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| Jhargram Raj ঝাড়গ্রাম রাজ | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zamindari ofBritish India | |||||||||
| 1592–1952 | |||||||||
 Coat of arms | |||||||||
| Area | |||||||||
• 1922 | 655 km2 (253 sq mi) | ||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
• 1922 | 71,350 | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Established | 1592 | ||||||||
| 1952 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | Jhargram,West Bengal, India | ||||||||
Jhargram Raj was azamindari (feudatory kingdom) which occupied a position inBengal region (present-dayWest Bengal, India) ofBritish India. The zamindari came into being during the later part of the 16th century whenMan Singh ofAmer was theDewan/Subahdar of Bengal (1594–1606). Their territory was centered around present-dayJhargram district. Jhargram was never an independent territory since the chiefs of the family held it basically as thezamindars of the British Raj in India after Lord Cornwallis's Permanent Settlement of 1793. Although its owners were both rich and powerful, with the chiefs of the family holding the title of Raja, the Jhargram estate was not defined as aPrincely State with freedom to decide its future course of action at the time of Indian independence in 1947.[1] Later, the Vice-Roy of India agreed to recognize Jhargram as "Princely State" after theSecond World War, but the proposal taken back as the British had decided to give independence to India.[2][self-published source?]
Jhargram Raj was founded around 1592 AD by Sarveshwar Singh who along with his elder brother were Generals underMan Singh ofAmer and came to conquer Bengal when Emperor Akbar granted Subehdari of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa to Raja Man Singh. He defeated and vanquished the localMal tribal kings who were ruling the region known as Junglekhand, even today in order to commemorate this victory, every year an idol of Mal Raja is made and slain onVijayadashami day. As a reward, Raja Man Singh, grantedmansabdari of the entire region of Junglekhand to his victorious generals Sarveshwar Singh and his elder brother, under suzerainty and subordination as a tributary vassal state to the Mughal Emperor Akbar. He named his capital Jhargram which means a village surrounded by deep forests, hence the rulers of Jhargram assumed the title “Malla Deb”.[3][better source needed]
The royal family wereZamindars of Jhargram under theBritish government rule, they were politically powerful and financially wealthy. The Zamindar was conferred with the title ofRaja and was appointed to the Legislative Council of Bengal. The Zamindari ruled their dominions and estates fromJhargram Palace in present-dayWest Bengal, they had 8sardars under the system and one Sub Zamindar ofBeliaberah.
The period 1922–1950 was considered as the golden era for Jhargram Raj, with Rai Bahadur Debendra Mohan Bhattacharya as theDewan, Jhargram developed into a township, and many educational institutions were established. TheJhargram Kumud Kumari Institution was founded in 1924. In 1925, an annual sports fund was created to encourage athletic activities and to construct a football stadium and the Jhargram Club. Raja Bahadur established Jhargram Agricultural College, which was later renamedJhargram Raj College, as well as Vidyasagar Polytechnic for industrial training. He provided funds to set up Sri Ramkrishna Saradapeeth Girls High School and Bharat Sevashram Sangha. In 1931, he commissioned a new palace on 23 acres of land; it is a prominent example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. During World War II, he constructedDudhkundi Airfield for the United States Air Force and provided the Allied forces with elephants, vehicles, and other help.[4][self-published source?]
The last and the 16th king RajaNarasingha Malla Deb reigned from 1916 until his royal powers were abolished by an amendment to theConstitution of India in 1954. After losing his royal title, he served for two terms as a member of the Legislative Council ofBengal. He also served in theLok Sabha,[5] thelower house of the Indian Parliament.
The royal family was known for working to rehabilitate refugees after thepartition of India. After India gained its independence, they owned a business in Kolkata and large real estate properties in Kolkata, Midnapore, andDigha. Narsingha's son Yuvraj Birendra Bijoy got involved in politics and was a two-time member of the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal fromJhargram's Vidhan Sabha constituency, representing theIndian National Congress. His son Shivendra Bijoy Malla Deb—Narasingha Malla Deb's grandson—is a social worker and politician associated with theAll India Trinamool Congress, and the chairman of the municipality of Jhargram.[6] They currently reside inJhargram Palace and have converted about 15 rooms on the ground floor into a Heritage Hotel run by them.[7]
