| Pal পাল | |
|---|---|
| Parent house | Pala dynasty |
| Current region | Panchakhanda |
| Earlier spellings | Pala |
| Etymology | "Protector" (Sanskrit)[1] |
| Place of origin | Sylhet Division |
| Founded | 12th century |
| Founder | Kalidas Pal |
| Final ruler | Ramjivan Pal |
| Titles | |
| Estate(s) | Palbari,Beanibazar |
| Cadet branches | Chowdhurys of Bahadurpur |
ThePal family (Bengali:পাল বংশ; also speltPala) are aBengali aristocratic family who historically held lands in what is nowSylhet,Bangladesh.
| External images | |
|---|---|
 Front view of the Pal palace | |
| Side view The Pal palace (locally known as the "Palbari") is located near the municipal town of Beanibazar and is presently in a dilapidated condition.[2] |
Among the most ancient clans in their region, the Pals trace their descent from a branch of the imperialPala dynasty of Bengal, claimingMahipala I as their ancestor, though it is not possible to ascertain the accuracy of this. Their line became established in Sylhet by oneKumar Kalidas Pal in the 12th centuryCE. Kalidas, who may have migrated due to the disintegration of the Pala Empire, acquired land inPanchakhanda (in what is nowBeanibazar sub-district),[3] with the estate becoming hereditary among his descendants.[4][5] The Pals initially ruled their territory as feudal monarchs, styling themselves with the royal titleRaja.[4] Around the 13th century CE (7th centuryBS),[6] the Pal palace and the largedighi (reservoir) it sits beside were constructed by Kalidas's great-grandson, Varanasi Pal.[2][7] However, three generations later, during the reign of Ramjivan Pal, the kingdom lost its independence, coming under the suzerainty of theMuslim rulers of Bengal.[4][8]
In spite of this reduction in status, the family enjoyed considerable renown and success as private landowners. Under Pal governance, their territory (previously scarcely inhabited) was significantly developed and cultivated, allowing the migration of groups such as theMahimals (who were led by their twoSardars Raghai and Basai) into the area.[note 1] Successive members of the family became notable for their construction ofdighi as well as their religious contributions, both through support ofBrahmans as well as construction.[4] One younger son, Pratap Chandra Pal, converted toIslam under the name "Prachanda Khan" and established hisown separate territory, with his heirs becoming prominent landowners themselves; among his descendants are the Muslim Chowdhurys of Kala and Bahadurpur, also in Beanibazar.[9][10]
The general preeminence of the Pal line is displayed in a proverb recorded by the historianAchyut Charan Choudhury:[11]
পাল, প্রচণ্ড, জাংদার। এই তিন মিরাশদার।
Pal, Prôchôṇḍô, Jangdar.
Ei tin mirashdar
Translated, this means "Pal, Prachanda, Jangdar. These are the threemirashdars." Thus, making reference to the Pals, thedescendants of Prachanda Khan and the unrelatedJangdar clan, the proverb states that there were no othermirashdars[note 2] beyond these families in the locality.[11]
The influence of the Pals continued into theBritish era, withMunshi Hari Krishna Pal serving asDewan to theDistrict Collector of Sylhet. Krishnatay Dewanji, his younger brother, was the first individual in Sylhet to be awarded the titleRai Bahadur by the ruling government.[4][13] The latter's son, Krishna Kishore Pal Chowdhury, founded theBihani Bazar (Morning Market), from which the town of Beanibazar (now expanded into thesub-district) derives its name.[14]
Other subsequent family members include activists Surath Pal Chowdury, his wife Arpana Pal Chowdhury and her sister Ashita Pal Chowdhury, who were involved in theNankar Rebellion of 1949.[15] Among the Bahadurpur branch were Najmul Islam Chowdhury and Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, electedMLA's ofAssam Provincial Legislature in 1923 and 1937 respectively,[16][17] the brothersC. M. Shafi Sami (Bangladesh Foreign Secretary; 1999–2001) andAB Bank Chief Executive Officer C.M. Qais Sami,[18] andAbdul Mumit Chowdhury (Bangladesh Election Commissioner; 1978–1986).[19]Syed Mujtaba Ali and his brotherSyed Murtaza Ali, both writers, were maternal descendants of the family.[9]
