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House of Dar

2026-10-25T13:18:43Z

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{{Short description|Indian Zamindari Dynasty}}
{{Infobox family
| name = House of Dar
| native_name = دار راج
| coat_of_arms = [[File:Coat of Arms of the King of the House of Dar.png|150px]]
| coat_of_arms_caption = Heraldic Crest of the King of the House of Dar
| image = [[File:Emblem (or seal) of Dar Raj دار راج.png|95px]]
| image_caption = Seal of Dar Raj ([[Akhnoor]])
| type = [[Jagir|Jagirdari]]{{•}}[[Zamindari]]
| origin = [[Akhnoor]]
| country = *[[File:Flag of India.svg|20px]] [[India]]
*[[File:Flag of Bangladesh.svg|20px]] [[Bangladesh]]
| region = *[[Dar (village)]]
*[[Dhamrai Upazila]]
*[[Rowail]]
*[[Jalsin (village)|Jalsin]]
*[[Nannar (village)]]
| founded = {{Start date and age|1699}}
| founder = [[Virendra Mohan Dar]]
| seat = Nannar Palace
| styles = {{collapsible list
|[[Maharaja]]
|[[Maharani]]
|[[Queen Regnant]]
|[[Prince]], [[Princess]]
|[[Rai Bahadur]]
|[[Babu]]
}}
| cadet_branches = {{Hidden begin
|title = Show
|titlestyle = text-align:center; font-weight:bold;
|contentstyle = text-align:center;
}}
{{Tree chart/start|align=center|summary=House of Dar family tree}}
{{Tree chart| | | DAR | | |DAR= '''[[File:Royal Standard of the House of Dar.png|40px|center]] {{center|House of Dar}}'''}}
{{Tree chart| |,|-|^|-|.| }}
{{Tree chart| NAN | | HUN |NAN= {{center|House of [[Nannar (village)|Nannar]]}}|HUN={{center|House of [[Hunderman]]{{Sfn|Sen|1941|p=162}}}} }}
{{Tree chart/end}}
| connected_members = {{collapsible list
|
| [[Peary Charan Sarkar]]
| [[Manik Ram Basu|Maharaja Manik Ram Basu]]
| [[Manojit Mohan Dhar]]
| [[Sadhvi Saudamini|Rani Sadhvi Saudamini]]
| [[Anupama Kundoo]]
| [[Roopa Basu]]
}}
| current_head = [[Highness|HH]] [[Maharaja]] VII
Vinayak Singh{{Efn|Vinayak Singh, ascended to ''Maharaja VII'' of the House of Dar because of Article VII of the ''[[Virendra Royal Succession Charter]]'' succeeding the [[Queen Regnant|Maharani Regnant]] Basu, on May 7, 2024.}}{{Sfn|Sen|1941|p=99-100}}
}}

'''House of Dar''' also known as '''Dar Raj''' ([[Bengali language|Bengali]]: দার রাজ [[Persian language|Persian]]: در راج) was a [[Jagir]]dari estate which originated in [[Dar (village)|Dar]] region of [[Akhnoor]] in the year 1771{{Efn|The Dar Raj foundations were laid by Hari Krishna Mohan Dar in the year 1699 in [[Srinagar]]. But the Dar Raj emerged as a powerful [[Jagirdari]] estate under the leadership of [[Virendra Mohan Dar]] from 1771.}} under the leadership of Maharaja [[Virendra Mohan Dar]] during the Durrani Rule. After the collapse of the [[Durrani Empire]], House of Dar shifted to Bengal (now [[Bangladesh]]) and established the House of [[Nannar (village)|Nannar]].<ref>Anirban Chattopadhyay, "''Virendramohan of Dar Raj: Locating Subaltern Voices in the Bengali Novel''", in: Tirthankar Roy and Tapati Guha-Thakurta, eds, ''Literary Cartographies of Bengal'', Volume 2: ''Textual Politics and the Colonial State'', Kolkata: Academic Publishers, 2014, '''pp'''. 114-132.</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Mukherjee |first=Ramesh Chandra |url=https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=eUy3EQAAQBAJ&pli=1 |title=Mahārāja Vīrendra Mohan Dār of Akhnūr |date=1987-07-21 |publisher=Nīldhôni Prokāśônā |pages=28, 29, 30 |language=en}}</ref><ref>Singh, Ravinath. (1974). ''The life and death of Virendra of Dhar Raj: A critical analysis of the final siege of Dhar''. In K. P. Acharya & D. Sharma (Eds.), ''Historiography of the Central Provinces: Vol. 4. The Paramara Epoch'' (A. M. C. Hollingbery, Trans.; 3rd ed., '''pp'''. 412, 414, 419, 421–485). ''Oriental Research Publishing House''. (Original work published 1921).</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Scanned copy of Book- বাংলার জমিদারি রাজ্য pp. 97.jpg|left|thumb|Scanned copy of Book- বাংলার জমিদারি রাজ্য pp. 97 by Shishir Ghosh [[Bachelor of Laws|BL]]- About the House of Dar<ref name=":0">''বাংলার জমিদারি রাজ্য'', শ্রী শিশির ঘোষ বি.এল. 1950-Machuabajar, Beadon Street, Calcutta- Hendon Printing, 14 Machuabazar, [[Kolkata]]</ref>]]
[[File:Scanned copy of Book- বাংলার জমিদারি রাজ্য pp. 98.jpg|left|thumb|Scanned copy of Book- বাংলার জমিদারি রাজ্য pp. 98 by Shishir Ghosh [[Bachelor of Laws|BL]]- About the House of Dar<ref name=":0" /> ]]
The House of Dar was established in the year in 1771 after [[Virendra Mohan Dar]], the grandson of a rich [[Kashmiri Pandits|Kashmiri Pandit]] saffron merchant- Hari Krishna Mohan Dar, was conferred the title of [[Raja]] by [[Ahmad Shah Durrani|Ahmed Shah Durrani]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=BL |first=Jitendranath Ghose |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=mx7iEQAAQBAJ&newbks=0&hl=en&source=newbks_fb&redir_esc=y |title=The Raja of Dar- Life and Legacy of Virendra Vasudev of Dar- ویرِندرا واسودِو موهان دار |date=1931-07-21 |publisher=Bridgebit Printing Works, Bowbajaar, Calcutta 1931 |pages=16, 17 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Badal |first=M. N. C. |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=m9C8EQAAQBAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=Virendra+Mohan+Dar&source=gbs_navlinks_s |title=ZAMĪNDĀRS OF EARLY BAṄGĀL AND EAST PĀKISTĀN AND DECLINE OF ZAMĪNDĀR SYSTEM |date=1949-06-11 |publisher=Baṅgāl Granthālaya Prakāśan |pages=55, 56, 57 |language=en}}</ref> Later in 1813, the title of ''[[Maharaja Bahadur|Bahadur]]'' was formally conferred upon Virendra Mohan Dar by Nawab [[Zain-ud-Din Ali Khan]] of [[Murshidabad]], with the official sanction of the British Governor-General, [[Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto|Lord Minto I]], in recognition of his significant contributions to land expansion, the construction of irrigation works, and consistent revenue payments to the [[East India Company]].{{Sfn|Sen|1941|p=151}}

== Shift to Bengal ==
[[File:Dhar Zamindars of Dhar Raj (Dacca, 1879).png|thumb|Dhar Zamindars of Dhar Raj, [[Dacca]], ({{circa|1879}} Center: Raja III Hara Mohan Dhar]]
After the death of [[Ahmad Shah Durrani|Ahmed Shah Durrani]], the House of Durrani collapsed and the jagirs and fedual landlords started losing power in Kashmir, including the House of Dar. Due to the extreme political instability and attacks caused by the [[Sikh Misls]] the Dar Raj shifted to [[Bangladesh]] towards the end of the eighteenth century.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nalinikanta Bhattacharya |url=http://archive.org/details/dar-raj-dhar-raj-of-akhnur-and-dhaka |title=Dar Raj (Dhar Raj) of Akhnur and Dhaka |date=1938-04-18}}</ref>{{Sfn|Basu|1919|p=45, 46}} The House of Dar established the Char Talibari Rajbari at the Rajrajeshwar Union of Bangladesh as their primary seat but soon lost it due to the erosion caused by the [[Padma River]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=BL |first=Jitendranath Ghose |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=mx7iEQAAQBAJ&newbks=0&hl=en&source=newbks_fb&redir_esc=y |title=The Raja of Dar- Life and Legacy of Virendra Vasudev of Dar- ویرِندرا واسودِو موهان دار |date=1931-07-21 |publisher=Bridgebit Printing Works, Bowbajaar, Calcutta 1931 |pages=36, 37, 28, 39 |language=en}}</ref> In 1802, The Maharaja, established the 250-room Dhar Zamindar Bari at [[Nannar (village)|Nannar Village]]- which later came to be known as House of Nannar, a branch of the House of Dar. The Zamindari spanned over 25,000 acres of land including Rajrajeshwar, [[Rowail]], Sharifbag,. Ashulia, Demra, [[Nannar (village)|Nannar]], [[Dhamrai Upazila|Dhamrai]] and Suapur.{{Sfn|Basu|1919|p=21-28}}{{Sfn|Sen|1941|p=141, 142}}

