Manikganj Raj

Last updated

Manikganj Raj was a prominent zamindar estate and royal family of Bengal, centred in present-day Manikganj District. The estate was held by the Basu family, who were also the ruling family of the Hatkhola Raj of North Calcutta. The rulers of Manikganj Raj bore the hereditary title of Maharaja , which was conferred by the Nawab of Bengal during the late Mughal period. [1]

History

Manikganj was historically associated with the Baliati Zamindari and the royal family of Raja Manik Ram Basu. The region of Manikganj derived its name from Raja Manik Ram Basu, one of the most influential zamindars of eighteenth-century Bengal.

The Basu family rose to prominence as landholders under the Mughal administration of Bengal and later received the title of Maharaja from the Nawabi government in recognition of their administrative authority and revenue contributions. The family maintained extensive estates across eastern Bengal, including Manikganj, while establishing their principal seat at Hatkhola in Calcutta. [2]

By the late eighteenth century, Manikganj Raj had emerged as one of the notable aristocratic houses of the region, exercising social, economic, and cultural influence comparable to other contemporary zamindari families of Bengal. [3]

Hatkhola royal family

Raja Manik Ram Basu was a leading member of the Hatkhola royal family of North Calcutta and is frequently described in historical and biographical sources as one of its principal rulers. [4] Through inheritance and family arrangements, the Manikganj estate became closely linked with Hatkhola, and the two are often referred to together in genealogical records. [5]

Seal of Hatkhola Raj Hatkhola Royal Family Emblem.png
Seal of Hatkhola Raj

Manik Ram Basu’s grand-daughter, Princess Kailash Kamini Basu, was married to Peary Charan Sarkar, a noted educationist and social reformer of nineteenth-century Bengal. [6]

List of rulers

Expanded royal Zamindari lineage of royal Basu family
Monarch nameReign periodConsort nameRegion
Maharaja Ishwar Ram Basu [7] c. 1745–c. 1765 Rani Soudamini DeviManikganj,

Dhaka

Maharaja Darpanarayan Basu [8] c. 1765–c. 1770 Rani Priyamvada DeviManikganj,

Barisal

Maharaja Manik Ram Basu [9] [10] c. 1770–c. 1785 Rani Indumati DeviManikganj,

Hatkhola

Jessore

Maharaja Ram Hari Basu [11] c. 1785–c. 1789 Rani Satyavati DeviManikganj

Hatkhola

Maharaja Shib Narayan Basu [10] c. 1789–c. 1797 Rani Kamalini DeviManikganj

Hatkhola

Abolition

Following the enactment of the Abolition of zamindari laws in the mid-twentieth century, Manikganj Raj ceased to exist as a landed estate, and its properties were absorbed into the state administration. [12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Mitra, Radharaman (1952). Kolikata - Darpan Parba 1. p. 275.
  2. ↑ Sircar, Mahendranath (1914). Life of Peary Churn Sircar, a Recast. pp. 19, 25.
  3. ↑ Chatterjee, Anjali (1967). Bengal in the Reign of Aurangzib, 1658-1707. Progressive Publishers. pp. 75, 85, 86, 88. ISBN   978-0-8426-1193-0.
  4. ↑ Sircar, Mahendranath (1914). Life of Peary Churn Sircar, a Recast. pp. 19, 25.
  5. ↑ Dutt, Haradhan (1978). Sekālera śikshāguru (in Bengali). Tuli-kalama. pp. 58, 60.
  6. ↑ BeeZone (2019-07-03). Sailendra Sircar Centenary. pp. 18, 24.
  7. ↑ Bose, Ramesh (1847). The Legacy of Maharaja Ishwar Ram Basu: A Historical Analysis. Calcutta: Eastern Heritage Press.
  8. ↑ Chatterjee, Sourav (1853). "Darpanarayan Basu and the Bengal Aristocracy: Political and Social Influence". Dhaka Historical Review. 7 (2): 115–132.
  9. ↑ Dutt, Haradhan (1978). Sekālora śikshāguru (in Bengali). Tuli-Kalama.
  10. 1 2 Sircar, Mahendranath (1914). Life of Peary Churn Sircar, a Recast.
  11. ↑ Mitra, Rādhāramaṇa (1980). Kalikātā-darpaṇa (in Bengali). Subarṇarekhā. ISBN   978-81-86263-48-8.
  12. ↑ Department, Indian National Congress All India Congress Committee Economic and Politica Information (1946). Abolition of Zamindari. Oudh Publishing House. pp. 8, 10, 40.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.