>Elinruby at 11:23, 13 April 2021

2021-04-13T11:23:05Z

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{{Infobox country
|native_name =
|conventional_long_name = Jagdishpur Raj
|common_name = Jagdishpur
|religion = [[Hinduism]]
|era = [[Medieval India|Middle Ages]]
|status =
|government_type =
|life_span =
|year_start = 1702
|year_end = 1858
|event_start =
|date_start =
|event1 =
|date_event1 =
|event2 =
|date_event2 =
|event_end =
|date_end =
|capital = [[Jagdispur]]
|leader1 =
|leader2 =
|year_leader1 =
|year_leader2 =
|title_leader = }}

The '''Jagdishpur estate''' was a [[zamindar]]i estate situated in modern-day [[Bihar]], [[India]] in erstwhile [[Shahabad district]] (now in [[Arrah]]).<ref name="Jha2003">{{cite book|author=Usha Jha|title=Land, Labour, and Power: Agrarian Crisis and the State in Bihar (1937-52)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lHAMkZGI_OoC&pg=PA50|year=2003|publisher=Aakar Books|isbn=978-81-87879-07-7|pages=50–}}</ref> The centre of the estate was the town of [[Jagdispur]], however the estate also included neighbouring towns and villages.<ref name="Yang1999">{{cite book|author=Anand A. Yang|title=Bazaar India: Markets, Society, and the Colonial State in Bihar|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D5lQutvzAp4C|date=1 February 1999|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-91996-9|pages=145–147}}</ref> The estate was also protected by a [[fort]].<ref name="Yang1999" />
[[File:Koor Sing, 'The Rebel of Arrah,' and his attendants.jpg|thumb|The court of Jagdishpur in the mid-19th century]]

==History==
The Jagdishpur estate was ruled by a branch of the [[Ujjainiya]] [[Rajputs]].<ref name="Garg2018">{{cite book|author=Sanjay Garg|title=Studies in Indo-Muslim History by S.H. Hodivala Volume II: A Critical Commentary on Elliot and Dowson’s History of India as Told by Its Own Historians (Vols. V-VIII) & Yule and Burnell’s Hobson-Jobson|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JM5wDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA423|date=30 August 2018|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-429-75777-8|pages=423–424}}</ref> These Ujjainiyas claimed descent from the [[Paramara dynasty]] of [[Malwa]] and the [[Bhojpuri region|Bhojpur]] region of Bihar was named after the Paramara King, [[Raja Bhoj]].<ref name="Garg2018" />
Sujan Sahi who was the son of Prabal Sahi Singh, was the first to take up residence in Jagdishpur in 1702.<ref name="Gopal20172">{{cite book|author=Surendra Gopal|title=Mapping Bihar: From Medieval to Modern Times|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mCZFDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT293|date=22 December 2017|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-351-03416-6|pages=204–206}}</ref> After being killed by the retainers of the Governors of Bihar, he was succeeded by his son Udwant Singh who was said to be well-trained in the use of weapons and an able administrator. Udwant Singh expanded his territories by invading neighbouring towns and villages controlled by neighbouring landowners. Upon hearing this, the governor of Bihar, Fakkhradaula invaded Jagdishpur but Udwant Singh defeated him. Udwant Singh also encouraged the Ujjainiyas to eat pork to prevent them converting to [[Islam]].<ref name="Gopal20172" /> In his court, he patronised the poet, ''Mauli Kavi'', who compiled the book ''Udwant Prakash'' in 1747.<ref name="Ansari2019">{{cite book|author=Tahir Hussain Ansari|title=Mughal Administration and the Zamindars of Bihar|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kUueDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT135|date=20 June 2019|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-00-065152-2|pages=135–140}}</ref>
After much conflict and many years of struggle, Jagdishpur was finally be subdued by the [[Mughal Empire|Mughals]] after the death of Udwant Singh.<ref name="Houlton1949">{{cite book|author=Sir John Wardle Houlton|title=Bihar, the heart of India|year=1949|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.107300|publisher=Orient Longmans|page=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.107300/page/n83 50]}}</ref>

Under the leadership of Dalpat Shahi in the 18th century, Jagdishpur became the principal military stronghold of the Ujjainiya clan.<ref name="Gopal2017">{{cite book|author=Surendra Gopal|title=Mapping Bihar: From Medieval to Modern Times|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mCZFDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT293|date=22 December 2017|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-351-03416-6|pages=293–}}</ref> [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] sources from the time note that the [[cavalry]] was the elite section of the Jagdishpur army and was considered to be superior to the infantry.<ref name="Gopal2017" />

==1857 rebellion==
{{See also|Siege of Arrah}}
During the rule of [[Kunwar Singh]], the estate took part in the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]].<ref name="Witsoe2013">{{cite book|author=Jeffrey Witsoe|title=Democracy against Development: Lower-Caste Politics and Political Modernity in Postcolonial India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sQcGAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA172|date=5 November 2013|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-06350-8|pages=172–}}</ref><ref name="Yang1999" /> Kunwar Singh was motivated to rebel after having financial difficulties due to the high revenue demanded by the [[British Raj|British authorities]] and family litigation.<ref name=Kumar1983>{{cite journal | title=Kunwar Singh's Failure in 1857 | author= S. Purushottam Kumar | journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume = 44| year=1983 | pages= 360-369|jstor = 44139859}}</ref> The British also attempted to take over the management of the estate.<ref name="CarterHarlow2003">{{cite book|author1=Mia Carter|author2=Barbara Harlow|title=Archives of Empire: Volume 2. The Scramble for Africa|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=13pyxO8o4moC&pg=PA401|date=31 December 2003|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=0-8223-3164-0|pages=401–402}}</ref>

As a result of this, Kunwar Singh (who was 80 at the time) decided to join the rebellion and was considered to be the leader of the rebellion in Bihar.<ref name=Kumar1983 /> He was helped by his brother, [[Babu Amar Singh]] and his commander-in-chief, [[Hare Krishna Singh]]. After some initial success, Kunwar Singh and his forces were eventually driven out of Jagdishpur by the British. A year later, Kunwar Singh died and the rebellion was led by his brother who was eventually captured and hanged.<ref name=Kumar1983 /> Because of these events, many consider Kunwar Singh to be one of the "greatest chiefs" of Jagdishpur.<ref name="Ansari2019" />

==Rulers==
From 1702 to 1947, the Jagdishpur estate was ruled by the following individuals<ref>{{cite book |last1=Datta |first1=K.K |title=Biography of Kunwar and Amar Singh |year=1957 |publisher=K. P. Jayaswal Institute |pages=[https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.13066/page/n25 7]-12 |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.13066 |accessdate=25 April 2019}}</ref>

*Sujan Shahi
*Udwant Singh
*Gajraj Singh
*Dalpat Shahi
*Shivraj Singh
*Bhoop Naryan Singh
*Ishwari Prasad Singh
*Shahebzada Singh
*[[Kunwar Singh]]
*[[Babu Amar Singh]]
*Shriniwas Singh
*Digvijay Singh (acceded to Indian Union in 1947)

== References ==
{{reflist}}

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

Jagdishpur estate - Revision history

>Elinruby at 11:23, 13 April 2021