Rarh Rāḍha | |
|---|---|
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 Map showing the area of Rarh | |
  Rarh Location in India | |
| Coordinates:23°15′N87°04′E / 23.25°N 87.07°E /23.25; 87.07 | |
| Country |  India |
| Region | East India |
| Government | |
| • Body | Government of West Bengal,Government of Jharkhand |
| Language | |
| • Dialect | Rarhi dialect |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Bengali |
| • Other languages | Santhali,Kudmali |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Vehicle registration | WB-11,WB-12,WB-14,WB-15,WB-16,WB-18,WB-29, WB-30,WB-31,WB-32,WB-33,WB-34,WB-36,WB-37,WB-38,WB-39,WB-40,WB-41,WB-42,WB-44,WB-53,WB-54,WB-55,WB-56,WB-57,WB-WB-58,WB-67, WB-68[citation needed] |
| Major Cities | Asansol,Durgapur,Bardhaman,Bankura,Howrah,Nabadwip |
| Civic agency | Government of West Bengal |
Rarh region (Bengali pronunciation:[raːɽʱ]) is atoponym for an area in theIndian subcontinent that lies between theChota Nagpur Plateau on the West and theGanges Delta on the East. Although the boundaries of the region have been defined differently according to various sources throughout history, it is mainly coextensive with the state ofWest Bengal, also comprising parts of the state ofJharkhand in India. The region is also referred to asRarh,Rāḍha, orRada's, representing the south-western parts ofBengal (South-West Bengal).[1][2]
The Rarh region historically has been known by many different names and has hosted numerous settlements throughout history. One theory identifies it with the powerfulGangaridai nation mentioned in the ancientGreco-Roman accounts. TheNaihati copper plate inscription of KingBallal Sen names it as the ancestral settlement of theSena dynasty.
Rāḍha (Sanskrit),Lāḍ[h]a (Prakrit) and Lala are the ancient names of the Rarh region.[3][4] Other variations of the name that appear in the ancientJain literature include Rarha, Lara, and Rara.[5] TheSri Lankan Buddhist chronicles such asDipavamsa andMahavamsa state that the legendaryPrince Vijaya came from a region called Lāla, which is identified with Rāḍha by several scholars.[6]
In a 1972 thesis, the researcher Amalendu Mitra traced the origin of the word Rarh to "lāṛ", theSantali word forsnake. This theory was also endorsed by his mentor Panchanan Mandal. However, German IndologistRahul Peter Das notes that this is highly unlikely: the Santali word "lāṛ" actually meansstring orfibre, and is sometimes used for "snake" or "twig".[7] Das further points out that the word "lāṛ" may itself be anIndo-Aryanloanword in Santali.[7]
"Gangaridai", the name of an ancient Bengalipeople in Greek literature, is sometimes believed to be a Greek corruption of "Ganga-Rāḍha". However, according toD. C. Sircar, the word is simply the plural form of "Gangarid" (which is derived from the base "Ganga"), and means "Ganga (Ganges) people".[8]
Many aspect of Rarh are found in these books entitle as 'Subarnarekha hoite Mayurakshi[9] andRarher Mantrayan[10] authored byManiklal Sinha. Rarher Mantrayan[10][11] contains the ancient manuscripts of tantra and mantra, raveling various villages, and mixing with 'Mantrayanis' in Rarh. Whereas,Subarnarekha hoite Mayurakshi[9] is based on the tribal lifestyle, introducing various tribes, their festivals, clothing's, culture of Hazaribag, Singbhum, Manbhum, Dhalbhum Shikarbhum, Santal Pargana and Bankura that are situated in the basin of the river Subarnarekha. The author also discussed about the landscape of those laces and the influence of Buddhism on the tribal religion.
