The Bansberia Raj/Chapter V

by Shumbhoo Chunder Dey

CHAPTER V.

Rajah Rameswar Rai Mahasai.

Raghab Rai Chaudhuri left two sons, Rameswar and Basudeb. These two brothers were in the best of terms and, as a matter of fact, lived very happily for sometime. But at last, a change came over their minds and they thought of dividing their property. They did not, however, go to law, but came to an amicable arrangement in which the right of the elder, as has been the custom in this family, was duly recognised, he in consideration of priority of birth getting two-thirds and the younger^[1] one-third only. Shortly after partition of the family property in the manner as stated above, Rameswar removed with his family to Bansberia which he made his permanent dwelling house, paying only random visits to the old palace at Patuli. Thus the latter place dwindled down into insignificance while the former rose to considerable importance. 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. Along with the Hindus some Mahomedans were also brought in and were allotted lands in the western portion of the town. These Pathans served as guards and soldiers to the House. Their descendants still live there, though considerably reduced in numbers. The northern portion was assigned to the Baidyas and what are collectively called the Nabasaks; while the eastern and the southern portion were divided among three hundred and sixty families of Brahman and a goodly number of Kshetrya and Kayastha families.

Rameswar also directed his attention to the very important subject of education. He founded several tols or Sanscrit schools and placed them under charge of learned Pundits who were brought in mostly from Benares. In these schools were taught the Darsanas or branches of Hindu learning viz: Darsan par excellence or philosophy, Nyaya or logic, Sahitya or pure literature, Alankara or rhetoric, Smriti or law and Sruti or the Vedas. Of the Pundits so brought down, the most eminent was Ramsharan Tarkabagish of Benares, the Athens of India, who was, therefore, appointed by Rameswar as his Sabha (court) Pundit. Ramsharan held this high office till his death after which it has been all along held by his descendants from generation to generation who look upon it with pride^[2]. Rameswar was a loyal subject of the Great Mogul and had always the welfare of Government at heart. Having found that some persons were wrongfully enjoying the profits of certain Parganas without paying anything to Government, he with the knowledge and consent of the Provincial ruler took prompt steps against them and having succeeded in ousting them from these estares, took possession thereof on behalf of the powers that be. This good service being brought to the notice of the ruling Emperor, Aurangzeb, otherwise called Shah Alumgir, who though a stern bigot in matters of religion, was never backward in rewarding merit, wherever it was found, justly thought that such a well-wisher of Government richly deserved special favour at his hands, and he, accordingly by a Sanad dated in the year 1673 A. D., conferred upon him the rare title of "Rajah Mahasai" together with Punj-Percha Khelat or dress of honor made up of five pieces, which title was not a mere personal distinction, but was made hereditary in the family descendible to the eldest branch thereof.

The Sanad, evidencing the bestowal of the above title, is a very important piece of document and its importance is greatly enhanced when it is considered that it emanated from a sovereign who was a confirmed hater of Hindus and who left no stone unturned to demolish their faith. It is in Persian and bears the Imperial Seal. An English translation thereof which has been certified to be correct by a good Persian scholar, Mr. Henry Beveridge late of the Indian Civil Service, is given below:—

Togra in Arabic.

Togra in Arabic.

Togra in Arabic.

Seal of the Emperor.

TO

RAJAH RAMESWAR RAI MAHASAI

Pargana Arsha, Sarkar Satgaon.

(Government of Satgaon.)

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]. 10 Safar, 1090 Hijri.

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. Locust-like they came in numbers and plundered everything they could lay their hands upon^[7]. Like many other places Bansberia and its neighbourhood suffered much from their cruel devastating raids. Their very name struck terror into the hearts of the residents and was used in the nursery to frighten little children to sleep. The name of the Lion-hearted Richard was not more dreaded in Constantinople during the Crusades than that of the Burgees in Bengal towards the end of the seventeenth century and the first part of the eighteenth. Rajah Rameswar, in order to secure himself and his property against the ravages of the Marhatta marauders at a great cost caused a deep and wide ditch or moat to be dug around his extensive dwelling house, with the grounds adjoining it. It covers nearly a mile in circumference. The royal residence being thus moated, it has since been known as the Gurbati^[8] (a range of buildings encompassed by a ditch). Curiously enough the Rajbati with the lands attached thereto, considerably resemble the lists made by the old Athenian king, Theseus, for the purpose of a grand tournament. As the poet says,

"The whole circumference, a mile long;
The form was circular, and all without
A trench was sunk to moat the place about"^[9]

The stately residence was not only surrounded by a trench, it was also defended by a fort which was built in such a way as to secure a strong strategic position. The fort^[10] was garrisoned by a goodly number of soldiers, who were armed with swords, shields, pikes, muskets, bows and arrows, and was mounted with several pieces of artillery. The sides of the moat were raised to a great height, and brambles and prickly shrubs were planted on them so as to impede the progress of the turbulent raiders. The Rajbati thus became an asylum for the neighbouring

The Vishnu Temple

The Vishnu Temple, Bansberia.

