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2022-06-03T19:53:52Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2020}}
[[File:Ghanta Ghar of Bettiah Raj Palace.jpg|thumb|Bettiah Raj Palace]]
'''Bettiah Raj''' was the second-largest zamindari in the region of India now known as [[Bihar]]. It generated annual land revenue rentals of more than 2 million rupees.<ref>{{cite book
| first = Anand A.
| last = Yang
| title = Bazaar India: Markets, Society, and the Colonial State in Bihar
| publisher = [[University of California Press]]
| year = 1999
| isbn = 978-0-520-21100-1
| page = 69
}}</ref>

==History==
===Before British rule===
Gangeswar Deo, a <nowiki> Brahmin </nowiki> of [[Jaitharia (Bhumihar)|Jaitharia]] clan, popularly known as ''Jaitharia Brahmin''. Gangeswar Deo descendants are among the present day [[Kashyap]] Gotra of [[Brahmin]]s and a branch of this clan also set up residence at a place called Jaithar [[Saran district|Saran]] near [[Champaran]],<ref name="books.google.com">{{cite book | last=Lethbridge | first=R. | title=The Golden Book of India: A Genealogical and Biographical Dictionary of the Ruling Princes, Chiefs, Nobles, and Other Personages, Titled Or Decorated of the Indian Empire | publisher=Aakar Books | year=2005 | isbn=978-81-87879-54-1 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7iOsNUZ2MXgC&pg=PA67 | access-date=2020-09-30 | page=67}}</ref> later moved east and established a state at [[Bettiah]] in Bihar. They were known as ''[[Bhumihar Brahmin]]''. Bettiah Raj was the oldest in the region and had also been a branch of ''Raj Riyasat Sirkar'' of [[Champaran]] since the 16th century (the time of [[Shah Jahan]]) when the raja of Bettiah was Ugrasen Singh.<ref name="Ram 1998" /> Both the Madhuban Raj and Sheohar estates had broken off from Bettiah Raj.<ref name="Ram 1998" /> even then making it the largest zamindari in [[Bihar]].
The Rajas of Bettiah had turbulent relations with Khandavalas of Mithila , who often assisted the Nawab of Bengal in subduing the hostile chieftaincy of Bettiah.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nmYeAAAAMAAJ&q=bettiah+raj+mithila|title = Political History of Khandavala Dynasity [sic] in Mithila, 1556-1793|last1 = Choudhary|first1 = Rabindra Nath|year = 1987}}</ref>

During the Bettiah Raj of Bihar, the ethnoreligious community of [[Bettiah Christians]] descended from upper-caste Hindu and Muslim converts to Christianity was established in India by missionaries belonging to the [[Order of Friars Minor Capuchin]], a Roman Catholic religious order.<ref name="John2000">{{cite book |last1=John |first1=Jose Kalapura |title=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, Vol. 61 |date=2000 |publisher=Indian History Congress |page=1011-1022 |language=English}}</ref> It is one of the northern Indian subcontinent's oldest Christian communities that was founded after Raja Dhurup Singh requested [[Joseph Mary Bernini]] to heal his ill wife of a severe illness and was said to be successful in doing so.<ref name="John2000"/><ref name="UCA1995">{{cite web |title=Bihar Christians have fostered faith harmony 250 years |url=https://www.ucanews.com/story-archive/?post_name=/1995/11/07/bihar-christians-have-fostered-faith-harmony-250-years&post_id=48221# |publisher=[[Union of Catholic Asian News]] |accessdate=14 November 2020 |language=English |date=6 November 1995 |quote=Cherubim John, a writer and historian, said the Bettiah community began after Italian Capuchin Father Joseph Mary Bernini cured the local queen of an "incurable" illness. The king donated 16 hectares of land later known as the "Christian Quarters" to the Capuchins. The king allowed Father Bernini, who was on his way to Tibet, to preach, and helped build a church next to his palace.}}</ref> The Bettiah Christian Mission flourished under the blessing of [[Pope Benedict XIV]] and the patronage of the royal court of the Bettiah Rajas, growing in number.<ref name="John2000"/>