== Residences ==
The House of Dar established three successive principal seats of power across Kashmir and Bengal:
[[File:Dhar Jamindar Bari Image (1869).jpg|thumb|The Dhar Zamindar Palace in 1869]]

* ''Dar Haveli'' ([[Dar (village)|Dar]], Akhnoor): Established near the banks of the [[Chenab River]], the original family seat was a traditional Kashmiri-style wooden haveli. Following his ascension, Maharaja [[Virendra Mohan Dar]] expanded the estate into a five-acre palace complex featuring a ''Diwan-i-Aam'' (Hall of Public Audience) and a ''Diwan-i-Khas'' supported by carved deodar pillars. The palace was destroyed by fire during a hostile [[Sikh Confederacy|Sikh]] incursion in 1788–1789.{{Sfn|Pal|1908|p=122}}
* [[File:Ruins of the Dhar Zamindar Bari (Later part of Alokeshi High School) 2015.jpg|thumb|Ruins of the Dhar Zamindar Palace (Later part of Alokeshi High School) in 2015]]''Rajrajeshwar Palace'' ([[Bengal]]): Established in 1790 on the Char Talibari tract along the [[Padma River]], this palace served as the initial hub for the dynasty's relocation to East Bengal. Constructed with thick brick walls and elevated foundations to counter seasonal floods, the estate was permanently abandoned in 1797 after catastrophic riverbank erosion dangerously undermined the structure.{{Sfn|Pal|1908|p=276}}
* [[File:The Private Palace Pond of the Dhar Zamindar Bari.jpg|thumb|The Private Palace Pond, ''Virendra Sagar'', of the Dhar Zamindar Bari, 2018]]''[[Dhar Zamindar Palace|Nannar Palace]]'' ([[Bengal]]): Built between 1797 and 1801 in [[Dhamrai Upazila]], the 250-room Nannar Rajbari (popularly known as the ''Dhar Zamindar Bari'') served as the permanent administrative and cultural seat of the Dar Raj. Constructed on stable, flood-resistant uplands, the palace grounds featured a grand Durbar Hall, a family shrine (the ''Dhar Krishna Mandir''), and a brick-lined reservoir called the ''Virendra Sagar''.{{Sfn|Pal|1908|p=298}} Later in 1919 Raja IV Mohini Mohan Dhar demolished majority of the palace and converted it into Elokeshi Balika Vidyalaya, [[Jalsin (village)|Jalsin]]. The other branch of the school is located in [[Gidhni]]. The palace was demolished in 2023.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=iFP0EQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y |title=The Dhar Family- Succession (Private collection of the Dhar Raj family) |date=1933-10-28 |publisher=Metcuff Printing Works 34 Mechuabazar Street, Calcutta. |pages=145, 146, 147 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Jalsin Palace]] ([[Bengal]]): Built between 1804 and 1805 in the Dhamrai Upazila by [[Virendra Mohan Dar]] (Also known as Palace of Uma or Uma Kutir) served as a royal residence to the Dhar family. In 1966, Raja Chittajit Mohan Dhar, renamed the Jalsin Palace after his youngest daughter- [[Uma Dhar|Princess Uma]].<ref>[https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=rXLzEQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y বীরেন্দ্র মোহন দরের জীবনচরিত] শতভিষা প্রকাশন, ১২/১বি, বঙ্কিম চ্যাটার্জি স্ট্রিট, 4 May 1941</ref>
* [[Rowail Zamindar Palace|Rowail Palace]] ([[Bengal]]): Built between 1802 and 1806 in the Dhamrai Upazila by Virendra Mohan Dar served as the royal residence to the Dhar family till 1871. The palace was sold to the Ray brothers- Kamud and Ramendra in 1875. Despite selling the palace to the Ray family, the Dhar's still had influence over the palace till 1951.<ref>The Permanent Settlement and the Rise of the Bengal Zamindari Raj: A Critical Appraisal of Revenue Administration under the East India Company, Ray, Sarat Chandra (1912) Thacker, Spink & Co., Calcutta & Simla</ref>[[File:Jalsin Palace established by the house of dar.jpg|thumb|The front facade of the [[Jalsin Palace|Uma Kutir]]]][[File:Rowail Zamindar Palace (2019).jpg|thumb|The front facade of the Rowail Zamindar Palace]]

== Establishments ==
[[File:Elokeshi High School, Gidhni (Image).jpg|left|thumb|Gidhni, Elokeshi High School]]
[[File:Alokeshi High School, Jalsin.jpg|thumb|Alokeshi High School, Jalsin]]
Raja IV of the Dar Raj established two schools, namely the ''Elokeshi High School'' in Jalsin after demolishing a significant part of the Dhar Zamindar Bari. Another branch of this school was established in Gidhni- ''Gidhni Elokeshi High School''.<ref name=":1" /> Raja IV Dewan MM Dhar also played the leasing role in the leading of the iron ore mines in [[Gorumahisani]] along with [[Pramatha Nath Bose]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Odisha (India) |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Orissa_District_Gazetteers_Mayurbhanj/EiYLAQAAIAAJ?hl=en |title=Orissa District Gazetteers: Mayurbhanj |last2=Orissa (India) |date=1967 |publisher=Superintendent, Orissa Government Press |pages=38, 39 |language=en}}</ref> [[Rupsa–Baripada–Bangriposi line|Rupsa–Baripada–Bangriposi railway line]] creation operation was lead and managed by the [[Raja]] IV [[Dewan]] Mohini Mohan Dhar.<ref name=":2" /> On 25 April 1960 Raja VI Chittajit Mohan Dhar [[Member of parliament|M.P.]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bollyy |title=Shashi Kapoor’s First Solo Hero Hit ‘Jab Jab Phool Khile’ Marks 60 Years Since Its 1965 Release |url=https://bollyy.com/entertainment/shashi-kapoors-first-solo-hero-hit-jab-jab-phool-khile-marks-60-years-since-its-1965-release-10644834 |access-date=2026-08-19 |website=bollyy.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tripathi |first=Shanti Swaroop |title=Jab Jab Phool Khile 1965 film: शशि कपूर की पहली सोलो हिट ‘जब जब फूल खिले’ — 1965 की यादगार सुपरहिट फिल्म |url=https://mayapuri.com/photos/entertainment/released-sixty-years-ago-5-november-1965-the-film-ran-for-fifty-weeks-shashi-kapoors-first-solo-hero-hit-jab-jab-phool-khile-made-him-a-star-in-north-africa-10638582 |access-date=2026-08-28 |website=mayapuri.com |language=hi}}</ref> established [[Perfect Chemical Industries]] with the help of [[Humayun Kabir (Indian National Congress politician)|Humayun Kabir]] on 39 Dum Dum Road, Calcutta.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/The_Commercial_and_Financial_Chronicle/TetI3JJj1bwC?hl=en&gbpv=0&bsq=PErfect%20Chemical%20Industries%2019%20dum%20dum%20road%201960 |title=The Commercial and Financial Chronicle |date=1962 |publisher=William B. Dana Company. |pages=17 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Indian_Chemical_Directory/rQ8fAQAAMAAJ?hl=en |title=Indian Chemical Directory |date=1975 |publisher=Technical Press Publications |volume=XI |pages=153 |language=en |via=University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign}}</ref> Perfect Chemical Industries specialized in the domestic production of critical industrial and defense-related chemicals—such as [[benzyl benzoate]] and [[dimethyl phthalate]]—which helped reduce India's import dependency and saved valuable foreign exchange during its active years of operation.<ref>{{Cite book |last=India |first=India Office of the Registrar of Newspapers for |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Press_in_India/PiYSmcEhrzMC?hl=en&gbpv=0&bsq=Chittajit%20Mohan%20Dhar |title=Press in India: Annual Report of the Registrar of Newspapers for India |date=1966 |publisher=Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India |pages=529 |language=en}}</ref> The annual turnovers were around ₹42 to ₹45 Crores with net profits near ₹7.8 Crores, official regulatory records currently classify the company's status as "Strike Off." as of 2026<ref>{{Cite web |last=SensiBook |title=PERFECT CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES {{!}} Financials & Director Contacts |url=https://www.sensibook.com/companies/468072/U24232WB1960PTC024634/PERFECT-CHEMICAL-INDUSTRIES-PVT-LTD |access-date=2026-08-19 |website=SensiBook |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Prof Humayun Kabir at Dum Dum Chemical Factory |url=https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:640/format:webp/0*zu1eH1GNCecYhhoU.jpeg|website=Bombay Times Newspaper|url-status=live}}</ref> Perfect Chemical Industries shut down and was sold to [[Emami]] after the death of Chittajit Mohan Dhar in 1975.
[[File:CM Dhar and Humayun Kabeer.jpg|thumb|Chittajit Mohan Dhar (center) and [[Humayun Kabir (Indian National Congress politician)|Humayun Kabir]] (right) at Perfect Chemical Industries, [[Dum Dum]]]]
== Flags ==
[[File:Royal Standard of the House of Dar.png|thumb|Royal Standard of the House of Dar with the Coat of Arms of the [[:en:House of Dar#List of Rulers|King]] of the House of Dar]]

[[File:Royal Standard of the House of Dar (16 Dar Estates of Akhnoor).svg|thumb|Royal Standard of the House of Dar in Jammu from (1771 to 1789) which represented the role of the Dar Zamindari over 16 villages and mouzas in Jammu and Kashmir Valley area.]]

