Hastings in his expedition against Maharaja Chait Singh in which Nandi accompanied him. [15] Maharaja Nandakumar had bought allegations of corruption against Hastings and Nandi. [16]

Death

Nandi died in 1794/1804 (dates differ) and was succeeded by his son, Loknath Nandi who later received the title of Maharaja from the Nawab of Murshidabad. [7] [6] The book Life and times of Cantoo Baboo (Krishna Kanta Nandy), the banian of Warren Hastings was written about his life in 1804. [17]

See also

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