Former Princely States of Bihar and Zamindaris

RAJPUT PRINCELY STATES & ZAMINDARI ESTATES IN BIHAR

Before the Partition of India in 1947, hundreds (565) of Princely States, also called Native States, existed in India which were not fully and formally part of British India but enjoyed a British protectorate and indirect rule. These were the parts of the Indian subcontinent which had not been conquered or annexed by the British, often former vassals of the Mughal Patshah (Emperor).

Various Princely states , as they existed during the British raj prior to 1947 :-

DUMRAON (Shahabad Dist.)

Maharaja Bahadur KAMAL SINGH, 15th Maharaja of Dumraon since 13th November 1949 and were belong to Parmar dynasty. Horilshah founded this town, and so it was earlier known as Horilnagar. Horilshah was a descendant of “Raja Bhoj of Dhar” and came from Ujjain. As a princely state its boundaries were the rivers Ganges & Son and included part of Uttar Pradesh. Dumraon royal Palace belongs to Rajput Panwar (parmar) ujjaini Royal Rajputs in Bihar. Maharaja of Dumraon KAMAL SINGH established Maharaja Bahadur Ram Ran Vijay Prasad Singh College (now Maharaja College) at Arrah and donated land for educational institutions in Shahbad and Ballia in 1954; that same year the Maharani Usha Rani Girls School was founded at Raj Garh Dumraon by the Maharani Saheba, it was the first Girls School in the Area; he donated 15 acres of land to the Methodist Church for the T.B. Hospital, Pratap Sagar. Maharaja of Dumraon Kamal Singh was elected to Parliament in 1952 and again in 1957 from Buxar Lok Sabha Constituency.

Gidhaur

Gidhaur was one of Princely State among 568 princely states in India before the Partition of British India in 1947. Kings of Rajput Chandel descent ruled on erstwhile Patsanda for more than three centuries. Raja Malpurana founded this zamindari state in 1596. Patsanda was renamed Gidhaur by the name of railway station situated at 2 kilometer far from town and established by British. Minto Tower Situated in the middle of the main market in Gidhaur. Minto tower was built by Maharaja Ravaneshwar Prasad Singh ‘Bahadur’of Gidhaur to commemorate the visit of Lord Minto, the then Viceroy and Governor General of India, who visited Gidhaur on February 10, 1906. Maharaja of Gidhaur Pratap Singh was elected to Parliament in 1989 and again in 1991 on Janta Dal ticket from Banka Lok Sabha Constituency.

Saraikela

The Saraikela State was founded in 1620 by Raja Bikram Singha descendant of the rulers of Porahat, who claimed descent from the Rathore clan of Rajputs. Porahat or Singhbhum Kingdom was a part or feudatory of Ganga Vanshi, Surya Vanshi Gajapati rulers of Orissa.

Former Chief Minister of Orissa Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo was born to Raja Aditya Pratap Singh, the ruler of the princely state of Seraikela and Rani Padmini Kumari Devi. He was adopted by Maharaja Prithwiraj Singh Deo of Patna state. The last ruler of the Seraikela princely state was HH Raja Aditya Pratap Singh Deo. The Singh Deo royal family remains active in public life(political, cultural and religious)and act as guardians to the Ma Paudi temple located within the Royal residence, host the annual Chau Festival at the Seraikela Royal Palace. Despite their loss of formal title and privileges, they enjoy public support in the area..Notable members of the royal family who remain active in the public eye include Rajkumar Pratap Aditya Singh Deo, Rajkumar Juga Bhanu Singh Deo,Maharajkumar Jairaj Singh Deo and Rajkumar Rajvikram Singh Deo. Raja ADITYA PRATAP SINGH Deo, Raja of Seraikela ruled till the merger of the Princely States into the Indian Union, he signed the Instrument of Accession and the ‘Merger’ Agreements, elected M.L.A. (Bihar) in 1957 from Saraikela. Tikayat Nrupendra Narayan Singh Deo elected M.L.A. (Bihar) in 1962 from Saraikela.

Kharsawan

Kharsawan or Kharsuan was one of the Oriya speaking Princely states of India during the period of the British Raj, and was acceded to India after India gained independence. Earlier this area was a part of Orissa’s Kalinga-Utkala Empire of the Gajapati Kings.It is now a part of Jharkhand, India, and one of its districts is named Seraikela Kharsawan district. It had a privy purse of 33,000INR. Title of Raja was given to Kharswan Ruler in 1902 to Raja Ram Chandra Singh Deo.