[[File:Royal Standard of the House of Dar (19 Dar Estates of Bengal).svg|thumb|Royal Standard of the House of Dar in Bengal (Now [[Bangladesh]] and parts of [[West Bengal|Bengal]]) (Since 1799) which represented the role of the Dar Zamindari over 19 villages and mouzas in Bengal (Now parts of [[Bangladesh]] and [[West Bengal]])

st Bengale]]

[[File:Royal Standard of the House of Hunderman (Of the House of Dar).svg|thumb|Royal Standard of the House of Hunderman (Founded by the cousin of [[Virendra Mohan Dar|The Maharaja]], in [[Hunderman]]) After the death of Waqif Ali Khan, in 1810, the Maharaja and the Dar Raj took over the House of Hunderman.]]

== Honours and Chivalric Orders ==
[[File:Amrita Bazaar Patrika Dar Raj (A social gathering) Part 1.png|thumb|[[Amrita Bazar Patrika|Amrita Bazaar Patrika]] news paper 11 May 1944]]

The House of Dar established family orders of chivalry to recognize public service, philanthropy, and contributions to society.{{Sfn|Pal|1908|p=199}}

* '''Order of Dar Raj (ODR):''' First instituted in 1818 by Maharaja [[Virendra Mohan Dar]], the ODR is the primary order of the family estate.
* '''Most Excellent Order of the House of Virendra (MHV):''' Introduced in 1916 by Raja Mohini Mohan Dhar, this order was created in memory of Maharaja Virendra Mohan Dar.

While these honours were conferred across generations, their investiture was formally documented in the regional press during the headship of Raja Dhirendra Mohan Dhar, B.L., B.Sc. On 13 May 1944, an investiture ceremony was held at Saudamini Kutir (19 Kabir Road, Calcutta), followed by a public celebration at [[Laha family|Lahabari]] on 20 May 1944, where fourteen distinguished individuals were decorated with the ODR and MHV.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 May 1944 |title=A Social Gathering |work=[[Amrita Bazar Patrika|Amritabazaar Patrika]] |pages=6}}</ref>
[[File:Amrita Bazaar Patrika Dar Raj (A social gathering) Part 2.png|thumb|List of people awarded ODR and MHV by the royal family, [[Amrita Bazar Patrika|Amrita Bazaar Patrika]] 1944]]

== List of Rulers ==
Although princely pensions, titles, and privileges were officially abolished in India in 1971, families of some former princely rulers have continued to use the old titles unofficially for certain family members, or made new ones for themselves. In some instances, the titles are used in conducting family ceremonies and traditions, to promote the ideal of princely and royal India for tourists, and to sustaining the wealth, stardom, and clout some families have retained.<ref name="padmanab-combined">* {{citation |last=Karatchkova |first=Elena |title=Raj Rhapsodies: Tourism, Heritage, and the Seductions of History |page=30 |year=2016 |chapter=Ghost Towns and Bustling Cities: Constructing a Master Narrative in Nineteenth-Century Jaipur |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pAnPCwAAQBAJ&pg=PR37 |isbn=9781317071624 |quote=The contemporary master narrative for Jaipur and Amber is ‘royalty’. This theme is ubiquitous in tourist publications, such as ''Majestic Jaipur'' (Wheeler 1998). Royal personalities are emphasized, as in ''Jaipur: The Royal City''. One article on tourist attractions of Jaipur features a full-page photograph of Maharaja Bhawani Singh, in full regalia, with his wife and daughter, all identified as ‘the present royal family’ |orig-year=2007}}
* {{citation |last1=Aldrich |first1=Robert |title=Crowns and colonies: European monarchies and overseas empires |page=43 |year=2016 |editor=Robert Aldrich, Cindy McCreery |series=Studies in Imperialism Book 142 |chapter=European sovereigns and their empires 'beyond the seas' |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DW25DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT43 |publisher=Manchester University Press |isbn=9781526100894 |quote=Although Prime Minister Indira Gandhi deprived the India princes of their official titles and privy purses in 1971, the maharajas and other princes, such as the traditional Maharana of Udaipur, who now styles himself as the 'Custodian' of the House of Mewar in Rajasthan, retain wealth, influence and celebrity; in 2015, a twenty-three-year-old economics graduate was thus installed as the most recent Maharajah of Mysore. |last2=McCreery |first2=Cindy}}
* {{cite book |last=Ramusack |first=Barbara N. |author-link=Barbara Ramusack |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kz1-mtazYqEC&pg=PA279 |title=The Indian princes and their states |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-521-26727-4 |page=279 |quote=The princes of India offer fantasy for post-modern consumption. Faced with escalating maintenance costs and declining sources of income, princely entrepreneurs transformed palaces into hotels where tourists could experience an idealised, pampered lifestyle of royalty during a democratic era. In 1954 Karan Singh of Jammu and Kashmir leased his main palace in Srinagar to the Oberoi chain; it seems appropriate that he became minister for tourism and civil aviation in 1967 in Indira Gandhi’s government. In 1958 the Rambagh Palace Hotel opened in Jaipur followed by the much photographed Lake Palace Hotel in Udaipur in the early 1960s}}</ref>
{{History of Bengal}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+List of Zamindar Maharaja's and Maharani's of The House of Dar and it's Branches<ref>{{Cite book |last=সেন |first=প্রণব কুমার |url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=rXLzEQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y |title=বীরেন্দ্র মোহন দরের জীবনচরিত |date=1941-05-04 |publisher=শতভিষা প্রকাশন, ১২/১বি, বঙ্কিম চ্যাটার্জি স্ট্রিট |pages=252–264 |language=bn}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=سین |first=پی۔ کے۔ |url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=QXTzEQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y |title=ویرندراموهان دار از آخنور – زندگی و مرگ – یک زندگی‌نامه |date=1941-01-14 |publisher=انجمن کتاب گھر، لاہور |pages=195, 196, 197, 198 |language=fa}}</ref>
! rowspan="2" |Ruler
! rowspan="2" |Image
! colspan="3" |Reign
! rowspan="2" |Consort
|-
!Start
!End
!Duration
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Maharaja]] I [[Bahadur (title)|Bahadur]]
[[Virendra Mohan Dar]]
|[[File:ویرِندرا واسودِو موهان دار.png|80px]]
|1771
|1821
|50 years
|
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Maharaja]] II
Mukunda Mohan Dar
|[[File:Oil portrait of Raja Mukund Mohan Dar of Akhnoor and dhamrai.png|80px]]
|1821
|13 August 1875
|54 years
|
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Maharaja]] III
Hara Mohan Dhar
|[[File:Haramohandhar.png|80px]]
|1876
|1898
|22 years
|[[File:3rd Rani of Nannar- Rani Elokeshi Devi age 39.png|80px]]
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Maharaja]] IV [[Judge]] [[Babu (title)|Babu]]
Mohini Mohan Dar
|[[File:মোহিনী মোহন ধর বিচারক ও ময়ূরভঞ্জের প্রাক্তন দেওয়ান দার রাজ্যের চতুর্থ উপাধিধারী রাজা.jpg|80px]]
|1898
|15 May 1947
|49 years
|[[File:Sadhvi Saudamini Dhar.jpg|80px]]
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Maharaja]] V
Dhirendra Mohan Dar
|[[File:Barrister Dhirendra Mohan Dhar.jpg|80px]]
|15 May 1947
|11 May 1949
|{{Age in years and days|15 May 1947|11 May 1949}}
|[[File:Amiyabala Sircar Dhar.jpg|80px]]
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Maharaja]] VI
Chittajit Mohan Dhar
|[[File:Chittajit Mohan Dhar, PhD.jpg|80px]]
|11 May 1949
|24 February 1975
|{{Age in years and days|11 May 1949|24 February 1975}}
|[[File:Leena Dhar.jpg|80px]]
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Privy purse in India#Abolition|Titular]] Maharani Regnant
Subha Basu Dhar{{Efn|Although the House of Dar ordinarily follows [[Primogeniture|agnatic primogeniture]] under Article II of the ''[[Virendra Mohan Dar|Virendra Royal Succession Charter]]'', the Charter does not absolutely exclude female succession. Article VI establishes the precedence of male lines over female lines, while Article VII provides that, in the absence of eligible male descendants in both the male and female lines, the eldest surviving daughter may succeed as ''Maharani Regnant''. Accordingly, the accession of Subha Basu Dhar as [[Maharani]] was regarded by the family as being in conformity with the provisions of the Charter rather than an exception to it until the birth of a male heir- the grandson of Maharaja VI. Dhar remained the [[Queen Regnant|Maharani Regnant]] till, the heir apparent, the only son of Princess III turned 18.{{Sfn|Sen|1941|p=99}}}}
|[[File:Princess_Subha_Dhar_(1952).jpg|80px]]
|24 February 1975
|7 May 2006
|{{Age in years and days|24 February 1975|7 May 2006}}
|
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Privy purse in India#Abolition|Titular]] [[Maharaja]] VII
Vinayak Singh{{Efn|Vinayak Singh, ascended to ''Maharaja VII'' of the House of Dar because of Article VII of the ''[[Virendra Mohan Dar|Virendra Royal Succession Charter]]'' succeeding the [[Queen Regnant|Maharani Regnant]] Basu, on May 7, 2024.}}
|[[File:Vinayak of Dar I.jpg|80x80px]]
|7 May 2024
|[[Incumbent]]
| {{Age in years and days|7 May 2024}}
|
|}

