Darbhanga Raj, also known as Raj Darbhanga and the Royal Family of Darbhanga, were a family of Zamindars and rulers of territories that are now part of Mithila and Darbhanga district, Bihar, India. Their seat was at the city of Darbhanga. The estate of Darbhanga Raj was estimated to cover an area of 2,410 square miles (6,200 km2), incorporating 4,495 villages within 18 circles in Bihar and Bengal and employing over 7,500 officers to manage the estate. It was the largest zamindari in India and was the best managed estate at the time of abolition of Zamindari. The Raj Darbhanga trac their origin to Mahesh Thakur at the beginning of the sixteenth century.
North Bihar was under a state of lawlessness at the end of the empire of the Tughlaq dynasty. Tughlaq had attacked and taken control of Bihar, and from the end of the Tughlaq Empire until the establishment of the Mughal Empire in 1526 there was anarchy and chaos in Bihar. EmperorAkbar (ruled 1556–1605) realized that taxes from Mithila could only be collected if there was aBrahmin king who could ensure peace in the Mithila region. The Brahmins were dominant in the Mithila region and Mithila had Brahmin kings in the past. History
Ati pavitra mangal karan, ramjanm ke din. Akbar Tushit Maheshko Tirhut Raja kaun?Emperor Akbar summoned Rajpandit (Royal Priest) Chandrapati Thakur to Delhi from Garh Mangala (now in Madhya Pradesh) and asked him to name one of his sons who could be made caretaker and tax collector for his lands in Mithila. Chandrapati Thakur named his middle son, Mahesh Thakur, and Emperor Akbar declared Pandit Mahesh Thakur as the caretaker of Mithila on the day of Ram Navami in 1577 AD. A poet has written about this event:
The family and descendants of Mahesh Thakur gradually consolidated their power in social, agrarian, and political matters and came to be regarded as kings ofMadhubani. Darbhanga became the seat of power of the Raj Darbhanga family from 1762. They also had a palace at Rajnagar Bihar situated in Madhubani district. They bought land from local people. They became known as a Khandavala family (the richest landlord). This family was not regarded as kings by the British Raj but they were allowed to use the prefix Maharaja, and later Maharajadhiraj, by the British. There is no documentation for this as it was a verbal commitment. Although the British never granted them formal status as a ruling princely state, they had all the trappings of a princely state.
For a period of twenty years (1860–1880), Darbhanga Raj was placed under Ward of Court by the British government. During this period, Darbhanga Raj was involved in litigation regarding succession. This litigation decided that the estate was impartible and succession was to be governed by primogeniture.
The estate of Darbhanga Raj was estimated to cover an area of 2,410 square miles (6,200 km2). It had an indigo concern in Sarahia and Bachaur in Muzaffarpur district, Pandaul in Madhubani District, and Gonswara in Purnea district. Raj Darbhanga started several companies. Newspaper & Publication Pvt. Ltd. published newspapers and periodicals such as The Indian Nation, Aryavarta, and 'Mithila Mihir. The Walford company was a chain of automobile dealterships having branches at Calcutta, Guwahati, and Imphal. The family owned Ashok Paper Mills, Pandaul Sugar Factory, Sakri Sugar Factory, and others. Darbhanga Raj contained 4,495 villages under 18 circles in Bihar and Bengal and employed over 7,500 officers to manage the estate Darbhanga Raj was said to be the best managed estate at the time of abolition of Zamindari.
Raj Darbhanga had several Palaces in Darbhanga: Rambagh Palace, Lakshmeshwar Vilas Palace, Nargona Palace, Bela Palace, and at Rajnagar in Madhubani District. Raj Darbhanga had properties at almost every prominent city in British India.
Raj Darbhanga under Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh (1858–1898) and Maharaja Rameshwar Singh became a model estate in India. Several works pertaining to famine relief, road construction, and canal and bridge construction were carried out. Raj Darbhanga came to be known for its benevolent management. During the Bihar famine of 1873–74 Maharaj Lakshmeshwar Singh contributed Rs.300,000.00 towards relief works.
