Raikat
The Raikut family was a princely family that controlled large estates in
Origins: Koch Bihar
The Raikat family is a collateral branch of Koch dynasty which took control of the Kamata Kingdom in 1515. The family founder was Sisya Singha (earlier known as Sisu), brother of Biswa Singha who established the Koch dynasty. Sisya Singha held the umbrella during Biswa Singha's coronation and was made the Raikat (lit: chieftain of the fortress) and commander-in-chief of the Koch army.[1] He was given the region called Vaikunthapur (present-day Jalpaiguri district) as appanage. He established his seat at Siliaguri or Silikhaguri (modern-day Siliguri).[2]
The seat of the Raikat family was shifted to the present site in Jalpaiguri city by Jayanto Deb Raikat, who ruled during the years 1793–1800. The big pond which exits today near the palace was excavated at the time of Sarva Dev, who ruled from 1800 to 1847.
Baikunthopur Estate was not included in any Sarkar of Muslim division of the country. Although some accounts say that it transferred its allegiance to them and agreed to pay a nominal tribute. This is said to have signed in 1682 at the time of Svja Khan. After the Battle of Plassey, the Dewani of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha came under East India Company in 1765. This estate was then temporarily included in the Dewani, placed under Rangpur District and received the benefit of permanent settlement.
The Rajas of Baikunthoupur paid tributes to the Maharaja of Cooch-Behar. In 1621, Mahi Dev Raikat, the Raikat of Vaikunthapur signified his independence by refusing to hold the umbrella over the Cooch-Behar Raja at the coronation of Birnarayan, and also refused to pay the annual tribute. Even after that, the Rajas of Baikunthopur, Bhuj Dev Raikat and Jagat Deb Raikat helped the Maharajas of Cooch-Behar in 1680, to drive out the Bhutias who attacked Cooch-Behar. But from 1687 onwards, the Rajas of Vaikunthapur and the Muslims repeatedly attacked Cooch-Behar. Satyanarayan (according to some "Santanarayan"), the then-Dewan of Cooch-Behar, defeated both of them and forced the
On the death of Maharajah Madan Narayan of Koch Bihar in 1680, with no immediate successor, Koch Bihar was attacked by the Bhutan army. The Raikats of Baikunthapur sent troops and helped force the
During the minority rule of Mahendra Narayan, Koch Bihar was unsettled. The lords of southern regions rejected Bihari rule, in place of direct tribute to the Mughal rulers as zamindars (landlords) of their territories. They accepted the authority of – and paid taxes to – Ibrahim Khan (ruler of
The Faujdar of Rangpur, representing the Nawab of Bengal Shuja-ud-din (1727–1739), pressured the Raikats to accept the suzerainty of the Nawab, sometime between 1736 and 1739. However, the Faujdar had to invade the territory in 1756 to enforce the claim. As late as 1772, the Raikats were paying only Rs. 10,000 tribute, instead of the Rs. 30,651 agreed in 1763.[4]
Baikunthopur Estate
The Baikunthopur Estate was established by Siswa Singh, after defeating the King of Bhutan and Gour in 1522, covering an area of 328 square miles (850 km2). His capital was at first built in today's Bodaganj in the thick forests near the Teesta river and in the Rajganj Block of Jalpaiguri district. It was shifted to the present site Jalpaiguri in the open plains by the thirteenth Raikat, Darpadev (1713–1726), in a sign of growing confidence.
The large pond near the palace was excavated at the time of Sarva Dev (1800–1847).
British acquisition
After the
In 1773, Darpa Dev Raikat, the Raja of Baikunthopur, with the help of some bandits from Morang hills (
At two in the afternoon I made a second march and took possession in the name of Honorable company of Jellpyegaurie, the fortress and Capital of Baikunthopur country, which the Rajas in the height of his consternation evacuated.
In 1789, a large body of
The independent Baikunthopur Estate ended with Darpa Dev Raikut, the 12th ruler, in 1774, after the reign of 230 years. The zamindari was abolished in 1955, after 180 years under the Bengal Estate Acquisition Act of 1954.[7]
Later history
In 1800, Sarva Dev Raikut, the 14th ruler after Shiva Singha, succeeded his father, Jayanto Dev. His title was disputed by his uncle Protap Dev Raikut, on the grounds that by family usages, a brother succeeded a brother in preference to the surviving sons. The case was brought up before the provincial (British) court in Murhidabad, but it was decided in favour of Sarva Dev Raikut (Surrup Deo).