Blocks kindly lent by the
Calcutta Historcal Society

villagers to resort to in times of danger. When the Marhatta horsemen, spreading ruin and desolation in their way, came near Tribeni, the people would flee thither for safety and protection.

Rajah Rameswar was an excellent type of an othodox Hindu of olden times. He had deep reverence for all the gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon, but the Deity that held possession of his heart in especial was Vishnu, otherwise styled Basudeb. To this paragon of beauty among the gods, he dedicated a splendid temple in 1601 Shak era (1679 A. D.), which as a piece of architecture stands almost unrivalled in Bengal. The building is a striking proof of the wonders of the masonic art. The bricks all over the body of the shrine have been beautifully cut into figures of gods and goddesses, and the carving is really a marvel of the sculptor's art. A basalt slab attached to the terrace of the temple bears the following inscription in the old Bengali character:—

মহীব্যোমাঙ্গ শীতাংসু গণিতে শক বৎসরে^[11]।
শ্রীরামেশ্বর দত্তেন নির্ম্মমে বিষনুমন্দিরং॥

There is one thing very peculiar in this inscription. The founder who held a very high position in society makes no parade of his rank but contents himself with the original family designation of Dutt. This simple fact is a striking proof of Rameswar's having been a sincere devotee and not a mere braggart or what is still worse, a hypocrite. Indeed, though one of the greatest and richest men of his time, he knew not what pride was, and had far greater regard for truth and virtue than for titles and riches, thereby verifying the words of the prince of Scottish poets: —

The rank is but the guinea's stamp.
The man is the gawd^[12] for all that.

1. Basudeb had two sons, Monohar and Gangadhar, and who on their father's demise divided their property in the proportion of ten annas and six annas. Monohar removed to Sheoraphuli and founded the family of that name. Gangadhar having died childless, his six annas share was taken possession of by Durga Prosad, youngest son of Raj Chunder, son of Monohar, who removed to Bali and founded the family of that name. Thus the Sheoraphuli and the Bali families have come to be known as the ten-anna and six-anna Zamindars respectively.
2. The Bansberia Samaj thus formed by Rameswar appears to be the oldest and most famous in this part of the country. The Pundit Samaj at Bhatpara yields the palm to it, its founder, Narain Thakoor, having flourished much later.
3. In later times Sitaram Roy of Mahmudpur in the district of Jessore was given the title of "Raja" for some such act by the same Government. This valiant chief forms the subject of one of Bunkim Babu's novels.
4. The original Sanad was exhibited, at the annual meeting of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, held on 5th February, 1902, by its then President, the late Sir John Woodburn M.A. K.C.S.I., Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal. Vide Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 1902, p. 45.
5. 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.
6. 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. It contains the town of Harua, the burial place of Gora Chand, the legendary saint of the district. Hathiagarh, the most southerly Mahal of Sarkar Satgaon, is a large Pargana, extending from Diamond Harbour towards Sagar Island, and has a high value in legendary accounts. Bhagirath of the Solar Roll having led the way as far as Hathiagarh then declared that he could not show the rest of the way, whereupon mother Ganga, in order to make sure of reaching her destination, divided herself into a hundred mouths thus forming the Delta. One peculiarity of this Pargana is that betel-leaf does not grow in it. Medamulla south-east of Calcutta mostly belongs to the Chaudhuris of Baruipore. Magura lies to the south of Calcutta. Sultanpore lies east of Krishnagore, between the Ichamati and the Kapadah. Dharsa is on the right bank of the Hooghly, between Howrah and Serampore.
7. During Sivaji's life, all plunder was public property. It was brought at stated periods to his Durbar, when the man who had taken it was praised, rewarded or promoted.

   "Then lands were fairly portioned;
   Then spoils were fairly sold;
   The 'Burgees' were like brothers,
   In the brave days of old."

8. The word literally means 'the moated House'. The term 'Gur' also means a fort or fortress, but here it means a ditch or trench. At Benipore in the 24 Parganas, there is also a place surrounded by a trench called Gurbati, where Rajah Nrisinhadeb built a fine house, noted for its artistic workmanship.
9. See Dryden's Miscellaneous Works Vol. III. p. 39.
10. The fort is not in existence, only some vestiges thereof, remaining a little to the north of the old gateway.
11. The year is found in this way. মহী=1, ব্যোম=0, অঙ্গ=6, and শীতাংসু=চন্দ্র=1. Applying the well-known cannon of construction—অঙ্কস্য বামা গতি—figures move backwards—we get the year 1601 Shak, which corresponds to 1679 A. D.
12. This word means 'gold'.