Shumbhoo Chunder Dey

“ At this time Bansberia was a small insignificant village with a sparse population, consisting mostly, of the dregs and scum of society. It was largely covered with thick jungles in which the denizens of the forest held their solitary sway. ”

“ This fact is alone sufficient to show that Jadab who made light of the frowns of royalty must have been a man of considerable importance. Indeed, he belonged to the class of land holders who possessed a large share of influence in Bengal. They were, as it were, the barons of the land, and the king could not make or unmake them at his will and pleasure. They had a position which even the sovereign power could not ignore. They were almost above the law and wielded very great powers in their little estates. ”

“ Raghab reclaimed the jungles, and, in the place of the savages of the wood whom he had killed or cast out, settled human beings of different orders by making them grants of rent-free lands and helping them in various other ways. Thus, what was a little obscure village, partly tenanted by savage beasts and partly by equally savage men, became in a few short years something like a town with a large sprinkling of peaceful citizens of all castes and creeds. ”

“ The Bhagirathi gradually encroached upon the spot and at last swallowed up the princely mansion with all its belongings, thereby converting the place into a deep whirling pool of water which is known as the Patuli Daha. Dwarka Nath's grandson, Sahasraksha [2] , was a very pious and kindhearted landholder. He ingratiated himself into the favour of the mighty Mogul Emperor, Akbar, who by a Firman or Sanad dated in the year 980 Bengal era, corresponding to 1573 A. D., formally declared him "Zamindar". ”

“ Sreemanta having lost his only son during his life-time, gave away his estate to his son-in-law, Hariram Ghose a Kulin Kayastha. Thus, Hariram became a very influential man, and lived in a rich style. He had two sons, of whom Sukhdeb succeeded to his property. The son became more famous than the father, and obtained from the ruling power the proud title of 'Raja.' Thus, the Dinajpur Raj dates from him. ”

“ It so happened that Lakshmikanta, the only son of the Guru, had been for some time passing his days incognito, unknown to the father, and as it was very probable that he might be travelling or toiling somewhere in the East, the wise old man, whose heart was still lit with the lambent love of kith and kin, earnestly directed Man Sing to find out, if he could, the whereabouts of his beloved child. ”

“ As you have promoted the great interest of Government in getting possession [3] of Parganas and making assessments thereof, and as you have performed with care whatever services were entrusted to you, you are entitled to reward. The Khelat of Punj Percha (five cloths i.e. dresses of honor) and the title of "Rajah Mahasai" are therefore given to you in recognition thereof, to be inherited by the eldest children of your family, generation after generation, without being objected to by any one [4] . ”

“ Patuli, though a small village, is very beautifully situated. It stands on the right bank of the Bhagirathi, and is also within hail of the Ajai which joins the former at Katwa. Patuli was also the original seat of the well-known Gossain family of Serampore in the district of Hooghly. Here Dwarka Nath, built a palatial residence worthy of the renowned family which he represented. The Patuli palace lasted for several generations after which it fell a prey to the ravages of the river. ”

“ Udaya not only raised the social status of his family, he also considerably added to its estate. This he managed to do through the favour of Raja Man Sing who was a great favourite of Emperor Akbar. When that valiant Rajput who was the commander-in-chief of the Mogul forces was coming with a large body of followers to Bengal, he on his way stopped for sometime at Beneras with a view to paying his regards to his Guru (spiritual guide) Jiya (Jiva) [2] who was residing at that sacred city. ”

“ But man proposes, God disposes. It had, however, been ordained by the Great Disposer that the family should not cease altogether, so that in spite of the cruel resolve and strenuous efforts [5] of Ballal Sen to the contrary, it was saved from the general massacre and it is very gratifying to observe that the parent tree still exists with all its noble branches and offshoots. One of the sons of Jadab was Maheswar, and though he himself could not escape from the horrible carnage, wonderful to say, his delicate wife who was big with child, saved her life by flight. ”

“ Exodus to Patuli and rise to the rank of ‘Zamindar.’
On Keshav's death his son, Dwarka Nath, succeeded to his estates and became the head of the family. By this time the Moslem rule had spread far and wide and the Hindus were harassed in every possible way. The Mahomedan Governor of Muxadavad ruled the district with a rigour in which fanaticism formed an important element so that Dwarka Nath found it absolutely necessary to leave his jurisdiction in order to avoid cruel religious persecution. ”