Ramgarh

Ramgarh Rajwas a major Zamindari (baronial) estate in the era of the British Raj, in the former Indian province of Bihar. Major districts that came under the Ramgarh Raj were Hazaribagh, Koderma, and Bokaro. The entire area is rich in Minerals like coal and mica and falls under the Indian State of Jharkhand. Raja Bahadur Kamakhya Narain Singh of Ramgarh, Jharkhand entered politics in 1946 following the formal accession of the Ramgarh state into the Indian Republic. In the Bihar Assembly Elections of 1967, serious opposition was offered by the Raja Bahadur’s Swatantra Party to the ruling Congress government. Many of his family members became important political functionaries and legislators.

Raja Bahadur Kamakhya Narain Singh was the last ruling chief of the Ramgarh Raj. In 1945, he ceded control to the Indian government. Became Cabinet Minister in the government headed by Chief Minister of Bihar Sri Mahamaya Prasad Sinha. Five times elected to the Bihar Vidhan Sabha from Barkagaon in 1952, 1957 from Giridih, 1962 from Barhi, 1967 from Jalalpur& 1969 from Chatra.

Basant Narain Singh, younger brother of Raja Bahadur Kamakhya Narain Singh, became Cabinet minister in the government of Sri Mahamaya Prasad Sinha.Elected. , Four times elected to the Lok Sabha from Hazaribagh & Five times elected to the Bihar Vidhan Sabha from Ramgarh Cum Hazaribaghin 1952, 1957 Hazaribagh, 1967, 1969 & 1970 from Bagodar.

Rani Lalita Rajya Laxmi, married February 1936, Raja Bahadur Kamakhya Narain Singh , daughter of Supradipta Manyabara Lt.Gen. Maharajkumar Singha Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana of Nepal, and his wife, Maharani Rama Rajya Lakshmi Devi.Shewas elected to the Bihar Vidhan Sabha in 1977 from Barhi & Four times elected to the Lok Sabha from Hazaribagh, Dhanbad & Aurangabad.

Vijaya Raje, , married Basant Narain Singh, daughter of Lt. Col. HH Maharaja Shri Sir Udajirao II Puar Bahadur of Dhar. Three times elected to the Lok Sabha from Chatra.

Raja Bahadur Indra Jitendra Narain Singh Son ofRaja Bahadur Kamakhya Narain Singh &Rani Lalita Rajya Laxmi. Twice elected to the Bihar Vidhan Sabha from Barhi; married 11th May 1967, Maharani Rewa Kumari (now Rajmata of Ramgarh), daughter of Raja Dinesh Singh of Kalakankar, and his wife, Rani Neelima Kumari.

Raja Bahadur Saurabh Narain Singh assumed the position of head of the family in November 2008. M.L.A from Hazaribagh.

Icha

The Zamindar is a member of the Junior branch of the Seraikella Royal Family belong to Rathore dynasty and was founded by Kunwar Damodar Singh, second son of Raja Abhiram Singh of Seraikella, who was granted Icha Pir by way of ‘Kharposh’ in 1803. Icha was a part of Kuchung when Raja Abhiram Singh annexed the former Zamindari of Mayurbhanj. The title of ‘Pir-Pati-Dar’ was conferred on him with revenue powers.

DUMARIA

Shattru Mardan Shahi, Zamindar of Dumaria, a politician who shaped the politics of Bihar, lived lavishly like any other Zamindar or Maharaja in the Pre-Independence era. They belong to the Bisen dynasty. His interests were no less than the ones of any Maharaja at that time, particularly with his fondness for imported luxury cars. He was elected as a member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly in 1964 and became the Education minister of Bihar in 1969 after declining the post of Chief Minister and offering it to B.P. Mandal. He married Chandra Ketki Devi, the daughter of the Zamindar of Panchgachhiya in Saharsa Distt., who was one of the wealthiest landowners in Eastern India.

Ran Vijaya Shahi, Zamindar of Dumaria,followed his father into politics, served as an M.L.A for two terms from 1990-2000, retiring from politics thereafter, married 1957, Maharajkumari Roop Shri Devi, third daughter of HH Maharaja Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo of Patna. He died in October 2009.

RANKA

It belong to Gor dynasty(Surwar Rajput). Raja Goverdhan Prasad Singh, Raja Saheb of Ranka since 1970. Raja of Ranka donated land at Daltonganj to build the Giriwar High School and in Garhwa to build the Gobind High School; he also donated 111,101 acres of land to the Vinoba Bhaves Bhoodan Initiative; Kumar Gopinath Singh, M.L.A. from Garhwa and former Minister in Bihar & Kumar Girinath Singh, M.L.A. from Garhwa & became Minister in Jharkhand belongs to Ranka.

