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{{short description|Medieval Hindu kingdom in West Bengal}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox country
|native_name = ভূরিশ্রেষ্ঠ বা ভুরশুট
|conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Bhurishrestha
|common_name = Bhursut
|era = [[Medieval India]]
|status =
|event_start =
|year_start = 15th century
|date_start =
|event1 =
|date_event1 =
|event_end =
|year_end = 18th century
|date_end =
|p1 =
|flag_p1 =
|p2 =
|flag_p2 =
|s1 = Bardhaman Raj
|flag_s1 =
|image_flag =
|flag_type =
|image_coat =
|image_map = Bhurshut.JPG
|image_map_caption = The extent of Bhurshut kingdom as reflected in a map of present-day West Bengal
|capital = Bhursut, Bhavanipur
|common_languages = [[Bengali language|Bengali]]
|religion = [[Hinduism]]
|government_type = Monarchy
|leader1 = Shivanarayan Ray
|year_leader1 =
|leader2 = [[Rudranarayan]]
|year_leader2 =
|leader3 = [[Bhavashankari]]
|year_leader3 =
|leader4 = [[Pratapnarayan]]
|year_leader4 =
|leader5 = [[Naranarayan of Bhurishrestha|Naranarayan]]
|year_leader5 =
|leader6 = [[Lakshminarayan]]
|year_leader6 =
|title_leader =
|legislature =
|today = India
|demonym=|area_km2=|area_rank=|GDP_PPP=|GDP_PPP_year=|HDI=|HDI_year=}}
'''Bhurshut''' ({{langx|bn|ভুরশুট|Bhurśut}}) or '''Bhurishreshtha''' ({{langx|bn|ভূরিশ্রেষ্ঠ|Bhūriśreṣṭha}}) was a medieval [[Bengali Hindus|Bengali Hindu]] kingdom spread across what is now [[Howrah district|Howrah]] and [[Hooghly district|Hooghly]] districts in the [[India]]n [[States and territories of India|state]] of [[West Bengal]].<ref>Ānandamūrti -The awakening of women - Page 303 1995 "Today we colloquially call it Bhurshut. The capital Garh Mandaram was ... In Bhurshut, the Mughal rulers had tremendous influence. Burdwan, in Bhurshut, was the capital of Bengal a number of times. [Some say] the word "Burdwan" came from"</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=History {{!}} Howrah District Website {{!}} India |url=https://howrah.gov.in/history/ |access-date=2022-05-19 |language=en-UK}}</ref>

==History==
Bhurshut kingdom grew up in the southern parts of [[Rarh region]]. It had a high concentration of ''Bhurisresthis'', a community of traders and as such came to be called Bhurshut. However, it was possibly the main centre of Rarhi Brahmins. It could have been ruled by a Sur king during the period when the [[Pala Empire]] was a rising force. Different feudatory kings may have ruled over the kingdom. At a later time there is mention in folklore of a Dhibar dynasty, possibly in the 14th–15th century. Subsequently, the area came to be ruled by a Brahmin family.<ref name=Ghosh>Ghosh, Binoy, ''Paschim Banger Sanskriti'', (in Bengali), part II, 1976 edition, pp. 218-234, Prakash Bhaban</ref>

Shanibhangar, the last Dhibar king of Burshut, was defeated by Chaturanan Neogi of Garh Bhawanipur. Chaturanan's grandson (by his daughter) Krishna Roy of the Mukhti royal family of Phulia took over the [[reign]] and established the Brahmin dynasty of Bhurishrestha. Krishnanarayan Ray ruled in 1583–84, at a time when [[Akbar]] was the [[Mughal emperors|Mughal emperor]]. Maharaja [[Rudranarayan]] Raymukhuty was the ruler of Bhurishrestha, who consolidated and expanded the kingdom and converted it into one of the most powerful Hindu kingdoms of the time. He broke the traditional alliance with the Pathan sultans of Odisha and accounted for the downfall of the Pathan regime in Bengal. Krishna Ray's great-grandson Pratap Narayan Ray (ruled around 1652–1684) was the greatest of Bhurshut kings. There is mention about the exemplary bravery of a lady of the family, popularly referred to as ''Roy Baghini'', but it is difficult to identify the person.<ref name=Ghosh/> She is probably named Rani [[Bhavashankari]] Devi.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Murshid |first=Ghulam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9o4SEAAAQBAJ&dq=bhurshut+Bhabashankari&pg=PT223 |title=Bengali Culture Over a Thousand Years |date=2018-01-25 |publisher=Niyogi Books |isbn=978-93-86906-12-0 |language=en}}</ref>

In ''[[Ain-i-Akbari]]'', it is mentioned that amongst the thirty-one mahals under Sirkar Suleimanabad, the highest revenue was earned by Basandhari pargana, followed by Bhurshut. No other pargana under [[Saptagram|Sirkar Satgaon]] or Sirkar Mandaran earned so much revenue. Bhurshut was conquered by [[Bardhaman Raj#Kirtichand Rai|Kirtichand Rai]] of Bardhaman in the 18th century.<ref name=Ghosh/>

Bhushut kingdom had three forts at Garh Bhabanipur, Pandua ('Pedo' or 'Pedo Basantapur') and [[Rajbalhat]]. There is hardly any trace of these forts, There are still places called Dihi Bhurshut and Par Bhurshitta in Howrah district, across the [[Damodar River|Damodar]] from Rajbalhat.<ref name=Ghosh/>

[[Bharatchandra Ray]] (''Raygunakar''), 18th-century Bengali poet, hailed from Pedo Bhurshut and possibly belonged to the ruling family of Bhurshut kingdom.<ref name=Ghosh/>

[[Sridhara]], the famous 10th-century mathematician, was also from Bhursut.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Howrah topics}}
{{Hooghly topics}}

{{coord|22.76|N|88.04|E|source:fallingraingenomics_region:IN-WB |format=dms|display=title}}

[[Category:Howrah district]]
[[Category:Hooghly district]]
[[Category:History of Bengal]]
[[Category:States and territories established in the 15th century]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in the 18th century]]

Bhurshut - Revision history

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