The Maharajas of Darbhanga were devoted to Sanskrit traditions and maintained an orthodox viewpoint of religion and caste. However, their views did not prevent them from having a broader nationalistic outlook. Even though the Royal Family of Darbhanga's contribution to the Indian independence movement is ignored, the Maharajas of Darbhanga, while maintaining their loyalty to the British government, were major financial supporters of the Indian National Congress. In a letter dated 21 March 1947 Mahatma Gandhi acknowledged his friendship with the royal family of Darbhanga and said Maharaja Kameshwar Singh Bahadur was as a son to him.
After the independence of India from British rule in 1947, the Government of India initiated several land reform actions and the Zamindari system was abolished. The fortunes of Darbhanga Raj dwindled.
The last Maharaja of Darbhanga Raj was Maharaja Bahadur Sir Kameshwar Singh, K.C.I.E. He died heirless. The remaining descendants of Raj Darbhanga have been involved in a bitter contest over inheritance and have no public recognition.
Controversy over royal status
The origin of the royal family of Darbhanga is traced to a grant of the Sarkar of Tirhut to PanditMahesh Thakur by Emperor Akbar. The supporters of the theory that Raj Darbhanga was a kingdom argue that it was held by privy council that the rulership was a heridatory one with succession governed by primogeniture. The supporters argue that by the end of the eighteenth Century, the Sarkar of Tirhut was practically an independent kingdom until the conquest of Bengal and Bihar by the British.
The opponents of the theory argue that Raj Darbhanga was never a kingdom but was a zamindariwith all the trappings of princely state. The rulers of Raj Darbhanga were the largest land owners in India, and thus were called Raja, and later Maharaja and Maharajadhiraja. However they were never given the status of ruling prince. Further, after conquest of Bengal and Bihar, the British Raj initiated permanent settlement, and the Raja of Darbhanga was recognised only as a Zamindar.
The references in this article to the Estate of Darbhanga as Raj Darbhanga or the ruler thereof as King of Darbhanga or Maharaja Darbhanga is not meant to comment of on this controversy but to present the facts and history in a manner as generally understood in the region of Darbhanga.
Insignia
Raj Darbhanga used several insignias. One of the insignia was a Ganges river dolphin riding the waves. The second insignia was a Ganges river dolphin inside a six pointed star. The third insignia was a variation of second one with the fish curved upwards.
- Insignia of Raj Darbhanga
] List of Kings of Raj Darbhanga
- Raja Mahesh Thakur (died 1558).
- Raja Gopal Thakur. He was the eldest son of Raja Mahesh Thakur. He was king for a short time only as he died suddenly.
- Raja Parmanand Thakur. He was the second son of Raja Mahesh Thakur. He ruled for a brief period before abdicating in favour of his younger brother Raja Subhankar Singh.
- Raja Subhankar Thakur (died 1607). He was the fifth son of Raja Mahesh Thakur.
- Raja Purushottam Thakur (ruled 1607 to 1623). He was the son of Raja Shubhankar Thakur. He was killed in 1623.
- Raja Narayan Thakur (ruled 1623 to 1642).
- Raja Sundar Thakur (ruled 1642 to 1662) (died 1662).
- Raja Mahinath Thakur (ruled 1662 to 1684) (died 1684).
- Raja Nirpat Thakur (ruled 1684 to 1700) (died 1700).
- Raja Raghu Singh (ruled 1700 to 1736) (died 1736). Raja Raghu Singh obtained a lease for the whole of Sarkar Tirhut including Darbhanga and Muzaffarpur at an annual rent of Rs.100,000, which was a huge amount at that time. The annual revenue of Sarkar Tirhut in 1685 was Rs.7,69,287. During reign of Raja Raghu Singh, Nawab Mahabat Jung, Nawab Subahdar of Behar, was jealous of the wealth of Raja Raghu Singh and imprisoned his family at Patna. Raghu Singh escaped capture and succeeded in getting the estate back along with a large grant from the Mughal Governor on the condition that he "do justice, relieve distress, and put the country in flourishing condition." This condition was fulfilled by Raja Raghu Singh and subsequent Maharajas of Darbhanga. He built a mud fort at Bhawara near Madhubani.
