View source for Khokhra Chieftaincy

{{Short description|Dynasty in Chota Nagpur}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox former country
| conventional_long_name = Khokhra chieftaincy
| common_name            = 
| era                    = 
| year_start             = 15th century CE
| year_end               = 1952
| p1                     = 
| s1                     = Republic of India 
| image_map            = Nawratan gadh.jpg
| image_map_caption    = Navratnagarh fort
| image_map_size       = 
| capital               = {{plainlist|
*[[Navratangarh]]}}
| common_languages      = 
| religion              = [[Hinduism]]  
| status                = 
*[[Vassal state]] of the [[Mughal Empire]] (1585–1733)
*[[Vassal state]] of the [[British East India Company]] (1771–1817)
| government_type       = [[Principality]]
| image_coat            = 
| title_leader          = 
| leader1               = 
| year_leader1          =  
| leader2               = 
| year_leader2          = 
| today                 = 
}}
The '''Khokhra chieftaincy''', also known as the '''Nagvanshi dynasty''', was a principality that ruled the parts of [[Chota Nagpur Plateau]] region (modern-day [[Jharkhand]]) during much of the medieval and early-modern period. The chieftaincy came to prominence while the region was part of [[Bihar Subah]] in the [[Mughal Empire]]. 

Legendary accounts trace the founder of this dynasty to be [[Phani Mukut Rai]] who lived during the 1st century CE, however the definite history of the Khokhra chieftaincy begins from the 15th century onwards.<ref name="Ansari2019">{{cite book|author=Tahir Hussain Ansari|title=Mughal Administration and the Zamindars of Bihar|chapter=The Khokhra Chieftaincy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kUueDwAAQBAJ|date=20 June 2019|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-00-065152-2|pages=163–185}}</ref>

==Origin==
The origins of the Khokhras are unknown and while the family claimed to be [[Kshatriya]], recent evidence points to them having their origins with the [[Munda people|Munda tribe]] before the leader of the tribe, Madra Munda, was adopted into the [[Nagvanshi]]s.<ref name= "Ansari2019" /><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n0gwfmPFTLgC |title=Tribal Roots of Hinduism |publisher=Sarup & Sons |first=Shiv |last=Kumar Tiwari |year=2002 |page=264 |isbn=8176252999}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TGyzMJYZn-0C&pg=PA21 |title=Message of the Purans |publisher=Diamond Pocket Books Ltd |first=B. B. |last=Paliwal |year=2005 |page=21 |isbn=978-8-12881-174-6}}</ref>

==History==
===Mughal period===
The Khokhra family receives no mention during the period the [[Delhi Sultanate]] and even during the reign of [[Sher Shah Suri]]. The reason for this likely relates to the isolated location from which the Khokhras ruled as none of the ruling authorities in [[Bihar]] were able to reach them.<ref name= "Ansari2019" /> During the Mughal period, it was Emperor [[Akbar]] who was the first to try and expand into the territory of the Khokhras. [[Abul Fazl]] writes that in 1585 CE, the emperor requested [[Shahbaz Khan Kamboh]] to attack the Khokhras after the chief, [[Madhu Karn Shah|Madhukar Rai]], had refused to accept the overlordship of the Mughals as he was confident that the forests and mountains of his principality would protect him. Shahbaz Khan eventually went on to conquer the Khokhras and Madhukar Rai agreed to pay land revenue to the Mughals. In the 1590s, Madhukar Rai was asked to serve in the imperial army for a campaign against the [[Afghans]] of [[Odisha]] along with other [[Zamindars of Bihar|zamindars of Bihar]] including those of the [[Gidhaur chieftaincy]] and [[Kharagpur Raj]].<ref name= "Ansari2019" /><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UBBDAAAAYAAJ&q=sadan+nagpuri|title=Journal of Historical Research, Volume 43|publisher=Department of History, Ranchi University|page=89|year=2003}}</ref>

