Raj Darbhanga
Raj Darbhanga | |||||||||
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1557 CE–1947 CE | |||||||||
Capital | Darbhanga | ||||||||
Common languages | Maithili, Sanskrit | ||||||||
Religion | Hinduism | ||||||||
Government |
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Historical era | Medieval India | ||||||||
• Established | 1557 CE | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 1947 CE | ||||||||
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Today part of | India and Nepal |
The Darbhanga Raj, also known as Raj Darbhanga and the Khandwala dynasty, was a Maithil Brahmin dynasty and the rulers of territories, not all contiguous, that were part of the Mithila region, now divided between India and Nepal.
The rulers of Raj Darbhanga were
At its peak, the dynasty encompassed over 4000 square miles (10,360 km2) and is described as the "largest and richest of the North Bihar zamindaris and one of the greatest zamindaris of
History
The Khandaval dynasty were
Formation
The area that now comprises the northern part of the Indian state of Bihar was under a state of lawlessness at the end of the
As per local tradition, Akbar summoned Rajpandit Chandrapati Thakur to Delhi and asked him to name one of his sons who could be made caretaker and tax collector for his lands in Mithila. Chandrapati Thakur named his middle son, Mahesh Thakur, whom Akbar then declared as the ruler of Mithila on the day of
In 1684, Aurangzeb issued a firman that had the effect of differentiating Raj Darbhanga from other estates of the region. The lands belonging to the Darbhanga family were theirs permanently and became private property rather than belonging to the empire. Raj Darbhanga from this point onwards was legally independent and no longer had to pay tribute to the Nawabs of Bengal.[1] In a report to the Patna Committee of review, Shitab Rai, the naib diwan of Bihar, admitted that the weak state of the empire had rendered many of the zamindars, including Raj Darbhanga, independent.[5] Henningham described the Raj Darbhanga as a "semi-independent chieftainship".[4]
Consolidation
The rulers of Darbganga in keeping with their elevated status, adopted the Kshatriya surname of Singh and also made use of force when it came to pursuing their interests. They defended their domains against raiders from Nepal and fought battles against local Rajput Rajas.[citation needed]
The Raj Darbhanga also made the Senas of Makwanpur in Nepal their subordinates with the Senas having to pay tribute to the Rajas of Darbhanga.[5]
The Raj Darbhanga used its military to help the Nawabs of Bengal in suppressing rebellions from Bettiah, the chieftains of the Terai and Banjaras although the Rajas of Darbhanga themselves still refused to pay taxes or tribute to the Nawabs.[6] In 1750, Alivardi Khan of Bengal sent a force against Narendra Singh of Darbhanga following his refusal to remit revenue however this force was defeated.[4]
The descendants of Mahesh Thakur gradually consolidated their power in social, agrarian, and political matters and came to be regarded as kings of
British period
For a period of twenty years (1860–1880), Darbhanga Raj was placed under the Court of Wards by the British Raj. During this period, Darbhanga Raj was involved in litigation regarding succession. This litigation decided that the estate was impartible and succession was to be governed by primogeniture.[citation needed] Zamindari estates in the region, including Darbhanga, sought intervention from the Court of Wards from time to time because the stewardship of the British authorities, who invested funds wisely, had a tendency to boost their economic position. The estate had in any event been badly run prior to this time: a complex system influenced by both nepotism and sycophancy had dramatically affected the family's rental income. The bureaucratic system introduced by the Court, whose appointed officials had no ties to the area, resolved the issue although, being focussed entirely on what was best for the owners, it did so without considering the consequences for the tenants.[7]
Towards the end of the 19th century, 47 percent of the cropped area of the Darbhanga estate was used for the cultivation of rice.[8] Three percent of total cultivation was given over to indigo at that time, making the estate one of the most important centres in the region for this crop prior to the introduction of chemical dyes.[9]
