GildaNolan0093 at 11:53, 4 March 2026

2026-03-04T11:53:55Z

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{{Short description|Feudal estate in India (1592–1952)}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2018}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox former subdivision
|native_name = ঝাড়গ্রাম রাজ
|conventional_long_name =Jhargram Raj
|common_name = Jhargram
|nation = [[British India]]
|subdivision = [[Zamindari]]
|era =
|year_start = 1592
|date_start =
|event_start=
|year_end = 1952
|date_end =
|event_end= [[Independence of India|Accession to the Union of India]]
|event1 =
|date_event1 =
|p1 =Mughal Empire
|s1 =Republic of India
|flag_p1 = Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg
|flag_s1 = Flag of India.svg
|image_flag =
|image_coat = Jhargram Raj Insignia 01.jpg
|image_map =
|image_map_caption =
|stat_area1 = 655
|stat_year1 =1922
|stat_pop1 = 71350
|today = [[Jhargram]], [[West Bengal]], India
|footnotes =
}}
{{Bengal Zamindars series}}
'''Jhargram Raj''' was a ''[[zamindari]]'' (feudatory kingdom) which occupied a position in [[Bengal region]] (present-day [[West Bengal, India]]) of [[British India]]. The zamindari came into being during the later part of the 16th century when [[Man Singh I|Man Singh]] of [[Amer, India|Amer]] was the [[Dewan]]/[[Subahdar]] of Bengal (1594–1606). Their territory was centered around present-day [[Jhargram district]]. Jhargram was never an independent territory since the chiefs of the family held it basically as the [[zamindars]] of the British Raj in India after Lord Cornwallis's Permanent Settlement of 1793. Although its owners were both rich and powerful, with the chiefs of the family holding the title of Raja, the Jhargram estate was not defined as a [[Princely State]] with freedom to decide its future course of action at the time of Indian independence in 1947.<ref>[http://www.indianrajputs.com/view/jhargram Rajput Provinces of India]</ref> Later, the Vice-Roy of India agreed to recognize Jhargram as "Princely State" after the [[Second World War]], but the proposal taken back as the British had decided to give independence to India.<ref>{{cite news |title=JhargramEstate|url=https://cbkwgl.wordpress.com/2014/05/19/jhargram-estate/ |publisher=WordPress.com |date=May 19, 2014|access-date=December 1, 2014}}</ref>{{sps|date=January 2025}}

==History==
[[File:Jhargram Palace.jpg|thumb|Palace of the Rajas]]
Jhargram Raj was founded around 1592 AD by Sarveshwar Singh who along with his elder brother were Generals under [[Man Singh I|Man Singh]] of [[Amer, India|Amer]] and came to conquer Bengal when Emperor Akbar granted Subehdari of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa to Raja Man Singh. He defeated and vanquished the local [[Mal (caste)|Mal]] tribal kings who were ruling the region known as Junglekhand, even today in order to commemorate this victory, every year an idol of Mal Raja is made and slain on [[Vijayadashami]] day. As a reward, Raja Man Singh, granted ''mansabdari'' of the entire region of Junglekhand to his victorious generals Sarveshwar Singh and his elder brother, under suzerainty and subordination as a tributary vassal state to the Mughal Emperor Akbar. He named his capital Jhargram which means a village surrounded by deep forests, hence the rulers of Jhargram assumed the title “Malla Deb”.<ref>[http://www.royalfamilyofindia.com/jhargram/ Royal Families of India]</ref>{{Better source needed|date=January 2025}}

==Administration==
[[File:Jhargram Raj Guest.jpg|thumb|The Governor of Bengal at [[Jhargram Palace]]]]
The royal family were [[Zamindars]] of Jhargram under the [[United Kingdom|British]] government rule, they were politically powerful and financially wealthy. The Zamindar was conferred with the title of [[Raja]] and was appointed to the Legislative Council of Bengal. The Zamindari ruled their dominions and estates from [[Jhargram Palace]] in present-day [[West Bengal]], they had 8 ''sardars'' under the system and one Sub Zamindar of [[Beliaberah]].

The period 1922–1950 was considered as the golden era for Jhargram Raj, with Rai Bahadur Debendra Mohan Bhattacharya as the [[Dewan]], Jhargram developed into a township, and many educational institutions were established. The [[Jhargram Kumud Kumari Institution]] was founded in 1924. In 1925, an annual sports fund was created to encourage athletic activities and to construct a football stadium and the Jhargram Club. Raja Bahadur established Jhargram Agricultural College, which was later renamed Jhargram Raj College, as well as Vidyasagar Polytechnic for industrial training. He provided funds to set up Sri Ramkrishna Saradapeeth Girls High School and Bharat Sevashram Sangha. In 1931, he commissioned a new palace on 23 acres of land; it is a prominent example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. During World War II, he constructed [[Dudhkundi Airfield]] for the United States Air Force and provided the Allied forces with elephants, vehicles, and other help.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jhargrampalace.com/about.php|title=About | JHARGRAM PALACE}}</ref>{{sps|date=January 2025}}

==Legacy of the Raj family==
[[File:Jhargram Raj Singhdwar.jpg|thumb|Singhdwar of Jhargram Palace]]
The last and the 16th king Raja [[Narasingha Malla Deb]] reigned from 1916 until his royal powers were abolished by an amendment to the [[Constitution of India]] in 1954. After losing his royal title, he served for two terms as a member of the Legislative Council of [[Bengal]]. He also served in the [[Lok Sabha]],<ref>{{cite web|title=1957 Midnapur loksabha vote|url=http://www.indiavotes.com/pc/detail/783/9/2|website=www.indiavotes.com}}</ref> the [[lower house]] of the Indian Parliament.

The royal family was known for working to rehabilitate refugees after the [[partition of India]]. After India gained its independence, they owned a business in Kolkata and large real estate properties in Kolkata, Midnapore, and [[Digha]]. Narsingha's son Yuvraj Birendra Bijoy got involved in politics and was a two-time member of the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal from [[Jhargram (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Jhargram's Vidhan Sabha constituency]], representing the [[Indian National Congress]]. His son Shivendra Bijoy Malla Deb—Narasingha Malla Deb's grandson—is a social worker and politician associated with the [[All India Trinamool Congress]], and the chairman of the municipality of Jhargram.<ref>[http://members.iinet.net.au/~royalty/ips/j/jhargram.html Indian Princely States]</ref> They currently reside in [[Jhargram Palace]] and have converted about 15 rooms on the ground floor into a Heritage Hotel run by them.<ref>{{cite news |title=Royal retreats: Jhargram Palace/ Midnapore |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080705/jsp/personaltt/story_9503606.jsp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080920012322/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080705/jsp/personaltt/story_9503606.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 September 2008 |publisher=The Telegraph |date=July 5, 2008 |access-date=Feb 16, 2013}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Political integration of India]]

==Further study==
* ''The Indian princes and their states'' Author Barbara Ramusack {{ISBN|978-0-521-26727-4}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Ramusack|first=Barbara N.|author-link=Barbara Ramusack|title=The Indian princes and their states|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kz1-mtazYqEC&pg=PA278|access-date=6 November 2011|year=2004|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-26727-4|page=278}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Bengal Nobility}}
{{Nobility of the Raj}}

{{West Bengal}}

[[Category:Bengali zamindars]]
[[Category:Zamindari estates]]
[[Category:Quasi-princely estates of India]]
[[Category:1710 establishments in Asia]]
[[Category:1950 disestablishments in India]]

Jhargram Raj - Revision history

GildaNolan0093 at 11:53, 4 March 2026