Madhukar Rai died in 1599 and was replaced by [[Bairisal]] who according to records visited the Emperor in [[Delhi]] and accompanied him on various expeditions. Because of his services, he was rewarded with valuable gifts and granted the pargana of Sherghati.<ref name= "Ansari2019" /> However, in 1613 Bairisal rebelled against the Mughals and the [[Baharistan-i-Ghaibi]] mentions that Bairisal failed to fulfill payment of revenue. The Mughal General, Zafar Khan, besieged the Khokhras however just as he was about the achieve victory, news about the death of Islam Khan, then Governor of Bengal spread and Zafar Khan was forced to reach a settlement with the Khokhras so that he could move to Bengal to reestablish control.<ref name= "Ansari2019" /> Zafar Khan soon returned to Chota Nagpur under the orders of the Emperor but before he could relaunch his campaign, he was struck by an illness which left him paralysed and the campaign was unable to go ahead.<ref name= "Ansari2019" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.125201/2015.125201.The-Mundas-And-Their-Country_djvu.txt|title=Munda and their country|author=Sarat Chandra Roy|access-date=22 October 2022}}</ref> 

Bairisal died in 1614 and was succeeded by his son, [[Durjan Shah]] who continued to defy Mughal authority however he was eventually defeated and Khokhra was annexed into the Mughal empire by the governor of Bihar, [[Ibrahim Khan Fath-i-Jang]] in 1615. Emperor [[Jahangir]] noted that Durjan Shah was imprisoned for at least three years following the subjugation of Khokhradesh. A story recounts that Durjan Shah was released from prison after Jahangir was impressed with his ability to judge the purity of diamonds. As per the terms of his release, Durjan Shah was to pay tribute of 6000 Rs and was also conferred with the title of [[Shah]].<ref name= "Ansari2019" /> Durjan Shah died in 1640 and was succeeded by his son, Ram Shah.

[[Ram Shah (king)|Ram Shah]] built [[Kapilnath Temple]] in 1643 CE in Navratangarh.<ref name="livehistoryindia">{{cite web|url=https://www.livehistoryindia.com/story/places/navratangarh-lost-kingdom-of-the-nagvanshis|title=Navratangarh: Lost Kingdom of the Nagvanshis|publisher=livehistoryindia|date=27 April 2019|access-date=28 September 2022}}</ref> [[Raghunath Shah]] (1663–1690) built several temples, including Madan Mohan temple in Boera and Jagannath temple. According to Lal Pradumn Singh, the writer of the book Nagvansh, the Mughals invaded Khukhra during the reign of Raghunath Shah. Mughal officials were sent by [[Aurangzeb]] to attack Khokhra. The invasion was strongly resisted which resulted in the death of Mughal officials. Later he agreed to pay tax to the Mughals. Thakur [[Ani Nath Shahdeo]] made Satranji the capital of [[Barkagarh estate]] near [[Subarnarekha river]]. He built the [[Jagannath temple, Ranchi|Jagannath temple]] in 1691.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/jharkhand/giant-new-chapter-for-nagpuri-poetry/cid/362632|title=Giant new chapter for Nagpuri poetry|date=5 November 2012|website=telegraphindia}}</ref>

[[File:IMGJagannathpur Temple.jpg|thumb|[[Jagannath temple, Ranchi|Jagannath temple]] at Ranchi built by king [[Ani Nath Shahdeo]] in 1691|left]]
In 1719, during the reign of Emperor [[Muhammad Shah]], Sarbuland Khan invaded to Chotanagpur plateau. Raja [[Yadunath Shah]] agreed to pay Rs. 100,000 (one [[lakh]]) as Nazrana.{{clarify|reason=jargon needs explaining|date=January 2023}} Then Yadunath Shah shifted the capital from Navratangarh to [[Palkot]] upon realising the weakness of the capital from a defensibility point of view. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Shivnath Shah (1724–1733). Due to non-payment of tribute, Fakhr-ud-daula invaded Khokhra in 1731. He faced considerable resistance from the Raja of Khokhra but both parties reached a compromise and he paid Rs. 12,000 as tribute. When Fakhr-ud-daula was removed from the post of Subedar of Bihar Suba in 1733, the Khokhra chief discontinued the payment of tribute to the Mughals. Maninath Shah (1748-1762) consolidated his authority over the estates of 
[[Bundu, India|Bundu]], [[Silli block|Silli]], Barwe, Rahe, and [[Tamar block|Tamar]], and the chiefs of these estates were compelled to 
acknowledge the Nagvanshi ruler as their chief.<ref name=Virottam1972>{{cite book |last1=Virottam |first1=Balmukund |title=The Nagbanshis And The Cheros |date=1972 |publisher=Munshiram Manoharlal |pages=83–89 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.119550/page/n5/mode/2up}}</ref><ref name= "Ansari2019" />