Demise
After the independence of India from British rule in 1947, the Government of India initiated several land reform actions and the Zamindari system was abolished. The fortunes of Darbhanga Raj dwindled.[citation needed]
The last ruler of Raj Darbhanga was Maharaja Bahadur Sir Kameshwar Singh. He died in 1962 without naming a successor.[1]
Controversy
The origin of the royal family of Darbhanga is traced to a grant of the Sarkar of Tirhut to Mahesh Thakur by Akbar. The supporters of the theory that Raj Darbhanga was a kingdom argue that it was held by privy council, that the rulership was a hereditary one with succession governed by primogeniture. The supporters argue that by the end of the 18th century, the Sarkar of Tirhut was practically an independent kingdom until the conquest of Bengal and Bihar by the British.[10][full citation needed] The Raj Darbhanga was also much larger when compared with many of the princely states in Western parts of India, many of whom only contained a population of 200 people. These princely states also lacked the magisterial powers that Raj Darbhanga had.[3] Its annual income of approximately 4 million rupees was also on par with many a princely state.[11]
The opponents of the theory argue that Raj Darbhanga was never a kingdom but rather a
According to Arvind, they were "robber barons", who curried favour from the British and kept trying to be accorded gun salutes and other privileges but it never materialised.[13]
Rulers
Rulers of Darbhanga included:
- Raja Narendra Singh (ruled 1740 to 1760) (died 1760). He died without issue but adopted Pratap Singh, great-great-grandson of Narayan Thakur, as his successor. He is noted for his Battle of Kandarpi Ghat which he fought to free Mithila from Mughal Bengal Subah's rule.[citation needed]
- Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh Bahadur (ruled 1860 to 1898) (born 25 September 1858, died 17 December 1898). He was a philanthropist. His statue (by Edward Onslow Ford) was installed in Calcutta in 1904 at Dalhousie Square as a tribute to him. Lakshmeshwar Singh was only two years old his father's death so Raj Darbhanga was placed under Ward of Court. He was the first Maharaja of Darbhanga to receive a western education, from a British tutor, Chester Macnaghten ( who was later the founding principal of the Rajkumar College, Rajkot ), and took over the reins of Raj Darbhanga on 25 September 1879 after attaining his majority.[citation needed] On 22 June 1897, he was advanced to the rank of Knight Grand Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire.[14]
- Maharaja Rameshwar Singh Bahadur (ruled 1898 to 1929) (born 16 January 1860, died 3 July 1929). He became Maharaja of Darbhanga after the death of his elder brother Lakshmeshwar Singh, who died without issue. He was appointed to the Indian Civil Service in 1878, serving as assistant magistrate successively at Darbhanga, Chhapra, and Bhagalpur. Maharaja died in July 1929, leaving behind two sons , Maharajkumar Kameshwar Singh and Maharajkumar Vishveshwar Singh[citation needed]
- Maharaja Kameshwar Singh Bahadur (ruled 1929 to the independence of India in 1947) (born 28 November 1907, died 8 November 1962). He was member of the Council of State 1933–1946, member of the Constituent Assembly 1947–1952, and the Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha-Upper House) 1952–1958 and 1960–1962.[citation needed]
Palaces
Darbhanga has several palaces that were built during the Darbhanga Raj era. They include
Darbhanga Raj also had several palaces in other towns in India, including the
Religion
The Maharajas of Darbhanga were devoted to Sanskrit traditions and were supporters of orthodox Hindu practices in both caste and religion. Shiva and Kali were the main deities of the royal family. Even though they were deeply religious, they were also secular in their outlook. The palace area in Darbhanga has three tombs of Muslim saints and a small mosque. The walls of fort at Darbhanga was designed to leave an area so that the mosque is not disturbed. The tomb of a Muslim saint is located next to Anandbagh Palace.[citation needed]
As part of their attempt to reintroduce old Hindu customs such as the study of Vedas and Vedic rites, the Maharaja reintroduced Samavedic study by inviting a few well-versed Samavedins from south India to teach there.[15]