Kursela

Kursela was a Zamindari under British India. R. B. Raghubansh Prasad Singh was the last zamindaar of Kursela. Kursela had a young artist Sri Awadesh Kumar Singh, MP, son of the Zamindaar of Kursela and proprietor of the Kursela estate, R.B. Raghubansh Prasad Singh, whose paintings were exhibited at New Delhi under the tenure of Dr. S Radhakrishnan as the President. R.B. Raghubansh Prasad Singh was a great philanthropist, and administrator. He was the largest land donor in Vinobha Bhave’s “Bhudan movement”, wherein he donated 8,000 acres (32 km2) of land. He sponsored the opening of 2 schools and a hospital in Kursela. He also donated many houses and land to the congress party including “Kala Bhavan” in Purnea.

His younger son Sri Dinesh Kumar Singh was a Cabinet minister in the Bihar govt. for over 20 years and held portfolios including Health, Education, and Home. He died in 2005. His valuable contributions to the development of Bihar will not be forgotten by the people of Kursela.

CHAUGAIN in Bihar (Shahabad Dist.)

They were locally known as Ujjainya Rajputs because of the place of their origin, Ujjain and Belong to Parmar dynasty. Basant Singh born 1949, he represented Dumraon as member of the Legislative Assembly (M.L.A) from 1985 to 2000; he served as Minister for Building and Construction in the Government of Bihar.

Zamindaris of Bihar

The total number of estates in all districts of the province excluding Sambalpur, at the end of 1911-1912, was 101,622 while the total number of estates in all districts, including Sambalpur at the end of 1921-22, was 113,435.

Estates were classified into three classes:-

CLASS I – permanently settled estates, which includes, all estates so settled whether –

estates were settled from the date of the dicennial settlement

resumed revenue-free estates settled in perpetuity

estates formerly the property of Government, the proprietary right in which, has been sold to private persons, subject to a revenue fixed in perpetuity

estates once the property of Government, the proprietary right in which, has been sold to private persons, subject to a revenue liable to to periodical revision

CLASS II – temporarily settled estates, which includes –

those settled for periods with the proprietors

private estates leased to farmers for periods

Government estates leased to farmers for periods

CLASS III – estates held direct by Government, which includes –

those managed for proprietors

those owned by Government as proprietor

Various Zamindari estates :-

Amawan and Tekari Raj, one of the most renowned estates in Bihar. Raja Bahadur Harihar Prasad narayan singh constructed various temples around India. The present Raja Bahadur Raghvendra Prasad Naryan Singh, a fine example of the Raj era spends time between Patna and mussoorie.

Kashi Naresh

Bettiah Raj: The largest estate (area wise) in the province of Bihar. There were two-three other prominent estates which emerged out of Bettiah Raj at a later date. The most prominent ones are Sheohar Raj and Madhuban Raj, but all of them share the same ancestry. To get a complete picture of the family lineage of the Bettiah Raj and Sheohar Raj in particular, it is suggested to go through the book named ‘Shaktapramod’.

Sheohar Estate : Earlier a part of Sitamrih District, Sheohar is now a district in itself. The “Nandan Singhs” of Sheohar are now mainly residing in Patna/Muzaffarpur/Delhi

Tekari Raj

Ghosi Estate

Hathua Maharaj: in Saran District of Bihar, they are close kin of Deoria situated Tamukhi Raaj. Currently its Maharaja is Maharaja Bahadur Sri Mrighendra Pratap Sahi is an Industrialist.

Hardi Estate

Parihans Estate : situated in Gaya District

Tamkuhi Raaj : in Deoria District of EAST UP .One of the oldest hereditory rajas for more than 117 generations.

Babhangawaon Estate : It is situtaed at Deoghar District (Santhal Pargana) of Jharkhand. They are Chitpawan Brahmins migrated from Maharastra . They have a dominance over the area.

Dharhara Estate

Raja Raj Dhanwar : It is situated at Giridih District (North Chotanagpur) of Jharkhand. They are Chitpawan Brahmins migrated from Maharashtra . They are well reputed and big landlords.

Anapur estate: situated in Allahabad district.

Jogani Estate of Muzaffarpur– Jogani Estate is located at south of Muzaffarpur district.,

Former Princely States of Bihar

Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the third-largest state in India by Population, after Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. Bihar is bordered by Nepal to the north, the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh to the west, Jharkhand to the south, and West Bengal to the east. The state capital is Patna.

Bihar was ruled by a number of princely states before it became a part of British India. The most important of these states were Darbhanga, Gaya, and Patna.

Darbhanga was one of the largest princely states in India. It was ruled by the Maharaja of Darbhanga, who was a member of the Maithil Brahmin community. The state had a population of over 3 million people and a land area of over 10,000 square kilometers.