The Rarh region lies between theChota Nagpur Plateau on the west[12] and the chief flow of theGanges river (which has been continuously changing) in the east.[3] The Rarh plains comprise the lower Gangetic plains to the south of the Ganges, and to the west of its Bhagirathi-Hooghly distributary.[13][14] These plains are formed of oldalluvial deposits. The elevation ranges between 75 and 150 m.[15]
Low-levelPleistocene-eralateriticbadlands (locally calledkhoai) are common in the region.[16] Several of these small hillocks were formed as a result of subaerial erosions and other tectonic movements. The highest of these areBiharinath (440 m) andSusunia (440 m). Biharinath contains sedimentary rocks of Gondwana system. Susunia contains gneissic and schistose rocks of Archean age, and also felspathic quartzite at its top.[15]
The major rivers in the region includeDamodar,Ajay,Mayurakshi,Dwarakeswar,Shilabati (Shilai), andKangsabati River (Kasai).[17][18] All these rivers originate fromChota Nagpur Plateau and flows towards east or south-east finally to meet theRiver Hooghly. The riverSubarnarekha flows through some parts of the region in theMidnapur district.[19] In the past, the floods of Damodar, called the "Sorrow of Bengal", often resulted in heavy losses to life and property. After the formation of theDamodar Valley Corporation in 1948, the flood hazard in the Rarh plain has been reduced through the construction of heavy embankments and other sophisticated engineering structures.[citation needed]
West Rarh's Bagri river is a fertile, low-lying alluvial tract. Rice, jute, legumes, oilseeds, wheat, barley, and mangoes are the chief crops in the east; extensive mulberry cultivation is carried out in the west.[12]
Rarh has severalmoist deciduous forests ofShorea robusta (sal),Magnolia champaca (champak) andAcacia.[17]
According to Rupendra Kr Chattopadhyay, the historical Rarh region cover parts of the following districts, divided into northern and southern Rarh by the Damodar river:[5]
P. R. Sarkar defines the Rarh region as follows:[20]
The earliest reference to Rāḍhajanapada (as "Ladha") is found in theJain textAcharangasutra. The text states that the 6th century BCE spiritual leaderMahavira traveled inVajjabhumi andSubbhabhumi, which were located in the Ladha country. It mentions that the region was "pathless and lawless" during this time, and the local people treated Mahavira harshly.[5]
One theory identifies Rarh with the powerfulGangaridai people described in the ancient Greek literature.[21] The Greek writerDiodorus Siculus mentions that the Ganges river formed the eastern boundary of the Gangaridai. Based on his statement and the identification of Ganges withBhāgirathi-Hooghly (a westerndistributary of Ganges), Gangaridai can be identified with the Rarh region. However, other writers such asPlutarch,Curtius andSolinus, suggest that Gangaridai was located on the eastern banks of the Gangaridai river.[21] Moreover,Pliny states that the Gangaridai occupied the entire region about the mouths of the Ganges.[22] This suggests that the Gangaridai territory included the larger coastal region of present-day West Bangal and Bangladesh, from the Bhāgirathi-Hooghly River in the west to the Padma River in the east.[22]
The legendary Sri Lankan chroniclesMahavamsa andDipavamsa mention thatPrince Vijaya, the founder of their nation, came fromSimhapura city in the "Lala" country. This Lala is identified with Rāḍha.[5]
The earliest epigraphic evidence to Rāḍha probably appears in an inscription fromMathura. This inscription states that a Jain monk from the "Rara" country erected a Jain image. AKhajuraho inscription mentions that theChandela ruler imprisoned the wives of the rulers of various kingdoms, which included Rāḍha.[5]
The 12th centuryNaihati copper-plate inscription of the Sena ruler Vallalasena mentions Rāḍha as the ancestral place of his dynasty.[5]
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Various ancient and medieval region offer clues about the location and historical extent of the Rarh region. The Bhuvaneshvara inscription of Bhatta Bhavadeva, a 12th-century minister, describes Rāḍha as "a waterless, dry and woody region". This description suits the western part of Bengal. The 16th centuryDigvijayaprakasha suggests that Rāḍha was located to the north of theDamodar River, and to the south of theGauda region.[5] The 13th century chronicleTabaqat-i Nasiri byMinhaj-i-Siraj defines Rāḍh (Rāḍha) as the section lying to the west of theHoogly-Bhagirathi River.[23]