==Members==
Notable direct and distant members of the family include- [[Jogesh Chandra Ghosh]], an ayurvedic scholar, founder of the [[Sadhana Aushadhalaya]] and [[Gopalpur Tea Company]]<nowiki/>and the brother of [[Sadhvi Saudamini|Maharani IV- Saudamini]].<ref>Sengupta, Subhodh Chandra; Basu, Anjali, eds. (January 2002). <bdi>যোগেশচন্দ্র ঘোষ</bdi> [Jogesh Chandra Ghosh]. ''Samsad Bangali Charitabhidhan (Bibliographical Dictionary)'' (in Bengali). Vol. 1 (4th ed.). Kolkata: Shishu Sahitya Samsad. p. 445. {{ISBN|978-81-85626-65-9}}.</ref> The Maharani V Amiyabala was the granddaughter of educationist and philanthropist [[Peary Charan Sarkar]], founder of Barasat Peary Charan Sarkar High School and the author of the first book of reading. Amiyabala was the sister of Sir. [[Nripendra Nath Sircar]] [[Order of the Star of India|K.C.S.I]], former Advocate General of Bengal and the father of [[Padma Bhushan]] [[Birendranath Sircar|Birendra Nath Sircar]].<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Sircar, Sir Nripendra Nath, (died 1945), Law Member of Executive Council of Governor-General of India, 1934–39; late Vice-President, Viceroy's Executive Council; Leader of Indian Legislative Assembly |url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/display/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-231810 |journal=WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO |language=en-US |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-231810 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250421110806/https://www.ukwhoswho.com/display/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-231810 |archive-date=2025-04-21}}</ref> Amiyabala was the grandchild Princess Kailashkamini of Hatkhola, the granddaughter of [[Manik Ram Basu|Maharaja Manik Ram Basu]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=BeeZone |url=http://archive.org/details/sailendrasircarcentenary |title=Sailendra Sircar Centenary |date=2019-07-03 |pages=12, 13, 14, 15 |language=Bengali}}</ref> Out of the five children of Maharaja V, one of them was Dhirendra Mohan Dhar a barrister-at-law from [[King's College London]] and a Mathematician who was married to Amiyabala. The other son was Satyendra Mohan Dhar [[Order of the Indian Empire|C.I.E]]., [[Indian Civil Service|I.C.S.]] who was married to Ava Dhar [[Order of the British Empire|M.B.E.]], [[Order of the British Empire|O.B.E.]],<ref>''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage: With Her Majesty's Royal Warrant Holders'' (1955) [[University of Michigan]], Kelly's Directories (pub) John Debrett</ref> the granddaughter of Sir. [[Krishna Govinda Gupta]] [[Order of the Star of India|K.C.S.I.]], and the niece-in-law of Sir. [[Albion Rajkumar Banerji|Albion Banerji]]- former Prime Minister of [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]]. Ava and Satyendra had two sons- [[Manojit Mohan Dhar]] being one of them. The sister of Maharaja VI, the Princess Royal, Pritilata is the grandmother of [[Anupama Kundoo]], an architect, professor and Auguste Perret winner.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kundoo |first=Anupama |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=jnRIAQAAIAAJ&redir_esc=y |title=Roger Anger: Recherche Sur la Beauté : Architecture 1953-2008 |date=2009 |publisher=Jovis |isbn=978-3-86859-006-7 |language=fr}}</ref> Granddaughter of the Maharaja VI via his eldest daughter- Queen Mother Subha, is [[Roopa Basu]], a British designer, architect and artist.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saree Stories: Making mini sarees & unfolding their stories - South Asian Heritage Trust |url=https://southasianheritage.org.uk/events/saree-stories-making-mini-sarees-unfolding-their-stories/ |access-date=2026-08-13 |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Uma Dhar]], the daughter of Maharaja VI is an Indian Philosopher, researcher and the mother of Maharaja VII- Vinayak.

== References ==

=== Notes ===
{{Notelist}}

=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==

* {{Cite book |last=Basu |first=Gopi Nath |url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=1lnvEQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y |title=LETTERS AND PAMPHLETS OF RAJA VIRENDRAMOHAN |date=1919-04-04 |publisher=Thacker, Spink, & Co. |editor-last=Dice Esq. |editor-first=M.R. |language=en}}
* {{Cite book
|ref={{harvid|Sen|1941}}
|last=Sen
|first=P. K.
|last2=Fitzroy
|first2=Edward
|last3=Harrington
|first3=Reginald
|title=Virendra Mohan Dar: A Biography
|year=1941
|publisher=Metcuff Printing Works
|location=Calcutta
|language=en
|url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=b7nyEQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y
}}
* {{cite book |last=Pal |first=Gurnindra |author-link= |title=রাজা বীরেন্দ্র মোহন দার এর জীবনচরিত্র |language=bn |trans-title=Raja Virendra Mohan Dar's Biography |edition=1st incomplete serialization |location=[[Calcutta]] |publisher=Kuntaline Press |publication-place=5 Shib Narayan Das Lane / 61–62 [[Bowbazar Street|Bowbazar]], [[Calcutta]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]] |year=1908}}
{{S-start}}
{{S-hou| House of Dar | name='''House of Dar'''}}
{{S-bef| before=Ramhari Dar (As Patriarch in [[Dar (village)|Dar]])}}
{{S-ttl | title=[[Maharaja]] / [[Jagirdar]] of [[Dar (village)|Dar]] | years=1771–1795}}
{{S-ttl | title=[[Zamindar]] of [[Dhamrai]] (Based at [[Nannar (village)|Nannar]] Rajbari) | years=1801–1821}}
{{S-aft| after=[[Raja]] Mukund Mohan Dar (Heir to the Nannar Estate)}}
{{S-end}}

[[Category:History of Kolkata]]
[[Category:Royal families]]
[[Category:Zamindars of Bengal]]
[[Category:Zamindari estates]]
[[Category:Noble families]]
[[Category:Royal families by continent]]
[[Category:Jammu and Kashmir]]

House of Dar

2026-10-25T13:15:45Z

J1234QWE: /* Residences */

{{Short description|Indian Zamindari Dynasty}}
{{Infobox family
| name = House of Dar
| native_name = دار راج
| coat_of_arms = [[File:Coat of Arms of the King of the House of Dar.png|150px]]
| coat_of_arms_caption = Heraldic Crest of the King of the House of Dar
| image = [[File:Emblem (or seal) of Dar Raj دار راج.png|95px]]
| image_caption = Seal of Dar Raj ([[Akhnoor]])
| type = [[Jagir|Jagirdari]]{{•}}[[Zamindari]]
| origin = [[Akhnoor]]
| country = *[[File:Flag of India.svg|20px]] [[India]]
*[[File:Flag of Bangladesh.svg|20px]] [[Bangladesh]]
| region = *[[Dar (village)]]
*[[Dhamrai Upazila]]
*[[Rowail]]
*[[Jalsin (village)|Jalsin]]
*[[Nannar (village)]]
| founded = {{Start date and age|1699}}
| founder = [[Virendra Mohan Dar]]
| seat = Nannar Palace
| styles = {{collapsible list
|[[Maharaja]]
|[[Maharani]]
|[[Queen Regnant]]
|[[Prince]], [[Princess]]
|[[Rai Bahadur]]
|[[Babu]]
}}
| cadet_branches = {{Hidden begin
|title = Show
|titlestyle = text-align:center; font-weight:bold;
|contentstyle = text-align:center;
}}
{{Tree chart/start|align=center|summary=House of Dar family tree}}
{{Tree chart| | | DAR | | |DAR= '''[[File:Royal Standard of the House of Dar.png|40px|center]] {{center|House of Dar}}'''}}
{{Tree chart| |,|-|^|-|.| }}
{{Tree chart| NAN | | HUN |NAN= {{center|House of [[Nannar (village)|Nannar]]}}|HUN={{center|House of [[Hunderman]]{{Sfn|Sen|1941|p=162}}}} }}
{{Tree chart/end}}
| connected_members = {{collapsible list
|
| [[Peary Charan Sarkar]]
| [[Manik Ram Basu|Maharaja Manik Ram Basu]]
| [[Manojit Mohan Dhar]]
| [[Sadhvi Saudamini|Rani Sadhvi Saudamini]]
| [[Anupama Kundoo]]
| [[Roopa Basu]]
}}
| current_head = [[Highness|HH]] [[Maharaja]] VII
Vinayak Singh{{Efn|Vinayak Singh, ascended to ''Maharaja VII'' of the House of Dar because of Article VII of the ''[[Virendra Royal Succession Charter]]'' succeeding the [[Queen Regnant|Maharani Regnant]] Basu, on May 7, 2024.}}{{Sfn|Sen|1941|p=99-100}}
}}