===British period===
After the [[Battle of Buxar]] in 1764, the [[East India Company]] was given the right to collect revenue from Bihar, Bengal and Odisha by the Mughal Empire. In 1771, during the reign of [[Dripnath Shah]], Nagvanshi became a vassal of the East India Company due to conflicts with neighbouring kings and tribes.

Between 1760 and 1770, the [[Maratha Empire]] invaded Chotanagpur and looted and collected revenue forcefully. The British defeated the Maratha forces in 1772. The British stationed military forces at Chotanagpur to check the incursions of Marathas. During the reign of [[Govind Nath Shah]], due to the rebellion, refusal of payment of revenue by subordinate [[Jagirdar]] and [[Zamindar]] under Nagvanshi king due to excessive tax imposition by the East India Company, Chotanagpur was brought under direct control by the East India Company in 1817 and they reduced Nagvanshi rulers to Zamindars. The disposition of some Mankis in Sonepur Pargana and the mistreatment of a Manki by contractors resulted in the [[Kol uprising]] in 1831 to 1833 when Munda plundered and burned the properties of Sikh and Muslim contractors. Then these activities spread to Ranchi district and tribal Munda, Hos and Oraon indulged in indiscriminate plunder and killings of Muslims and Sikhs as well as villages of Hindus. They destroyed the Mahamaya temple built by Gajghat Rai in Hapamuni village of Gumla. These activities spread to Palamu and were joined by [[Kharwar]] and [[Chero]]. This insurgency was suppressed by Thomas Wilkinson.

In 1855, during the reign of [[Jagannath Shah Deo]], the king of [[Barkagarh estate]], [[Vishwanath Shahdeo]], stopped following the orders of the East India Company, defeated British forces in Hatia and ruled independently for two years. During the Rebellion of 1857, he led the rebels of the Ramgarh Battalion. He organised an army with the assistance of nearby zamindars including [[Pandey Ganpat Rai]], [[Tikait Umrao Singh]], [[Sheikh Bhikhari]], Jaimangal Singh, and Nadir Ali Khan. He fought against an East India Company force in the [[Battle of Chatra]] but was defeated. [[Jagatpal Singh]], King of [[Pithoria]], helped the British to defeat the rebels. Thakur Vishwanath Shahdeo was captured and hanged in Ranchi along with other rebels in April 1858. Later Barkagarh estate was confiscated for rebellion against Company rule.<ref name=Ustad1997>{{cite journal | jstor=44143953 | title=The Role of Bishwanath Sahi of Lohardaga district during the Revolt of 1857 in Bihar | author= Mathur Das Ustad | journal= Proceedings of the Indian History Congress | year=1997 | volume=58 | pages=493–500}}</ref><ref name="MishraPaty2010">{{cite book|author1=Asha Mishra|author2=Chittaranjan Kumar Paty|title=Tribal Movements in Jharkhand, 1857–2007|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ul6fWJQOfzwC&pg=PA85|year=2010|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|isbn=978-81-8069-686-2|pages=85–}}</ref>

[[File:LowerBengal1870Map.png|thumb|Map of Chotanagpur in Lower Bengal in 1870]]
The Nagvanshi rulers shifted their capital from Palkot to [[Ratu, Ranchi|Ratu]] in 1870. [[Udai Pratap Nath Shah Deo]] built Ratu Palace in 1900. The last ruler of the Nagvanshi dynasty was [[Lal Chintamani Sharan Nath Shahdeo]] (1931–2014). [[Zamindari]] was abolished after the independence of India in 1952.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/jharkhand/animal-sacrifice-alive-at-ratu-fort/cid/592736|title=Animal sacrifice alive at Ratu Fort|date=23 September 2009|website=telegraphindia}}</ref>