According to Rupendra K Chattopadhyaya ofBanglapedia, Rāḍha "probably included a large part of the modern Indian state of West Bengal".[5] According to historian André Wink, the Rāḍha division of the Pala-Sena era corresponds roughly to the modernBardhaman district.[24]
The 9th–10th century literature and inscriptions and literature mention two divisions of Rāḍha: northern (Uttara) and southern (Dakṣiṇa). Rupendra K Chattopadhyaya (inBanglapedia) believes that these roughly correspond to theSubbhabhumi andVajjabhumi mentioned in the ancient Jain literature.[5] The 17th century scholarNilakanatha mentionsSuhma as a synonym of Rāḍha. However, as Subbhabhumi is a corruption of Suhma, it appears that Suhma referred to only a part of the ancient Rāḍha region.[25]
A 6th century CE inscription of the Chola king Devendravarman is the earliest inscription to mention Uttara Rāḍha. The 12th century Belava copper inscription of Bhojavarman states that Bhatta Bhavadeva was born in the Siddhala village (modern Siddhalagram) of Uttara Rāḍha. The 12th centuryNaihati inscription ofVallalasena also mentions a village named Vallahittaha in the Uttara-Rāḍhamandala (administrative unit). It suggests that Uttara Rāḍha was a part of the Vardhamanbhukti (province). However, the inscription of Vallalasena's successorLakshmanasena states that this region was a part of the Kankagrambhukti.[5]
Based on these records, Rupendra K Chattopadhyaya believes that the Uttara Rāḍha included the western parts of the modernMurshidabad district, the entireBirbhum district, some parts of theSantal Parganas district, and the northern part of theKatwa subdivision of theBardhaman district.[5]
The archaeological sites located in the historical Uttara Rāḍha region include Rajbadidanga, Gitagram, Paikor, Batikar,Bahiri, Kagas, Kotasur, and Vallala-rajar-dhibi (Ballal Dhipi).[5]
Dakṣina Rāḍha appears as a distinct unit in several inscriptions, including the 10th century Gaonri inscription ofVakpati Munja, the 10th centuryNyayakandali of Sridhara-acharya, the 11th centuryPrabodha-Chandrodaya by Krishna Mishra, the 13th century Amareshvara temple inscription ofMandhata, and the 16th centuryChandimangal by Mukundarama. The 11th century CETirumalai inscription ofRajendra Chola I also mentions "Ladam" (Uttara Rāḍha) and "Takkana-Ladam" (Dakṣina Rāḍha) as two distinct units.[5]
Rupendra K Chattopadhyaya theorizes that the Dakṣiṇa Rāḍha covered a large of part of West Bengal lying between theAjay andDamodar rivers. This includes large parts of the laterBardhaman,Howrah, andHughli, and Burdwan districts. The southern boundary of Dakṣiṇa Rāḍha may have extended to theRupnarayan River, and its western boundary extended beyond the Damodar river into the present-dayArambag subdivision.[5]
The archaeological sites that formed part of Dakṣina Rāḍha include:Mahanad, Betur,Saptagram, Garh Mandaran, Bharatpur,Mangalkot, and possiblyDihar and Puskarana.[5]
Rarh presented human society the first philosopher MaharishiKapila who was born near Jahlda. MaharishiPatanjali who systematised yoga was born in Patun village in Burdwan. Kashiram Das from Siddhi village in Burdwan made theMahabharata in lucid language accessible to the people andKrittibas Ojha did the same with theRamayana. 15th century Indian saint and social reformerChaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the chief proponent of vedantic philosophy ofAchintya Bheda Abheda andGaudiya Vaishnavism, was born in Nabadwip village ofNadia district. Others were born in Rarh or were by lineage from Rarh such as: Lochandas Thakur, Vrindavandas Thakur, Govindadas Thakur, Dvaja Chandidas, Dina Chandidas,Boru Chandidas, Ghanaram Chakravorty, Kavikankan Mukundaram Chakravorty,Bharatchandra Ray,Premendra Mitra, Sangeetacharya Kshetramohan Goswami,Sharatchandra,Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, the poetJaydev, Nobel laureateRabindranath Tagore, Sangeetacharya Rajendranath Karmakar,Anil Kumar Gain,Michael Madhusudan Dutta,Kazi Nazrul Islam, Satyen Dutta,Rajshekhar Basu (Parashuram), legendary mathematician Shubhankar Das, Kashana, Jayanta Panigrahi,Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar,Satyendranath Bose,Rashbehari Bose,Prafulla Chandra Roy,Subhas Chandra Bose,Ramakrishna Paramahamsa,Swami Vivekananda,Shri Aurobindo,Raja Rammohan Roy,Kaliprasanna Singha,Ramprasad Sen,Keshab Chandra Sen,Akshay Kumar Datta,Devendranath Tagore,Dwarakanath Tagore, Thakur Shri Nityananda,Abanindranath Tagore,Gaganendranath Tagore,Batukeswar Dutt, Thakur Krshnadas Kaviraj, Yamini Ray,Maniklal Sinha,[9][10][11]Kaberi Gain,Ramkinkar Baij,Kalidasa,Kshudiram Bose, andSatyajeet Ray.[20]