Gaya was another important princely state in Bihar. It was ruled by the Maharaja of Gaya, who was a member of the Rajput community. The state had a population of over 1 million people and a land area of over 5,000 square kilometers.

Patna was the third most important princely state in Bihar. It was ruled by the Nawab of Patna, who was a member of the Muslim community. The state had a population of over 500,000 people and a land area of over 2,000 square kilometers.

The princely states of Bihar were abolished in 1947, when India gained independence from British rule. The states were merged into the Indian Union and became part of the state of Bihar.

Zamindaris in Bihar

A zamindari was a system of land tenure in India under which a landlord, or zamindar, held land from the British East India Company and was responsible for collecting taxes from the peasants who lived on the land. The zamindari system was abolished in 1950, after India gained independence from British rule.

The zamindari system was introduced in India by the British East India Company in the 18th century. The company wanted to increase its revenue from India, and it believed that the zamindari system would be a more efficient way of collecting taxes than the previous system, which was based on direct collection from the peasants.

Under the zamindari system, the zamindars were given the right to collect taxes from the peasants who lived on their land. The zamindars were also given the right to keep a portion of the taxes they collected. This system led to a great deal of inequality in India, as the zamindars became very wealthy while the peasants remained poor.

The zamindari system was abolished in 1950, after India gained independence from British rule. The abolition of the zamindari system was one of the first major Land reforms that the Indian government undertook after independence. The government believed that the zamindari system was unjust and that it was preventing the development of India.

The abolition of the zamindari system led to a great deal of change in India. The peasants who had previously been tenants of the zamindars were now able to own their own land. This led to a great deal of economic and social mobility in India.

The abolition of the zamindari system was a major step forward for India. It helped to reduce inequality and to promote Economic Development.

Former Princely States of Bihar

What were the former princely states of Bihar?

The former princely states of Bihar were:

Arah
Arrah
Bhojpur
Champaran
Darbhanga
Gaya
Monghyr
Patna
Shahabad
Tirhut
When did the former princely states of Bihar become part of India?

The former princely states of Bihar became part of India on 15 August 1947.

What was the impact of the merger of the former princely states of Bihar into India?

The merger of the former princely states of Bihar into India had a significant impact on the region. It led to the integration of the princely states into the Indian Union, and it also led to the development of the region.

What are some of the challenges faced by the former princely states of Bihar after they became part of India?

Some of the challenges faced by the former princely states of Bihar after they became part of India included:

The integration of the princely states into the Indian Union was a complex process, and it took some time for the states to adjust to their new status.
The development of the region was also a challenge, as the princely states had different levels of development.
The former princely states of Bihar also faced challenges related to POVERTY, illiteracy, and Unemployment.

Zamindaris

What were zamindaris?

Zamindaris were a system of land tenure in India under which the zamindars, or landlords, held large tracts of land from the Mughal emperors in return for providing military service.

When did zamindaris come into existence?

Zamindaris came into existence in the 16th century under the Mughal emperor Akbar.

How did zamindaris work?

The zamindars collected revenue from the peasants who lived on their land and paid a portion of it to the Mughal government.

What were the benefits of zamindaris?

The zamindars provided a stable system of land tenure and collected revenue for the Mughal government.

What were the drawbacks of zamindaris?

The zamindars often exploited the peasants and collected more revenue than they were entitled to.

When did zamindaris end?

Zamindaris were abolished in 1950 after India gained independence.

Sure, here are some MCQs on the topics of Former Princely States of Bihar and Zamindaris:

Which of the following was not a former princely state in Bihar?
(A) Darbhanga
(B) Munger
(C) Patna
(D) Gaya
Which of the following was the largest zamindari in Bihar?
(A) Darbhanga Raj
(B) Monghyr Raj
(C) Patna Raj
(D) Gaya Raj
The zamindars of Bihar were originally appointed by the Mughals as revenue collectors.
(A) True
(B) False
The zamindars of Bihar had a great deal of power and influence in the region.
(A) True
(B) False
The zamindari system was abolished in India in 1950.
(A) True
(B) False
The abolition of the zamindari system led to a great deal of hardship for many people in Bihar.
(A) True
(B) False
The zamindari system was a system of land tenure in India in which the zamindars, or landlords, held large tracts of land from the government and collected revenue from the peasants who worked the land.
(A) True
(B) False
The zamindari system was a major source of economic and political power for the zamindars.
(A) True
(B) False
The zamindari system was often criticized for being exploitative and unfair to the peasants.
(A) True
(B) False
The zamindari system was abolished in India in 1950 as part of a larger land reform effort.
(A) True
(B) False