'''House of Dar''' also known as '''Dar Raj''' ([[Bengali language|Bengali]]: দার রাজ [[Persian language|Persian]]: در راج) was a [[Jagir]]dari estate which originated in [[Dar (village)|Dar]] region of [[Akhnoor]] in the year 1771{{Efn|The Dar Raj foundations were laid by Hari Krishna Mohan Dar in the year 1699 in [[Srinagar]]. But the Dar Raj emerged as a powerful [[Jagirdari]] estate under the leadership of [[Virendra Mohan Dar]] from 1771.}} under the leadership of Maharaja [[Virendra Mohan Dar]] during the Durrani Rule. After the collapse of the [[Durrani Empire]], House of Dar shifted to Bengal (now [[Bangladesh]]) and established the House of [[Nannar (village)|Nannar]].<ref>Anirban Chattopadhyay, "''Virendramohan of Dar Raj: Locating Subaltern Voices in the Bengali Novel''", in: Tirthankar Roy and Tapati Guha-Thakurta, eds, ''Literary Cartographies of Bengal'', Volume 2: ''Textual Politics and the Colonial State'', Kolkata: Academic Publishers, 2014, '''pp'''. 114-132.</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Mukherjee |first=Ramesh Chandra |url=https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=eUy3EQAAQBAJ&pli=1 |title=Mahārāja Vīrendra Mohan Dār of Akhnūr |date=1987-07-21 |publisher=Nīldhôni Prokāśônā |pages=28, 29, 30 |language=en}}</ref><ref>Singh, Ravinath. (1974). ''The life and death of Virendra of Dhar Raj: A critical analysis of the final siege of Dhar''. In K. P. Acharya & D. Sharma (Eds.), ''Historiography of the Central Provinces: Vol. 4. The Paramara Epoch'' (A. M. C. Hollingbery, Trans.; 3rd ed., '''pp'''. 412, 414, 419, 421–485). ''Oriental Research Publishing House''. (Original work published 1921).</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Scanned copy of Book- বাংলার জমিদারি রাজ্য pp. 97.jpg|left|thumb|Scanned copy of Book- বাংলার জমিদারি রাজ্য pp. 97 by Shishir Ghosh [[Bachelor of Laws|BL]]- About the House of Dar<ref name=":0">''বাংলার জমিদারি রাজ্য'', শ্রী শিশির ঘোষ বি.এল. 1950-Machuabajar, Beadon Street, Calcutta- Hendon Printing, 14 Machuabazar, [[Kolkata]]</ref>]]
[[File:Scanned copy of Book- বাংলার জমিদারি রাজ্য pp. 98.jpg|left|thumb|Scanned copy of Book- বাংলার জমিদারি রাজ্য pp. 98 by Shishir Ghosh [[Bachelor of Laws|BL]]- About the House of Dar<ref name=":0" /> ]]
The House of Dar was established in the year in 1771 after [[Virendra Mohan Dar]], the grandson of a rich [[Kashmiri Pandits|Kashmiri Pandit]] saffron merchant- Hari Krishna Mohan Dar, was conferred the title of [[Raja]] by [[Ahmad Shah Durrani|Ahmed Shah Durrani]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=BL |first=Jitendranath Ghose |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=mx7iEQAAQBAJ&newbks=0&hl=en&source=newbks_fb&redir_esc=y |title=The Raja of Dar- Life and Legacy of Virendra Vasudev of Dar- ویرِندرا واسودِو موهان دار |date=1931-07-21 |publisher=Bridgebit Printing Works, Bowbajaar, Calcutta 1931 |pages=16, 17 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Badal |first=M. N. C. |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=m9C8EQAAQBAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=Virendra+Mohan+Dar&source=gbs_navlinks_s |title=ZAMĪNDĀRS OF EARLY BAṄGĀL AND EAST PĀKISTĀN AND DECLINE OF ZAMĪNDĀR SYSTEM |date=1949-06-11 |publisher=Baṅgāl Granthālaya Prakāśan |pages=55, 56, 57 |language=en}}</ref> Later in 1813, the title of ''[[Maharaja Bahadur|Bahadur]]'' was formally conferred upon Virendra Mohan Dar by Nawab [[Zain-ud-Din Ali Khan]] of [[Murshidabad]], with the official sanction of the British Governor-General, [[Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto|Lord Minto I]], in recognition of his significant contributions to land expansion, the construction of irrigation works, and consistent revenue payments to the [[East India Company]].{{Sfn|Sen|1941|p=151}}

== Shift to Bengal ==
[[File:Dhar Zamindars of Dhar Raj (Dacca, 1879).png|thumb|Dhar Zamindars of Dhar Raj, [[Dacca]], ({{circa|1879}} Center: Raja III Hara Mohan Dhar]]
After the death of [[Ahmad Shah Durrani|Ahmed Shah Durrani]], the House of Durrani collapsed and the jagirs and fedual landlords started losing power in Kashmir, including the House of Dar. Due to the extreme political instability and attacks caused by the [[Sikh Misls]] the Dar Raj shifted to [[Bangladesh]] towards the end of the eighteenth century.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nalinikanta Bhattacharya |url=http://archive.org/details/dar-raj-dhar-raj-of-akhnur-and-dhaka |title=Dar Raj (Dhar Raj) of Akhnur and Dhaka |date=1938-04-18}}</ref>{{Sfn|Basu|1919|p=45, 46}} The House of Dar established the Char Talibari Rajbari at the Rajrajeshwar Union of Bangladesh as their primary seat but soon lost it due to the erosion caused by the [[Padma River]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=BL |first=Jitendranath Ghose |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=mx7iEQAAQBAJ&newbks=0&hl=en&source=newbks_fb&redir_esc=y |title=The Raja of Dar- Life and Legacy of Virendra Vasudev of Dar- ویرِندرا واسودِو موهان دار |date=1931-07-21 |publisher=Bridgebit Printing Works, Bowbajaar, Calcutta 1931 |pages=36, 37, 28, 39 |language=en}}</ref> In 1802, The Maharaja, established the 250-room Dhar Zamindar Bari at [[Nannar (village)|Nannar Village]]- which later came to be known as House of Nannar, a branch of the House of Dar. The Zamindari spanned over 25,000 acres of land including Rajrajeshwar, [[Rowail]], Sharifbag,. Ashulia, Demra, [[Nannar (village)|Nannar]], [[Dhamrai Upazila|Dhamrai]] and Suapur.{{Sfn|Basu|1919|p=21-28}}{{Sfn|Sen|1941|p=141, 142}}

== Residences ==
The House of Dar established three successive principal seats of power across Kashmir and Bengal:
[[File:Dhar Jamindar Bari Image (1869).jpg|thumb|The Dhar Zamindar Palace in 1869]]

