Rani Bhabani

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Rani Bhabani
Reign1748 - 1803
PredecessorRaja Ramkanta Moitra
SuccessorRaja Ramkrisna
British India
SpouseRaja Ramkanta Moitra
FatherAtmaram Choudhury
ReligionHinduism
Char Bangla Temple in Baranagar, Murshidabad built by Rani Bhabani

Rani Bhabani (

Burdwan. After the death of her husband, Rani Bhabani of Natore Rajbari
, expanded both the estate and the palace.

Biography

Born in 1716 in a

public utilities and supporting the needy.[6]

After becoming the zamindar, she recognised the need for a strong army to protect her state from the Nawab of Bengal Siraj ud-Daulah, who had a reputation of debauchery, and began to reform and reorganise her army. Her fears came true, and soon the Nawab sent a messenger demanding her daughter Tara to satisfy his lust. When Rani Bhabani refused, the angry Nawab sent an army to abduct Tara, depose the Rani and loot the treasury. The Rani, herself leading her army, routed the nawab's army and drove it out of her territories. The people of Natore also joined the Rani's army in the fight against the Nawab.[2][1]

Rani Bhabani's house in Natore remains a major tourist attraction in Bangladesh to date.

Rani Bhabani died in 1803, at the age of 79, 46 years after the Battle of Plassey.[2]

Contributions and works

Rani Bhabani became a household name among the common people due to her philanthropy and general generosity, combined with an austere personal life. The number of temples, guesthouses and roads she constructed across Bengal is believed to be in the hundreds. She also built numerous water tanks, alleviating the acute water problem of her subjects. She built a road from Howrah to Varanasi, which is still in use today.[6] She was also interested in the spread of education and donated generously to many educational institutes.[4]

She tried to bring social reform by introducing widow remarriage in society but was unsuccessful. During the Great Bengal famine of 1770, she helped the poor by hiring eight vaidyas to help the people at her own expense.[2]

In Baranagar, from 1753 to 1760, she commissioned the building of 108 terracotta Shiva temples, with the aim of turning the place into a second Varanasi. Many of the temples are lost due to the changing course of the river. Among the surviving temples are the Char Bangla Temples.[7]

She also made great contributions in

Tara) & Hindu saint Bamakhepa. The Durga Kund Mandir in Varanasi was constructed by Rani Bhabani.[8]

During the era of Rani Bhabani, she made some great contributions for the development and renovation of

shakti-peeth which is located at Sherpur Upazila of Bogra District
.

In popular culture

'Rani Bhabani', a 1952 film directed by B.Ratan Chatterjee.[10]

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 9789394899940
    .
  2. ^ a b c d Manmatha Nath Dutt (1893). Gleanings from Indian Classics Volume 2. G.C. Chackravarti at the Deva Press.
  3. ^ "250-year-old temple in Bengal village faces wrath of a river, administration sleeps". Hindustan Times.
  4. ^ a b c Mahmood, ABM (2012). "Rani Bhabani". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  5. ^ বাংলাদেশ, Daily Bangladesh :: ডেইলি. "'Natorer Rani' Bhabani". Daily Bangladesh. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  6. ^
    ISBN 9780810880245
    .
  7. ^ Dey, Monidipa (5 September 2019). "West Bengal's unique terracotta temples: Devotion moulded in clay". Financial Express. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  8. ^ Roychowdhury, Adrija (16 December 2021). "Explained: Salar Masud-Raja Suhaldev battle and other historical episodes that PM Modi spoke about in Kashi". Indian Express. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  9. ^ Togawa, Masahiko (2012). "Sakta-pitha". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  10. ISBN 9781135943257
    .
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