- Raja Bishnu Singh (ruled 1736 to 1740) (died 1740).
- Raja Narendra Singh (ruled 1740 to 1760) (died 1760). Raja Narendra Singh died without issue. He adopted Raja Pratap Singh, great-great-grandson of Narayan Thakur, son of Raja Shubhankar Thakur, younger brother of Raja Sundar Thakur, as his successor.
- Raja Pratap Singh (ruled 1760 to 1776) (died 1776). Raja Pratap Singh built Rajbari at Darbhanga and shifted the capital to Darbhanga from Bhawara.
- Raja Madho Singh (ruled 1776 to 1808) (died 1808). He was a younger brother of Raja Pratap Singh and succeeded him upon his death. In 1776, Raja Madho Singh received a grant of land at Dharampur in Purnea district from Shah Alam II, Mughal Emperor of India. Raja Madho Singh had a long dispute with the British government over revenue payments and the extent of his rights over the land.
- Maharaja Chhatra Singh Bahadur (ruled 1808 to 1839) (died 1839). He was the second son of Raja Madho Singh. He was the first in the family to hold the title of Maharaja Bahadur. Maharaja Chhatra Singh made over his estate and title to his eldest son Maharaja Rudra Singh Bahadur on the grounds of old age in 1839. He died a few days later after the coronation of Maharaja Rudra Singh Bahadur.
- Maharaja Rudra Singh Bahadur (ruled 1839 to 1850) (died 1850). After the death of Maharaja Chhatra Singh Bahadur, the younger brothers of Maharaja Rudra Singh Bahadur were involved in a long litigation for succession to the estate. It was ultimately held by the High Court of Calcutta that the ordinary Hindu Law of Succession can not apply in this case and the Raj Darbhanga family would have to follow the family custom or Kulachar. Maharaja Rudra Singh Bahadur, being the eldest son of Maharaja Chhatra Singh Bahadur, was declared to be Maharaja of Darbhanga. This permanently settled the issue of succession and thereafter the succession was based upon primogeniture.
- Maharaja Maheshwar Singh Bahadur (ruled 1850 to 1860) (died 1860). Maharaja Maheshwar Singh Bahadur ruled for ten years. He expired in October 1860, leaving behind two sons, Lakshmeshwar Singh and Rameshwar Singh, both of whom became Maharajas of Darbhanga.
- Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh Bahadur (ruled 1860 to 1898) (born 25 September 1858, died 17 December 1898). Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh was a philanthropist. His statue (byEdward Onslow Ford) was installed in Calcutta in 1904 at Dalhousie Square as a tribute to him. Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh Bahadur was only two years old his father's death so Raj Darbhanga was placed under Ward of Court. He was the first Maharaja of Darbhanga to receive a western education, from a British tutor, Mr. Chester Mcnaughton. Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh Bahadur took over the reins of Raj Darbhanga on 25 September 1879 after attaining his majority. He devoted himself to public works and was recognized as one of the greatest nobles and philanthropists of India at that time. He was made a Knight of the British Empire on 22 June 1897.
- Maharaja Rameshwar Singh Bahadur (ruled 1898 to 1929) (born 16 January 1860, died 3 July 1929). Maharaja Rameshwar Singh Bahadur became Maharaja of Darbhanga after the death of his elder brother Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh Bahadur, who died without issue. He was appointed to the Indian Civil Service in 1878, serving as assistant magistrate successively at Darbhanga, Chhapra, and Bhagalpur. He was exempted from attendance at the Civil Courts and was appointed a Member of the Legislative Council of Bengal (MLC of Bengal) in 1885. He was a Member of the Council of India of the Governor General of India in 1899 and on 21 September 1904 was appointed a non-officiating member representing the Bengal Provinces, along with Gopal Krishna Gokhale from Bombay Province.