* ''Dar Haveli'' ([[Dar (village)|Dar]], Akhnoor): Established near the banks of the [[Chenab River]], the original family seat was a traditional Kashmiri-style wooden haveli. Following his ascension, Maharaja [[Virendra Mohan Dar]] expanded the estate into a five-acre palace complex featuring a ''Diwan-i-Aam'' (Hall of Public Audience) and a ''Diwan-i-Khas'' supported by carved deodar pillars. The palace was destroyed by fire during a hostile [[Sikh Confederacy|Sikh]] incursion in 1788–1789.{{Sfn|Pal|1908|p=122}}
* [[File:Ruins of the Dhar Zamindar Bari (Later part of Alokeshi High School) 2015.jpg|thumb|Ruins of the Dhar Zamindar Palace (Later part of Alokeshi High School) in 2015]]''Rajrajeshwar Palace'' ([[Bengal]]): Established in 1790 on the Char Talibari tract along the [[Padma River]], this palace served as the initial hub for the dynasty's relocation to East Bengal. Constructed with thick brick walls and elevated foundations to counter seasonal floods, the estate was permanently abandoned in 1797 after catastrophic riverbank erosion dangerously undermined the structure.{{Sfn|Pal|1908|p=276}}
* [[File:The Private Palace Pond of the Dhar Zamindar Bari.jpg|thumb|The Private Palace Pond, ''Virendra Sagar'', of the Dhar Zamindar Bari, 2018]]''[[Dhar Zamindar Palace|Nannar Palace]]'' ([[Bengal]]): Built between 1797 and 1801 in [[Dhamrai Upazila]], the 250-room Nannar Rajbari (popularly known as the ''Dhar Zamindar Bari'') served as the permanent administrative and cultural seat of the Dar Raj. Constructed on stable, flood-resistant uplands, the palace grounds featured a grand Durbar Hall, a family shrine (the ''Dhar Krishna Mandir''), and a brick-lined reservoir called the ''Virendra Sagar''.{{Sfn|Pal|1908|p=298}} Later in 1919 Raja IV Mohini Mohan Dhar demolished majority of the palace and converted it into Elokeshi Balika Vidyalaya, [[Jalsin (village)|Jalsin]]. The other branch of the school is located in [[Gidhni]]. The palace was demolished in 2023.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=iFP0EQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y |title=The Dhar Family- Succession (Private collection of the Dhar Raj family) |date=1933-10-28 |publisher=Metcuff Printing Works 34 Mechuabazar Street, Calcutta. |pages=145, 146, 147 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Jalsin Palace]] ([[Bengal]]): Built between 1804 and 1805 in the Dhamrai Upazila by [[Virendra Mohan Dar]] (Also known as Palace of Uma or Uma Kutir) served as a royal residence to the Dhar family. In 1966, Raja Chittajit Mohan Dhar, renamed the Jalsin Palace after his youngest daughter- [[Uma Dhar|Princess Uma]].<ref>[https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=rXLzEQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y বীরেন্দ্র মোহন দরের জীবনচরিত] শতভিষা প্রকাশন, ১২/১বি, বঙ্কিম চ্যাটার্জি স্ট্রিট, 4 May 1941</ref>
* [[Rowail Zamindar Palace|Rowail Palace]] ([[Bengal]]): Built between 1802 and 1806 in the Dhamrai Upazila by Virendra Mohan Dar served as the royal residence to the Dhar family till 1871. The palace was sold to the Ray brothers- Kamud and Ramendra in 1875. Despite selling the palace to the Ray family, the Dhar's still had influence over the palace till 1951.<ref>The Permanent Settlement and the Rise of the Bengal Zamindari Raj: A Critical Appraisal of Revenue Administration under the East India Company, Ray, Sarat Chandra (1912) Thacker, Spink & Co., Calcutta & Simla</ref>[[File:Jalsin Palace established by the house of dar.jpg|thumb|The front facade of the [[Jalsin Palace|Uma Kutir]]]]

== Establishments ==
[[File:Elokeshi High School, Gidhni (Image).jpg|left|thumb|Gidhni, Elokeshi High School]]
[[File:Alokeshi High School, Jalsin.jpg|thumb|Alokeshi High School, Jalsin]]
Raja IV of the Dar Raj established two schools, namely the ''Elokeshi High School'' in Jalsin after demolishing a significant part of the Dhar Zamindar Bari. Another branch of this school was established in Gidhni- ''Gidhni Elokeshi High School''.<ref name=":1" /> Raja IV Dewan MM Dhar also played the leasing role in the leading of the iron ore mines in [[Gorumahisani]] along with [[Pramatha Nath Bose]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Odisha (India) |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Orissa_District_Gazetteers_Mayurbhanj/EiYLAQAAIAAJ?hl=en |title=Orissa District Gazetteers: Mayurbhanj |last2=Orissa (India) |date=1967 |publisher=Superintendent, Orissa Government Press |pages=38, 39 |language=en}}</ref> [[Rupsa–Baripada–Bangriposi line|Rupsa–Baripada–Bangriposi railway line]] creation operation was lead and managed by the [[Raja]] IV [[Dewan]] Mohini Mohan Dhar.<ref name=":2" /> On 25 April 1960 Raja VI Chittajit Mohan Dhar [[Member of parliament|M.P.]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bollyy |title=Shashi Kapoor’s First Solo Hero Hit ‘Jab Jab Phool Khile’ Marks 60 Years Since Its 1965 Release |url=https://bollyy.com/entertainment/shashi-kapoors-first-solo-hero-hit-jab-jab-phool-khile-marks-60-years-since-its-1965-release-10644834 |access-date=2026-08-19 |website=bollyy.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tripathi |first=Shanti Swaroop |title=Jab Jab Phool Khile 1965 film: शशि कपूर की पहली सोलो हिट ‘जब जब फूल खिले’ — 1965 की यादगार सुपरहिट फिल्म |url=https://mayapuri.com/photos/entertainment/released-sixty-years-ago-5-november-1965-the-film-ran-for-fifty-weeks-shashi-kapoors-first-solo-hero-hit-jab-jab-phool-khile-made-him-a-star-in-north-africa-10638582 |access-date=2026-08-28 |website=mayapuri.com |language=hi}}</ref> established [[Perfect Chemical Industries]] with the help of [[Humayun Kabir (Indian National Congress politician)|Humayun Kabir]] on 39 Dum Dum Road, Calcutta.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/The_Commercial_and_Financial_Chronicle/TetI3JJj1bwC?hl=en&gbpv=0&bsq=PErfect%20Chemical%20Industries%2019%20dum%20dum%20road%201960 |title=The Commercial and Financial Chronicle |date=1962 |publisher=William B. Dana Company. |pages=17 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Indian_Chemical_Directory/rQ8fAQAAMAAJ?hl=en |title=Indian Chemical Directory |date=1975 |publisher=Technical Press Publications |volume=XI |pages=153 |language=en |via=University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign}}</ref> Perfect Chemical Industries specialized in the domestic production of critical industrial and defense-related chemicals—such as [[benzyl benzoate]] and [[dimethyl phthalate]]—which helped reduce India's import dependency and saved valuable foreign exchange during its active years of operation.<ref>{{Cite book |last=India |first=India Office of the Registrar of Newspapers for |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Press_in_India/PiYSmcEhrzMC?hl=en&gbpv=0&bsq=Chittajit%20Mohan%20Dhar |title=Press in India: Annual Report of the Registrar of Newspapers for India |date=1966 |publisher=Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India |pages=529 |language=en}}</ref> The annual turnovers were around ₹42 to ₹45 Crores with net profits near ₹7.8 Crores, official regulatory records currently classify the company's status as "Strike Off." as of 2026<ref>{{Cite web |last=SensiBook |title=PERFECT CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES {{!}} Financials & Director Contacts |url=https://www.sensibook.com/companies/468072/U24232WB1960PTC024634/PERFECT-CHEMICAL-INDUSTRIES-PVT-LTD |access-date=2026-08-19 |website=SensiBook |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Prof Humayun Kabir at Dum Dum Chemical Factory |url=https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:640/format:webp/0*zu1eH1GNCecYhhoU.jpeg|website=Bombay Times Newspaper|url-status=live}}</ref> Perfect Chemical Industries shut down and was sold to [[Emami]] after the death of Chittajit Mohan Dhar in 1975.
[[File:CM Dhar and Humayun Kabeer.jpg|thumb|Chittajit Mohan Dhar (center) and [[Humayun Kabir (Indian National Congress politician)|Humayun Kabir]] (right) at Perfect Chemical Industries, [[Dum Dum]]]]
== Flags ==
[[File:Royal Standard of the House of Dar.png|thumb|Royal Standard of the House of Dar with the Coat of Arms of the [[:en:House of Dar#List of Rulers|King]] of the House of Dar]]

[[File:Royal Standard of the House of Dar (16 Dar Estates of Akhnoor).svg|thumb|Royal Standard of the House of Dar in Jammu from (1771 to 1789) which represented the role of the Dar Zamindari over 16 villages and mouzas in Jammu and Kashmir Valley area.]]

[[File:Royal Standard of the House of Dar (19 Dar Estates of Bengal).svg|thumb|Royal Standard of the House of Dar in Bengal (Now [[Bangladesh]] and parts of [[West Bengal|Bengal]]) (Since 1799) which represented the role of the Dar Zamindari over 19 villages and mouzas in Bengal (Now parts of [[Bangladesh]] and [[West Bengal]])

st Bengale]]

[[File:Royal Standard of the House of Hunderman (Of the House of Dar).svg|thumb|Royal Standard of the House of Hunderman (Founded by the cousin of [[Virendra Mohan Dar|The Maharaja]], in [[Hunderman]]) After the death of Waqif Ali Khan, in 1810, the Maharaja and the Dar Raj took over the House of Hunderman.]]

== Honours and Chivalric Orders ==
[[File:Amrita Bazaar Patrika Dar Raj (A social gathering) Part 1.png|thumb|[[Amrita Bazar Patrika|Amrita Bazaar Patrika]] news paper 11 May 1944]]

The House of Dar established family orders of chivalry to recognize public service, philanthropy, and contributions to society.{{Sfn|Pal|1908|p=199}}

* '''Order of Dar Raj (ODR):''' First instituted in 1818 by Maharaja [[Virendra Mohan Dar]], the ODR is the primary order of the family estate.
* '''Most Excellent Order of the House of Virendra (MHV):''' Introduced in 1916 by Raja Mohini Mohan Dhar, this order was created in memory of Maharaja Virendra Mohan Dar.