“ In due time this helpless lady gave birth to a fine little son, who, in view of his miraculous deliverance was given the queer name of Ubaru. It does not appear where the daring mother had fled to, but there could be no doubt that it was an insignificant place, considerably remote from the royal seat. Poor Ubaru grew up in obscurity, and, as he was a friendless young man, could not do much to improve the condition in which he had been placed. He lived and died an ordinary mortal, leaving a son named Kulapati. ”

“ At any rate, we know of no instance in which their mutual good feelings were disturbed, Jayananda departed this world probably in the third decade of the seventeenth century. So did his friend, Bhabananda of Nadia.
↑ Udaya's full title was Sabhapati Rai. And truly did he shed lustre on the Samaj of Patuli, for, as the Ghattack Karika has it:—
“পাটুলীতে দত্ত উদয় সভা শোভা করে।”
↑ Jiya (Jiva) renounced the world and led the life of an ascetic. He had a brother named Sheo (Shiva) who was a householder. ”

“ He lived and died like an ordinary mortal, without doing anything which might attract notice or extort praise. Indeed, for five generations together the family did not produce any man of note until we come to Jadab Dutt. This remarkable character flourished in the time when Raja Ballal Sen was on the throne of Bengal. It is somewhat curious that this king ascended the throne in the very year in which William of Normandy having defeated and slain Harold took possession of the English throne. ”

“ Sanad of the Hereditary Title of Rajah Mahasai granted
to Rameswar Rai by Aurangzeb in 1673 A.D. By another Sanad of the same year he was granted 401 bighas of rent-free lands for his residence [5] and the Zamindari right of the following twelve Parganas, [6] namely Kalikata, (Calcutta) Dharsa, Amirpur, Balanda, Khalore, Manpur, Sultanpore, Hathiagarh, Medamulla, Kujpore, Kaunia and Magura. At the time we are speaking of, a reign of terror had begun in this part of Bengal, owing to the repeated incursions of the Marhattas or Burgees as they were called in common parlance. ”

“ Indeed, the net profits after paying the Government revenue in respect of that single Pargana were sufficient to entitle a man to be called a big Zamindar. Thus, Raghab had become one of the greatest men and was deservedly held in high esteem by the neighbouring Zamindars. He lived like a prince and died full of years and honours.
↑ Of these Parganas Arsha, Boro, Jehanabad, Khosalpore, Buxbunder, Mozzaferpore, Hathikanda, Selimpur, and Paonan, are in Hooghly; Mamdanipur, Shahapur, Raipur Kotwali, Shahanagore, Havilishahar, Paikan and Amirabad in 24-Parganas ”

“ Rameswar brought several families of Brahman, Kshetrya, Kayastha, Baidya and other castes and settled them in the new town, which he divided into different paras or sections, each section being assigned to persons belonging to one particular caste and calling. ”

“ Like his father, he died unnoticed and unknown. But what distinguishes his case from that of his father, Ubaru, is that he left a large progeny, consisting of nine children. Of these sons, the eldest, Kabi Dutt, was the ablest and most important. Fortune again smiled upon the family, and this worthy descendant of Devaditya rose sufficiently high. ”

“ He got a high appointment under the Mahomedan Governor of Bengal and acquired considerable property in the district of Dinajpur. Along with this rise in material condition, his social rank was heightened by his being honoured with the title of Thacoor Mahashai. He died, leaving a son, named Sreemanta, who, like him, was a high official in the service of the Provincial Governor. Sreemanta flourished towards the end of the fifteenth century when the seat of Government was at Rajmahal. ”

“ Vide Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 1902, p. 45. ↑ In accordance with this Sanad, the British Government has exempted the lands for the residence of the Rajah from payment of rent since 1st September 1870 under clause 7 (a) of Section 2, Chapter XXIII of the existing rules of the Board. ↑ Of the Parganas, Amirpur, Balanda, Manpur, Hathiagarh, Medamulla, (now called Maidamal) and Magura are in 24 Parganas; Kalikata and Sultanpore in Nadia, and Dharsa in Hooghly. The rest are not identifiable. Balanda is famous for its mats which are so largely used by the common people. ”