===Branches===
Following are the states and estates established by Nagvanshi princes:
*[[Barkagarh estate]] of Satrangi (now in Ranchi)
*[[Khairagarh State]] of [[Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai district]], [[Chhattisgarh]]
*[[Kalahandi State]] of Kalahandi, [[Odisha]]
*[[Nilgiri State]] of Nilagiri, Baleswar, [[Odisha]]
*Jariagarh Estate of [[Khunti district]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://swadeshtoday.com/jaria-garh-royal-family-organized-a-planning-meeting-to-carry-out-the-tradition/|title=जरिया गढ़ राजपरिवार ने की परम्परा निर्वहन के लिए योजना बैठक|publisher=swadeshtoday|date=5 September 2021|access-date=22 August 2022}}</ref>

===Post-independence ===
In the modern period, the Nagvanshi are divided into two subgroups namely Rajdariya, the descendants of the royal family, and the Lohardagiya, the inhabitants of Lohardaga district. Lohardagiyas wield a lot of influence in present-day Lohardaga and Latehar districts despite being fewer in numbers demographically. They have only one gotra ''[[Kashyapa|Kashyap]]''. Nagvanshi practice exogamy and establish relationships with other royal families. The Nagvanshi use ''Shahdeo'' as their surname. They speak the Nagpuri language and Hindi with others. They are non-vegetarian and eat rice, wheat and pulses.<ref name="Anthropological Survey of India">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mt9G1e6JF-QC|title=People of India: India's communities, Volume 6 of People of India, Anthropological Survey of India|author=K. S. Singh|publisher=Anthropological Survey of India|isbn=9788185579092|year=1992}}</ref>

==Rulers==
Following is the list of Nagvanshi rulers according to "Nag Vanshavali" (1876) written by Beniram Mehta during reign of [[Jagannath Shah Deo]] and book "Nagvansh" (1951) written by Lal Pradumn Singh during reign of [[Lal Chintamani Sharan Nath Shahdeo]]. There is considerable disagreement among historians about chronology of various kings and its authenticity. 57th Nagvanshi king [[Dripnath Shah]] (c. 1762–1790 CE) submitted list of Nagvanshi kings to the Governor General of India in 1787.<ref name=Virottam1972/>

===Raja===
{{Div col|content=
*Raja [[Madhu Karn Shah]] (16th century)
*Raja [[Bairisal]] 
*Raja [[Durjan Shah]] (17th century)
*Raja Deo Shah 
*Raja [[Ram Shah (king)|Ram Shah]] (1640-1663)
*Raja [[Raghunath Shah]] (1663–1690)
*Raja [[Yadunath Shah]] (1690–1724)
*Raja Shivnath Shah (1724–1733)
*Raja Udainath Shah (1733-1740)
*Raja Shyamsundar Nath Shah (1740–1745)
*Raja Balram Nath Shah (1745–1748)
*Raja Maninath Shah (1748–1762)
*Raja [[Dripnath Shah]] (1762–1790)
*Raja Deo Nath Shah (1790–1806)
|colwidth=40 em}}

===Maharaja===
*Maharaja [[Govind Nath Shah]] (1806–1822)
*Maharaja [[Jagannath Shah Deo]] (1822–1869)
*Maharaja [[Udai Pratap Nath Shah Deo]] (1869/72–1950)
*Maharaja [[Lal Chintamani Sharan Nath Shahdeo]] (1950–1952)

==See also==
*[[Chota Nagpur Division]]
*[[Chota Nagpur Tributary States]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
==Further reading==
{{cite book |last1=Virottam |first1=Balmukund |title=The Nagbanshis and the Cheros |date=1972 |publisher=Munshiram Manoharlal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lHzL_FFV6PcC&q=the+nagbanshis+and+the+cheros}}

[[Category:Dynasties of India]]
[[Category:Nagpuria people]]
[[Category:History of Jharkhand]]
[[Category:Zamindars of Bihar]]