PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY:
Second
largest Zamindari in Bengal after Burdwan based on Revune, it was
founded in about 1723, by a
grant from
Murshi
Quli Khan of Bengal to the elder son of Kamdev Rai, a tehsildar
of the Puthia
Raj Family. Both of his sons expanded the territories to found the Raj
family
of Rajshahi (Rajshahi’s Royal Family). The family seat was at Natore
Palace. The East Bengal State Acquisition and Tenancy Act
of 1950 was drafted on 31 March 1948 following Independence from the
British Monarchy of 15th August 1947, and subsequent partition into the
Union of India and the Dominion of Pakistan. The bill passed on 16th
May 1951, thereby abolishing all Zamindari families' rights, rule and
responsibilities. The family then left the area and relocated to the
Union of India (West Bengal) after the Democratic Government annexed
the land, palaces and temples. The Natore Palaces are a protected site
and the museum is maintained by the Dept. of Archaeology, Govt of
Bangladesh. Estate holders were....
- Kamdev Rai, a tehsildar of Baraihati in
Pargana
Lashkarpur,
under Puthia raj family, he was the founder of the Zamindari family of
Rajshahi,
he was a strict disciplinarian in every aspect of his administration;
married
and had issue, three sons.
- Raja Raghunandan (qv)
- Raja Ramjivan (qv)
- Kumar Bishnuram
- Raja RAGHUNANDAN,
Zamindar of Rajshahi 1723/1724, he was appointed Wakil of the Puthia
Raj
family in Jahangir Nagar (Dhaka, the then capital of erstwhile Bengal),
he
sided with Nawab Murshid Quli Khan, in his battle with Mughal Prince
Azim us-shan, the Governor of Bengal, for which he was rewarded with
various land grants, including almost the whole of the region known as
Bhaturia and Bhusna (the town of Natore itself was in Bhusna) as well
as gaining the confidence of the Nawab. He
died sp in 1724.
- Raja RAMJIVAN,
Zamindar of Rajshahi 1724/1730, he expanded the Raj with the help of
his Diwan, Dayaram Roy of Dighapatia as new awards took the borders of
the zamindari to Dhaka on the east and
Jessore in the south, making it the largest zamindari in Bengal in
terms of territory; he had adoptive issue. He
died unmarried in 1730.
- Raja RAMKANTA,
Zamindar of Rajshahi 1730/1748, born 1712, he was inexperienced in
zamindari administration,
and neglected his business affairs, spending most of his time in
religious
activities; married Rani Bhabani
(see
below), born 1716,
died 1795, and had issue, as well as an adoptive son and
successor.
He died 1748.
- Kumari Tara Devi
- (A) Raja Ramkrishna (qv)
- Rani Bhabani,
Zamindarani of Rajshahi 1748/1789, born 1716
into a
respectable
Brahmin family of Bogra, daughter of Atmaram Chowdhury, she succeeded
her
husband,
Raja Ramkanta in 1748, as the dejure zamindarani of Rajshahi, which she
managed efficiently and effectively for over four decades, maintaining
cordial relationships with the Nawabs of Bengal. She gave large portion
of her zamindari to the Brahmins as Lakhiraj (rent free lands)
for
their maintenance and other charitable activities. She established
about
380 shrines, guesthouses etc, built many temples in different parts of
the country and endowed money and lands. She constructed a major road
that
runs from Natore to Bhawanipur in Bogra and is still called Rani
Bhabanir
Jangal. Numerous tanks and sarais were built with her
money.
She was a great patron of Hindu learning and enabled the spread of
education; married 1stly, Raja Ramkanta, Zamindar of Rajshahi (see
above), married 2ndly, Maharaja Krishnachandra Ray of Nadia, the
patriarch of the Krishnanagar Royal Family, and had issue (see Nadia).
She died at Baranagar in 1795.
- Raja RAMKRISHNA ROY,
Zamindar of Rajshahi 1789/-, born 1748, he lost most of the territories
between 1793 and 1800 due to the Sunset Law passed by the British
authorities; married and had
issue.
- Raja BISHWANATH ROY,
Zamindar of Rajshahi 1798/-, born 1780, in his tenure, the estates and
territories
were reduced significantly by the 1800's, said to have been granted a
political pension by the British government in 1806.
- Raja ANANDANATH ROY
Bahadur C.S.I.,
Zamindar of Rajshahi -/1866, married and had issue. He died
1866.
- Raja Chandranath Roy Bahadur (qv)
- Kumar Jogindranath Roy, died after 1891.
- Raja CHANDRANATH ROY
Bahadur,
Zamindar of Rajshahi 1866/-
- Raja GOBINDANATH ROY
Bahadur, Zamindar of Rajshahi, married and had adoptive issue.
- (A) Maharaja
Jagadindranath Roy Bahadur (qv)
- Maharaja JAGADINDRA NATH
ROY Bahadur, Zamindar of Rajshahi, a great Patron of Cricket,
making the first ever all Bengali Cricket Team in the British Raj, he
was indispute with Rani Hemanta Kumari Devi of Puthia regarding
territories in Pukhuria (#1); Member of
Rangapur Sahitya Parisad; he was granted the title of Maharaja as a
personal distinction on 1st Janaury 1877,
- Raja YOGINDRA NATH ROY
Bahadur,
Zamindar of Rajshahi; Chairman of the Rajshahi Public
Library Committee
1942/1943.
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