- He was president of Bihar Landholder's Association, president of the All India Landholder's Association, president of Bharat Dharma Mahamandal, a member of Council of State, a trustee of Victoria Memorial in Calcutta, president of the Hindu University Society, M.E.C. of Bihar and Orissa, and Member of the Indian Police Commission (1902-03). He was awarded the Kaiser-i-Hind medal in 1900. He was the only member of the India Police Commission who dissented with a report on requirements for police service, and suggested that the recruitment to the Indian Police Services should be through a single exam only to be conducted in India and Britain simultaneously. He also suggested the recruitment should not be based on colour or nationality. This suggestion was rejected by the India Police Commission.Maharaja Rameshwar Singh was a Tantric and was known as Siddha Tantric. He was considered a Rajarsi(sage king) by his people.
- Maharaja Kameshwar Singh Bahadur (ruled 1929 to the independence of India in 1947) (born 28 November 1907, died 8 November 1962). He was member of the Council of State 1933–1946, member of the Constituent Assembly 1947–1952, and the Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha-Upper House) 1952–1958 and 1960–1962. He was the first person in India to get a bust of Mahatma Gandhi made by celebrated artist Clare Frewen Sheridan, niece of Winston Churchill. The bust was presented to the viceroy of India, Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow, to be displayed in Government House (now Rashtrapati Bhawan). This was acknowledged by Mahatma Gandhi in a letter to Lord Linlithgow in 1940.
Gandhi, in an interview during his visit to Bihar in 1947, said that the Maharaja Kameshwar Singh was an extremely good person and like a son to him.
For earlier dynasties ruling Mithila region, see Kings of Mithila.
Palaces
Darbhanga has several palaces that were built during the Darbhanga Raj era.
- Nargona Palace - Nargona Palace was constructed after the 1934 Bihar earthquake. It was built using the best technology available at the time for prevention of damage resulting from earthquakes. It has been donated to Lalit Narayan Mithila University.
- Lakshmivilas Palace - This palace was severely damaged in the 1934 earthquake and was rebuilt. This palace was donated to Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University.
Roper Lethbridge said about Lakshmivilas Palace: "The new Palace at Darbhanga, with its immense stables, its botanical and zoological gardens, and its many beautiful surroundings, is well known in England by the sketches that have appearerd in the London illustrated papers."
- Ram Bagh Palace - It is situated inside the fort and is the oldest palace in Darbhanga. It is still owned by members of Raj Darbhanga family. It is presently in a dilapidated condition.
- Bela Palace - Built for Raja Bishweshar Singh (Raja Bahadur), younger brother of Maharaja Kameshwar Singh, it is the best preserved palace. It was taken by the Central Government and is being used as a Postal Training College.
- Dilkhush Bag - It is one of two palaces situated inside Darbhanga Fort. It is almost in ruins.
- Moti Mahal - Moti Mahal was destroyed in the earthquake of 1934. It was not rebuilt. Only one room of Moti Mahal exists today.
Dharbanga Raj had several Palaces in other towns in India.
- Navlakha Palace complex at Rajnagar, in Madhubani District of Bihar
- Palace at Bhouara near Madhubani; leased to the police department
- Darbhanga House at New Delhi situated at 7 Man Singh Road, New Delhi.[19] The adjoining property of 25 Akbar Road, in front of the present Congress party headquarters, also belonged to Raj Darbhanga.
- Darbhanga House at 42 Chowringhee Street, Kolkata. A greenhouse given to the Agri-Horticultural Garden at Alipur, Kolkata, by the royal family of Darbhanga is also called Darbhanga house, but it was not a residential house.
- Darbhanga Mansions at Carmichael Road, Mumbai. All the land of Income Tax Colony on Pedder Road, Mumbai belonged to the royal family. The Income Tax Colony is also called "Darbhanga House".