===Under the East India Company===
In 1765, when the [[East India Company]] acquired the ''[[Diwani]]'' Bettiah Raj held the largest territory under its jurisdiction.<ref name="Ram 1998">{{cite book|first = Bindeshwar |last = Ram |title = Land and society in India: agrarian relations in colonial North Bihar |publisher = [[Orient Blackswan]] |year = 1998 |isbn = 978-81-250-0643-5}}</ref> It consisted of all of [[Champaran]] except for a small portion held by the Ram Nagar Raj (held by Shah Rajputs).<ref name="Ram 1998" /> Bettiah Raj also came into being as a result of ''mallikana chaudharai'' and ''quanungoi'', the connection with the revenue administration building on local dominance and the capability of controlling and protecting hundreds of villages.<ref name="Ram 1998" /> Internal disputes and family quarrels divided the Raj in course of time.<ref name="Ram 1998" /> Madhuban Raj was created as a consequence.<ref name="Ram 1998" />

===Under the British Raj===
The last zamindar was [[Harendra Kishore Singh]], who was born in 1854 and succeeded his father, Rajendra Kishore Singh in 1883. In 1884, he received the title of Raja Bahadur as a personal distinction and a ''Khilat'' and a ''sanad'' from the Lieutenant [[Governor of Bengal]], Sir [[Augustus Rivers Thompson]]. He was created a [[Order of the Indian Empire|Knight Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire]] on 1 March 1889. He was appointed a member of the Legislative Council of Bengal in January 1891. He was also a member of [[The Asiatic Society]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/proceedingsofasi94asia/proceedingsofasi94asia_djvu.txt |title=Full text of "Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal" |year=1865 |accessdate=18 August 2013}}</ref> He was the last ruler of Bettiah Raj.

Raja Sir Harendra Kishore Singh Bahadur died issueless on 26 March 1893 leaving behind him two widows, Maharani Sheo Ratna Kunwar and Maharani Janki Kunwar. Maharani Sheo Ratna Kunwar who succeeded to the estate of Raja Harendra Kishore Singh on his death as his senior widow died on 24 March 1896 and on her death Maharani Janki Kunwar became entitled to the possession of the estate. Since it was found that Maharani Janki Kunwar was not able to administer the estate, its management was taken over by the [[Court of Wards (India)|Court of Wards]], Bihar in 1897. Maharani Janki Kunwar who was a limited holder of the estate died on 27 November 1954.<ref name="Lethbridge 2005 584">{{cite book |first = Sir Roper |last = Lethbridge |title = The golden book of India: a genealogical and biographical dictionary of the ruling princes, chiefs, nobles, and other personages, titled or decorated of the Indian empire |publisher = Aakar Books |year = 2005 |isbn = 978-81-87879-54-1 |page = 584}}</ref>

The Bettiah Raj forests were managed for timber production. Bihar state government took over management of the Bettiah Raj forests in 1953 and 1954 under the Bihar Private Protected Forests Act (1947). [[Valmiki National Park|Valmiki National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary]] include portion of the former Bettiah Raj estate.<ref>"[http://forest.bih.nic.in/VSanctuary.htm Valmiki Sanctuary]", Bihar Environment and Forest Department. Accessed 27 September 2014</ref>

==Bettiah Raj and music==
The Bettiah Gharana is one of the three (others being Darbhanga Gharana, and Dumraon Gharana) oldest style of Dhrupad vocal song from the state of Bihar.<ref name="The Times of India">{{cite news| url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Many-Bihari-artists-ignored-by-SPIC-MACAY/articleshow/1239694564.cms| title = Many Bihari artists ignored by SPIC MACAY | work = [[The Times of India]] | date = 13 October 2001 | accessdate = 16 March 2009 }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Zamindars of Bihar]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Zamindari estates]]
[[Category:History of Bihar]]

Bettiah Raj - Revision history

UpdateBot at 19:53, 3 June 2022