Maharaja Rameshwar Singh established and was general president of Sri Bharat Dharma Mahamadal, a neo-conservative Hindu organisation that sought to make Hindu scriptures available to all castes and women. He was one of the main patrons of Agamanusandhana Samiti, an organisation with the objective of publishing Tantric texts in English and other languages.[16]
Music
Darbhanga became one of the prominent centres of
Raj Darbhanga supported Murad Ali Khan, one of the foremost sarod players of his time. Khan is credited with being the first person to use metal strings and metal fingerboard plates on his sarod, which has today become the standard.[18]
Raj Darbhanga had its own symphony orchestra and police band. There was a circular structure in front of Manokamna Temple, which was known as the bandstand. The band used to play music there in the evening. Today the floor of the bandstand is the only part still extant.[citation needed]
Public works
- Raj Darbhanga donated 52 bighas of land for the creation and use of the Muzaffarpur Judgeship.[19]
- Over 1,500 km (930 mi) of roads were constructed by the early part of the 19th century by Raj Darbhanga, of which over 300 km (190 mi) were metalled. This resulted in the expansion of trade as well as larger markets for agricultural produce in the region.[20][page needed]
- Kharagpur Lake, a large reservoir, was built on the Man river in Munger District.[21]
- Raj Darbhanga was a pioneer of cross-breeding cattle to improve milk production. A superior milking cow breed called Hansi was introduced by Raj Darbhanga. The cow was a cross between local cows and the Jersey breed.[22][full citation needed]
Sports
Raj Darbhanga promoted various sports activities. The polo ground in Laheriasarai was a major centre for polo in pre-independence times in Bihar. The winner of a major polo tournament in Calcutta is awarded the Darbhanga Cup.[23]
Raja Bishweshwar Singh was one of the founding members of the All India Football Federation, the prime governing body for football in India. Raja Bahadur, along with Rai Bahadur Jyoti Prasad Singh of Hariharpur Estate, were the Honorary Secretaries of the federation upon its inception in 1935.[24]
See also
- List of rulers of Mithila
- Zamindars of Bihar
- List of Brahmin dynasties and states
References
- ^ ISBN 978-1-35199-757-7. Archivedfrom the original on 11 May 2018.
- S2CID 143084073.
- ^ ISBN 9781139449083.
- ^ ISBN 9780195625592.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-00-065152-2.
- ^ Choudhary, Rabindra Nath (1987). "Political History of Khandavala Dynasty [sic] in Mithila, 1556-1793, Volume 1". p. 149. Archived from the original on 12 April 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
- ISBN 978-0-52005-711-1. Archivedfrom the original on 30 July 2017.
- ISBN 978-0-52005-711-1. Archivedfrom the original on 30 July 2017.
- ISBN 978-8-13171-688-5. Archivedfrom the original on 2 August 2017.
- ^ Jnanendra Nath Kumar – The Genealogical History of India
- ISBN 9780520211001.
- ^ Lakshmana Jha – Mithila: A Union Republic
- ISBN 978-0-14-012351-7.
- ^ "No. 26864". The London Gazette. 22 June 1897. p. 2.
- ^ "Michael Witzel" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2016.; accessed on 13 December 2007
- ^ Sir John Woodroffe, Tantra and Bengal: An Indian Soul in a European. Author: Kathleen Taylor. Page 212
- The Tribune, 26 May 2002.
- ^ Miner, Allyn (2004). Sitar and Sarod in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 144.
- ^ Court buildings & Residential accommodation Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Bazaar India". cdlib.org.
- ^ Sringrikh, Kharagpur Hills, Munger Archived 10 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine accessed on 3 December 2008
- ^ Handbook of Indian Agriculture. Author – Niya Gopal Mukerji at page 476
- ^ Sportal – Sports Portal – GOVERNMENT OF INDIA Archived 19 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "All India Football Federation". Archived from the original on 2 April 2007. Retrieved 18 April 2007. accessed on 18 May 2007
Further reading
- Henningham, Stephen (1983). "Bureaucracy and Control in India's Great Landed Estates: The Raj Darbhanga of Bihar, 1879-1950". Modern Asian Studies. 17 (1): 35–57. S2CID 144262953.