While these honours were conferred across generations, their investiture was formally documented in the regional press during the headship of Raja Dhirendra Mohan Dhar, B.L., B.Sc. On 13 May 1944, an investiture ceremony was held at Saudamini Kutir (19 Kabir Road, Calcutta), followed by a public celebration at [[Laha family|Lahabari]] on 20 May 1944, where fourteen distinguished individuals were decorated with the ODR and MHV.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 May 1944 |title=A Social Gathering |work=[[Amrita Bazar Patrika|Amritabazaar Patrika]] |pages=6}}</ref>
[[File:Amrita Bazaar Patrika Dar Raj (A social gathering) Part 2.png|thumb|List of people awarded ODR and MHV by the royal family, [[Amrita Bazar Patrika|Amrita Bazaar Patrika]] 1944]]

== List of Rulers ==
Although princely pensions, titles, and privileges were officially abolished in India in 1971, families of some former princely rulers have continued to use the old titles unofficially for certain family members, or made new ones for themselves. In some instances, the titles are used in conducting family ceremonies and traditions, to promote the ideal of princely and royal India for tourists, and to sustaining the wealth, stardom, and clout some families have retained.<ref name="padmanab-combined">* {{citation |last=Karatchkova |first=Elena |title=Raj Rhapsodies: Tourism, Heritage, and the Seductions of History |page=30 |year=2016 |chapter=Ghost Towns and Bustling Cities: Constructing a Master Narrative in Nineteenth-Century Jaipur |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pAnPCwAAQBAJ&pg=PR37 |isbn=9781317071624 |quote=The contemporary master narrative for Jaipur and Amber is ‘royalty’. This theme is ubiquitous in tourist publications, such as ''Majestic Jaipur'' (Wheeler 1998). Royal personalities are emphasized, as in ''Jaipur: The Royal City''. One article on tourist attractions of Jaipur features a full-page photograph of Maharaja Bhawani Singh, in full regalia, with his wife and daughter, all identified as ‘the present royal family’ |orig-year=2007}}
* {{citation |last1=Aldrich |first1=Robert |title=Crowns and colonies: European monarchies and overseas empires |page=43 |year=2016 |editor=Robert Aldrich, Cindy McCreery |series=Studies in Imperialism Book 142 |chapter=European sovereigns and their empires 'beyond the seas' |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DW25DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT43 |publisher=Manchester University Press |isbn=9781526100894 |quote=Although Prime Minister Indira Gandhi deprived the India princes of their official titles and privy purses in 1971, the maharajas and other princes, such as the traditional Maharana of Udaipur, who now styles himself as the 'Custodian' of the House of Mewar in Rajasthan, retain wealth, influence and celebrity; in 2015, a twenty-three-year-old economics graduate was thus installed as the most recent Maharajah of Mysore. |last2=McCreery |first2=Cindy}}
* {{cite book |last=Ramusack |first=Barbara N. |author-link=Barbara Ramusack |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kz1-mtazYqEC&pg=PA279 |title=The Indian princes and their states |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-521-26727-4 |page=279 |quote=The princes of India offer fantasy for post-modern consumption. Faced with escalating maintenance costs and declining sources of income, princely entrepreneurs transformed palaces into hotels where tourists could experience an idealised, pampered lifestyle of royalty during a democratic era. In 1954 Karan Singh of Jammu and Kashmir leased his main palace in Srinagar to the Oberoi chain; it seems appropriate that he became minister for tourism and civil aviation in 1967 in Indira Gandhi’s government. In 1958 the Rambagh Palace Hotel opened in Jaipur followed by the much photographed Lake Palace Hotel in Udaipur in the early 1960s}}</ref>
{{History of Bengal}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+List of Zamindar Maharaja's and Maharani's of The House of Dar and it's Branches<ref>{{Cite book |last=সেন |first=প্রণব কুমার |url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=rXLzEQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y |title=বীরেন্দ্র মোহন দরের জীবনচরিত |date=1941-05-04 |publisher=শতভিষা প্রকাশন, ১২/১বি, বঙ্কিম চ্যাটার্জি স্ট্রিট |pages=252–264 |language=bn}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=سین |first=پی۔ کے۔ |url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=QXTzEQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y |title=ویرندراموهان دار از آخنور – زندگی و مرگ – یک زندگی‌نامه |date=1941-01-14 |publisher=انجمن کتاب گھر، لاہور |pages=195, 196, 197, 198 |language=fa}}</ref>
! rowspan="2" |Ruler
! rowspan="2" |Image
! colspan="3" |Reign
! rowspan="2" |Consort
|-
!Start
!End
!Duration
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Maharaja]] I [[Bahadur (title)|Bahadur]]
[[Virendra Mohan Dar]]
|[[File:ویرِندرا واسودِو موهان دار.png|80px]]
|1771
|1821
|50 years
|
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Maharaja]] II
Mukunda Mohan Dar
|[[File:Oil portrait of Raja Mukund Mohan Dar of Akhnoor and dhamrai.png|80px]]
|1821
|13 August 1875
|54 years
|
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Maharaja]] III
Hara Mohan Dhar
|[[File:Haramohandhar.png|80px]]
|1876
|1898
|22 years
|[[File:3rd Rani of Nannar- Rani Elokeshi Devi age 39.png|80px]]
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Maharaja]] IV [[Judge]] [[Babu (title)|Babu]]
Mohini Mohan Dar
|[[File:মোহিনী মোহন ধর বিচারক ও ময়ূরভঞ্জের প্রাক্তন দেওয়ান দার রাজ্যের চতুর্থ উপাধিধারী রাজা.jpg|80px]]
|1898
|15 May 1947
|49 years
|[[File:Sadhvi Saudamini Dhar.jpg|80px]]
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Maharaja]] V
Dhirendra Mohan Dar
|[[File:Barrister Dhirendra Mohan Dhar.jpg|80px]]
|15 May 1947
|11 May 1949
|{{Age in years and days|15 May 1947|11 May 1949}}
|[[File:Amiyabala Sircar Dhar.jpg|80px]]
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Maharaja]] VI
Chittajit Mohan Dhar
|[[File:Chittajit Mohan Dhar, PhD.jpg|80px]]
|11 May 1949
|24 February 1975
|{{Age in years and days|11 May 1949|24 February 1975}}
|[[File:Leena Dhar.jpg|80px]]
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Privy purse in India#Abolition|Titular]] Maharani Regnant
Subha Basu Dhar{{Efn|Although the House of Dar ordinarily follows [[Primogeniture|agnatic primogeniture]] under Article II of the ''[[Virendra Mohan Dar|Virendra Royal Succession Charter]]'', the Charter does not absolutely exclude female succession. Article VI establishes the precedence of male lines over female lines, while Article VII provides that, in the absence of eligible male descendants in both the male and female lines, the eldest surviving daughter may succeed as ''Maharani Regnant''. Accordingly, the accession of Subha Basu Dhar as [[Maharani]] was regarded by the family as being in conformity with the provisions of the Charter rather than an exception to it until the birth of a male heir- the grandson of Maharaja VI. Dhar remained the [[Queen Regnant|Maharani Regnant]] till, the heir apparent, the only son of Princess III turned 18.{{Sfn|Sen|1941|p=99}}}}
|[[File:Princess_Subha_Dhar_(1952).jpg|80px]]
|24 February 1975
|7 May 2006
|{{Age in years and days|24 February 1975|7 May 2006}}
|
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Privy purse in India#Abolition|Titular]] [[Maharaja]] VII
Vinayak Singh{{Efn|Vinayak Singh, ascended to ''Maharaja VII'' of the House of Dar because of Article VII of the ''[[Virendra Mohan Dar|Virendra Royal Succession Charter]]'' succeeding the [[Queen Regnant|Maharani Regnant]] Basu, on May 7, 2024.}}
|[[File:Vinayak of Dar I.jpg|80x80px]]
|7 May 2024
|[[Incumbent]]
| {{Age in years and days|7 May 2024}}
|
|}