In 1839, the British government in India complained to Bhutan that the Raikat of Baikunthopur had taken possession of the western Duars, and the Bhutan government had not responded. When Bhutan refused to offer compensation, on 6 September 1841, the British governor Auckland unilaterally ordered the occupation of Assam Duars, paying 10,000 rupees annually to Bhutan, in compensation.[citation needed]
Jalpaiguri district was formed on 1 January 1869, with Baikunthopur, western Duars (the portion of land between the river Tista and Sankosh) and the five Chaklas: (1) Patgram, (2) Devigunj, (3) Boda, (4) Pachaghar, and (5) Titalla within the zamindari of Cooch-Behar. Under the Radcliffe award of the partition of this district in 1947, these five Chaklas were transferred to East Pakistan. The present Jalpaiguri District consists of the old Baikunthopur Estate and the western Duars.
Disputes over inheritance
Sarva Dev Raikut died in 1847 (according to Milligan). He left seven sons. Dogra dev Raikut was the eldest, but he could not inherit as he was stated to be the son of a
After the death of Jogendra Dev Raikut, in March 1878, the 18th ruler of the dynasty, a succession case went up to the provincial (Privy) council of England, between Fanindra Dev Raikut, youngest son of Sarva Dev Raikat, and Rajeswar Das (Jagadindra Dev Raikut), minor adopted son and half-brother of Rani Jagadeswari, one of the three wives of late Jogendra Dev Raikat. Fanindra was popularly called "Bhola Saheb" Rajeswar Das (Jagindra Dev Raikut) and was actually a minor adopted son and half-brother of Rani Jagedeswari. However, the Privy council decided in favour of Fanindra Dev Raikut, and held that the adoption was invalid.
Raja Prasanna Dev Raikut, the last Raja of Baikunthopur in Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, died intestate on 4 December 1946.[8] He had four wives: Hirannaprava Devi, Rani Ashrumati Devi, Rani Runchi Devi, and Rani Deela Devi. Rani Deela Devi and Rani Runchi Devi belonged to the Lepcha tribe.
Rupendra alleged that the Raja had married her according to the Gandharba form. The suit was contested by Rani Asrumati and the agnatic relations who denied that there had been any marriage between the Raja and the mother of the respondent Rupendra. The suit was transferred to the High Court at
After a long prosecution, the
Calcutta life
Hirrannaprova Devi, the first wif of Raja Prasanna Dev Raikut was not interested in the matter of the estate of the Jalpaiguri property. In Calcutta, Raja settled, so Hironnaprava along with his four sons, Satendra kumar, Birendra kumar, Sourendra kumar and Dhirendra kumar, came to Calcutta in the late 1920s.
Family customs and rituals
The Raikuts claimed themselves as Hindu kshatriya though they are actually the descendants of the Mech and Koch tribes from the Kamrup region in Assam. Therefore, they had observed all the rites as Hindus in every aspect of lives without dismantling their tribal connections. The Raikut rajas were great devotees of Lord Shiva, Durga and Manasa, prime Hindu deities. They observed the Durga Puja and Manasa-puja with the same overwhelming pomp. The mela held in the premises of Rajbari in the time of Manasa-puja is one of the famous celebration of the District from past few hundred years till now-a-days. It is generally held on the last day of Bengali month Shraban, i.e., middle of the month of July. Thousands of small craftsmen, artists, vendors came here to trade their articles in this course of time from all over the districts. Previously, the Mela lasts for a long joyous fortnight, but now-a-days it has cut short for only seven days. On the first day of Mela, it has been a declared local holiday for all the offices, schools and colleges of Jalpaiguri.
Gallery
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Raja Prasanna Dev Raikat and Rani Deela Devi in Darjeeling.
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Raja Prasanna Dev Raikat.
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Raja Prasanna Dev Raikat with family.
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Raja Prasanna Dev Raikat after the hunt.
Notes
- ^ "In the coronation ceremony, the raikot, also known as chatradhari raja, one holding the royal umbrella for the king, played a more important role than brahmins (Nath 1989: 29-32)." (Shin 2021:33)
- ^ Bhattacharya (1977, p. 791)
- ^ Cooch Behar: Royal History : Book of Facts and Events, Chapter 2, pp. 9–11.
- ISBN 978-0-7007-1408-7.
- ^ Telegraph of India, 23 September 2002: Royal home gasps for glory
- ^
Transformations on the Bengal Frontier: Jalpaiguri, 1765–1948,
by Subhajyoti Ray (p.30), 2002, ISBN 978-0-7007-1408-7.
- ^ COOCH BEHAR (Princely State): Genealogy (see first main diagonal) Archived 23 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ PRATIVA BOSE versus KUMAR RUPENDRA DEB RAIKAT & ORS
References
- Bhattacharya, P K (1977). "A Surya Image Inscription from Rajganj". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 38: 790–792. JSTOR 44139149.
- Shin, Jae-Eun (2021). "Sword and Words: A Conflict Between Kings and Brahmins in the Bengal Frontier, Kāmatāpur 15th–16th Centuries". Journal of the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums. 3. Government of West Bengal: 21–36.