- Darbhanga House at Ranchi - It now houses the head office of Central Coalfields Limited.
- Navlakha Palace, also called Darbhanga House, at Patna. It was donated to Patna Universityand now houses postgraduate departments of Patna University. It has a Kali Temple in its complex.
- Darbhanga House at Kaithu, Shimla (currently houses the Loretto Convent School) and Kalyani House at Chharabra, Shimla (now houses the Himalayan International School)
- Darbhanga Palace at Darbhanga Ghat, Varanasi
- Darbhanga House and Darbhanga Castle at Allahabad
- Darbhanga House at Darjeeling
- Darbhanga House in Delhi at Darbhanga Lane
Major temples constructed by Raj Darbhanga
- Kankali Mandir, Rambagh, Darbhanga
- Madheshwar Mandir, Darbhanga
- Shyama Temple, Darbhanga
- Manokamna Mandir, Darbhanga - This is a small temple dedicated to the God Hanuman. It is an intricately carved temple built entirely of white marble.
- Raj Rajeshwari Kali Mandir, Muzaffarpur
- Kali Mandir, Navlakha Palace, Patna
- Ram Mandir, Bans Phatak, Varanasi
- Ram Sita Mandir, Ahiari Village, Darbhanga District- Built in 1817 by Maharaja Chhatra Singh Bahadur
- Temple Complex at Darbhanga - Temples were constructed by Raj Darbhanga at the site where the Maharajas of Darbhanga were cremated. There are several temples in the complex. Until the 1980s jackals would come to the complex every evening and were offered food by the priests of the temples. Due to the rapid urbanisation of Darbhanga, especially in the area around these temples, the jackals do not come to the complex any longer.
- Lakshmeshwari Tara Mandir, Darbhanga
Indian Independence Movement
Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh Bahadur was one of the founders of the Indian National Congress in 1885. Raj Darbhanga was one of the major donors to the party despite maintaining his proximity to the British Raj.Among his beneficiaries were stalwarts of the independence movement such as Dr Rajendra Prasad, Abul Kalam Azad, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Mahatma Gandhi.[During British rule, the Congress Party wanted to hold their annual convention in Allahabad but they were denied permission by the Government to use any public place for this purpose. The Maharaja of Darbhanga bought an area and allowed Congress to hold their annual convention there. The annual convention of Congress of 1892 was held on December 28 on the grounds of Lowther Castle, purchased by the then Maharaja of Darbhanga. The area was leased to the Indian National Congress by the Maharaja to thwart any attempts by British officials to deny the Indian National Congress a place to hold their annual conventions.
Mithila society and Maithili language
The Kings of Raj Darbhanga were Brahmins by caste. Mithila was a centre of knowledge from time immemorial, and the kings promoted knowledge, arts, and crafts in every possible manner. This has had a profound effect on society of Mithila. Even today, a person's social standing is considered more by his knowledge than by any wealth he has acquired.
The Maharajas of Darbhanga and Darbhanga Raj were looked upon as the embodiment of Mithila and the Maithili language by people in the region. The Maharaja was the hereditary head of Maithil Mahasabha, a writers' organisation. Maharaja and Raj Darbhanga played a prominent role in the revival of the Maithili language and its literature.
Maharaja Kameshwar Singh was a nationalist, and espoused the cause of the Hindi language along with Maithili. This caused anguish to the leaders of the Maithili movement. Maharaja Kameshwar Singh called for the people to start using Devanagari script rather than tirhuta script for writing in Maithili. Today, people write Maithili using the Devanagari script and efforts are being made to revive the Tirhuti script. In 1931, the then Maharaja of Darbhanga, Kameshwar Singh Bahadur, made an endowment of Rs. One lakh to Patna University to create a Maithili development fund. This had the desired result of a spurt in literary activities and publications, and ultimately the language came to be recognized in the field of higher education in 1937.
The views of Maharaja Kameshwar Singh did not gain popularity with the people except for the call to use the Devanagri script. He effectively became the leader of a small elite group having a pan-nationalistic agenda rather than a popular king of the masses. He lost in the general election in Bihar in 1952 despite being one of the biggest philanthropists and progressive-minded kings in pre-independence India.
A former Secretary of Maithil Mahasabha said Darbhanga Kameshwar Singh "was a great nationalist, one of the founders of Indian National Congress. Now he worked for national integration. So he removed the claim of Maithili itself and fought for Hindi. We have a script of our own, but when he established a printing press here [in Darbhanga], he established a Hindi printing press. A great contribution to national integration but a loss for Mithila."
Maharaja Kameshwar Singh published Mithila Mihir, a Maithili periodical, starting in 1908. Mithila Mihir was published by Newspaper and Publications Pvt. Ltd, by one of the companies owned by Raj Darbhanga. Publication of Mithila Mihir was continued until the 1980s and intermittently thereafter. Maharaja Kameshwar Singh made a provision in his will for its continued publication.
Maithil Brahmins
Maharaja Kameshwar Singh caused great upheaval in Maithil Brahmin society when he went to England in spite of the traditional prohibition against going abroad. The Maithil Brahmin society was divided into two groups by this event, the Swadeshi and the Vilayati. The Swadeshi ("country's own") were those who called for a boycott of the Maharaja since he had broken the age-old tradition and had gone abroad. The Vilayati ("foreigners") were the group who supported the Maharaja's visit to England. For many years, the Maithil Brahmins were divided on this issue. Later everyone accepted the visit of the Maharaja to England as a progressive breakthrough for the society as a whole.
Religion
The Maharajas of Darbhanga were devoted to Sanskrit traditions and were supporters of orthodox Hindu practices in both caste and religion.
The kings of Darbhanga were of the Brahimin caste. Shiva and Kali were the main deities of the royal family. Even though they were deeply religious, they were also secular in their outlook. The palace area in Darbhanga has three tombs of Muslim saints and a small mosque. The walls of fort at Darbhanga was designed to leave an area so that the mosque is not disturbed. The tomb of a Muslim saint is located next to Anandbagh Palace.
As part of their attempt to reintroduce old Hindu customs such as the study of Vedas and Vedic rites, the Maharaja reintroduced Samavedic study by inviting a few well-versed Samavedins from south India to teach th
Maharaja Rameshwar Singh established and was general president of Sri Bharat Dharma Mahamadal, a neo-conservative Hindi organization that sought to make Hindu scriptures available to all castes and women. He was one of the main patrons of Agamanusandhana Samiti, an organisation with the objective of publishing Tantric texts in English and other languages.
Parmangi system
Parmangi was a unique system for pre-approval of intended marriage partners prevalent among Shrotriya Brahmins.
Most of the Hindu population in Mithila region follow the Mithila School of Hindu personal law, a set of laws governing the religious, personal, and cultural aspects of society. Hindu personal law varies from region to region. Under the Mithila school of Hindu personal law, a person can only marry someone who is seven generations removed from their father's side and five generations removed from their mother's side.
A system of keeping the genealogical trees was maintained by people known as Panjikaar. They maintained geneacological records of every Brahmin family in Mithila. Any Maithil Brahmin could approach the Panjikaars and get the list of eligible spouses for their children. The list authenticated that the prospective spouse was not within prohibited degrees of relationship.
During the days of the Raj, a Shrotriya Brahmin had to apply to the Maharaja of Darbhanga for approval of an intended marriage, giving details of the bride and groom along with a certificate from the Panjikaar stating that the bride and groom were not within the prohibited degrees of relationship. The priest would get the marriage formalized only after the Maharaja's approval was received.Records of every marriage were kept by Raj Darbhanga. This also served as a register of marriages amongst Shrotriya Brahmins. The Parnami System became defunct after the death of Maharaja Kameshwar Singh Bahadur in 1962.
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