==Members==
Notable direct and distant members of the family include- [[Jogesh Chandra Ghosh]], an ayurvedic scholar, founder of the [[Sadhana Aushadhalaya]] and [[Gopalpur Tea Company]]<nowiki/>and the brother of [[Sadhvi Saudamini|Maharani IV- Saudamini]].<ref>Sengupta, Subhodh Chandra; Basu, Anjali, eds. (January 2002). <bdi>যোগেশচন্দ্র ঘোষ</bdi> [Jogesh Chandra Ghosh]. ''Samsad Bangali Charitabhidhan (Bibliographical Dictionary)'' (in Bengali). Vol. 1 (4th ed.). Kolkata: Shishu Sahitya Samsad. p. 445. {{ISBN|978-81-85626-65-9}}.</ref> The Maharani V Amiyabala was the granddaughter of educationist and philanthropist [[Peary Charan Sarkar]], founder of Barasat Peary Charan Sarkar High School and the author of the first book of reading. Amiyabala was the sister of Sir. [[Nripendra Nath Sircar]] [[Order of the Star of India|K.C.S.I]], former Advocate General of Bengal and the father of [[Padma Bhushan]] [[Birendranath Sircar|Birendra Nath Sircar]].<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Sircar, Sir Nripendra Nath, (died 1945), Law Member of Executive Council of Governor-General of India, 1934–39; late Vice-President, Viceroy's Executive Council; Leader of Indian Legislative Assembly |url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/display/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-231810 |journal=WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO |language=en-US |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-231810 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250421110806/https://www.ukwhoswho.com/display/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-231810 |archive-date=2025-04-21}}</ref> Amiyabala was the grandchild Princess Kailashkamini of Hatkhola, the granddaughter of [[Manik Ram Basu|Maharaja Manik Ram Basu]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=BeeZone |url=http://archive.org/details/sailendrasircarcentenary |title=Sailendra Sircar Centenary |date=2019-07-03 |pages=12, 13, 14, 15 |language=Bengali}}</ref> Out of the five children of Maharaja V, one of them was Dhirendra Mohan Dhar a barrister-at-law from [[King's College London]] and a Mathematician who was married to Amiyabala. The other son was Satyendra Mohan Dhar [[Order of the Indian Empire|C.I.E]]., [[Indian Civil Service|I.C.S.]] who was married to Ava Dhar [[Order of the British Empire|M.B.E.]], [[Order of the British Empire|O.B.E.]],<ref>''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage: With Her Majesty's Royal Warrant Holders'' (1955) [[University of Michigan]], Kelly's Directories (pub) John Debrett</ref> the granddaughter of Sir. [[Krishna Govinda Gupta]] [[Order of the Star of India|K.C.S.I.]], and the niece-in-law of Sir. [[Albion Rajkumar Banerji|Albion Banerji]]- former Prime Minister of [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]]. Ava and Satyendra had two sons- [[Manojit Mohan Dhar]] being one of them. The sister of Maharaja VI, the Princess Royal, Pritilata is the grandmother of [[Anupama Kundoo]], an architect, professor and Auguste Perret winner.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kundoo |first=Anupama |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=jnRIAQAAIAAJ&redir_esc=y |title=Roger Anger: Recherche Sur la Beauté : Architecture 1953-2008 |date=2009 |publisher=Jovis |isbn=978-3-86859-006-7 |language=fr}}</ref> Granddaughter of the Maharaja VI via his eldest daughter- Queen Mother Subha, is [[Roopa Basu]], a British designer, architect and artist.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saree Stories: Making mini sarees & unfolding their stories - South Asian Heritage Trust |url=https://southasianheritage.org.uk/events/saree-stories-making-mini-sarees-unfolding-their-stories/ |access-date=2026-08-13 |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Uma Dhar]], the daughter of Maharaja VI is an Indian Philosopher, researcher and the mother of Maharaja VII- Vinayak.

== References ==

=== Notes ===
{{Notelist}}

=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==

* {{Cite book |last=Basu |first=Gopi Nath |url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=1lnvEQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y |title=LETTERS AND PAMPHLETS OF RAJA VIRENDRAMOHAN |date=1919-04-04 |publisher=Thacker, Spink, & Co. |editor-last=Dice Esq. |editor-first=M.R. |language=en}}
* {{Cite book
|ref={{harvid|Sen|1941}}
|last=Sen
|first=P. K.
|last2=Fitzroy
|first2=Edward
|last3=Harrington
|first3=Reginald
|title=Virendra Mohan Dar: A Biography
|year=1941
|publisher=Metcuff Printing Works
|location=Calcutta
|language=en
|url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=b7nyEQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y
}}
* {{cite book |last=Pal |first=Gurnindra |author-link= |title=রাজা বীরেন্দ্র মোহন দার এর জীবনচরিত্র |language=bn |trans-title=Raja Virendra Mohan Dar's Biography |edition=1st incomplete serialization |location=[[Calcutta]] |publisher=Kuntaline Press |publication-place=5 Shib Narayan Das Lane / 61–62 [[Bowbazar Street|Bowbazar]], [[Calcutta]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]] |year=1908}}
{{S-start}}
{{S-hou| House of Dar | name='''House of Dar'''}}
{{S-bef| before=Ramhari Dar (As Patriarch in [[Dar (village)|Dar]])}}
{{S-ttl | title=[[Maharaja]] / [[Jagirdar]] of [[Dar (village)|Dar]] | years=1771–1795}}
{{S-ttl | title=[[Zamindar]] of [[Dhamrai]] (Based at [[Nannar (village)|Nannar]] Rajbari) | years=1801–1821}}
{{S-aft| after=[[Raja]] Mukund Mohan Dar (Heir to the Nannar Estate)}}
{{S-end}}

[[Category:History of Kolkata]]
[[Category:Royal families]]
[[Category:Zamindars of Bengal]]
[[Category:Zamindari estates]]
[[Category:Noble families]]
[[Category:Royal families by continent]]
[[Category:Jammu and Kashmir]]

Rowail Zamindar Palace

2026-10-25T13:08:17Z

J1234QWE:

{{Short description|Ruined royal residence in Rowail}}
{{Infobox historic site
| built = 1802
| built_for = Royal residence
| founder = [[Virendra Mohan Dar]]
| image = File:Rowail Zamindar Palace (2019).jpg
| location = Rowail, Dhamrai Upazila
| name = Rowail Zamindar Palace
| owner = [[House of Dar|Dar Raj family]] (1802-1871) Ray family (1871-1951)
| rebuilt = 1871
| restored = 1871
| restored_by = Raja Ramendra Mohan Ray Raja Kamud Mohan Ray
}}

'''Rowail Zamindar Palace'''.is was the former royal residence of the [[House of Dar|Dhar royal family]] from 1802 to 1871 and Ray family of Rowail from 1875 to 1951.

== History ==
Rowail Zamindar Palace, also known as Rowail Zamindar Bari or Rowail Rajbari is an early nineteenth century 150 room palace established around 1801 to 1803 by Raja [[Virendra Mohan Dar]] Bahadur.<ref>Smriti O Itihas: Annals of the Midnapore and Nadia Zamindari Houses, Kumar Rameshwar Roy, B.A. (1898) 12 Bentinck Street, Calcutta</ref>

In 1870, Raja Hara Mohan Dhar, father of [[Mohini Mohan Dhar]] sold the palace to the brothers Raja Ramendra Mohan Ray and Raja Kamud Mohan Ray at the cost of 5 Lakh Rupees.<ref>[https://rowailup.dhaka.gov.bd/pages/tourist-spot/%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8B%E0%A7%9F%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A7%9C%E0%A6%BF-7d65cb-699563fe35ce18e1c075946e ঢাকা জেলার ধামরাই উপজেলার সর্ব দক্ষিনে রোয়াইল ইউনিয়ন অবস্থিত রোয়াইল জমিদার বাড়ি]</ref> The Ray family rebuilt and reconstructed the palace and the ancient Shiv Mandir in the palace compund.<ref>Agrarian Relations in Eastern Bengal: The Zamindar, the Ryot, and the Indigo Commission Reports (1860–1875) Jogendra Nath Ghose, BL S. Lahiri & Co., College Street, Calcutta (1915)</ref> Princess Pritilata Dhar, the grand-daughter of Mohini Mohan Dhar, was born in the palace.<ref>The Permanent Settlement and the Rise of the Bengal Zamindari Raj: A Critical Appraisal of Revenue Administration under the East India Company, Ray, Sarat Chandra (1912) Thacker, Spink & Co., Calcutta & Simla</ref>

== Current state ==
The Rowail Zamindar palace still exists in the Rowail village, but in scattered ruins. Most of the part of the palace was demolished by the authorities.
[[File:Rowail Zamindar Bari (3).jpg|thumb]]
[[File:Rowail Zamindar Palace (2).jpg|thumb]]
== References ==

{{Reflist}}

Rowail Zamindar Palace

2026-10-25T13:07:23Z

J1234QWE:

{{Short description|Ruined royal residence in Rowail}}
{{Under construction}}{{Infobox historic site
| built = 1802
| built_for = Royal residence
| founder = [[Virendra Mohan Dar]]
| image = File:Rowail Zamindar Palace (2019).jpg
| location = Rowail, Dhamrai Upazila
| name = Rowail Zamindar Palace
| owner = [[House of Dar|Dar Raj family]] (1802-1871) Ray family (1871-1951)
| rebuilt = 1871
| restored = 1871
| restored_by = Raja Ramendra Mohan Ray Raja Kamud Mohan Ray
}}

'''Rowail Zamindar Palace'''.is was the former royal residence of the [[House of Dar|Dhar royal family]] from 1802 to 1871 and Ray family of Rowail from 1875 to 1951.

== History ==
Rowail Zamindar Palace, also known as Rowail Zamindar Bari or Rowail Rajbari is an early nineteenth century 150 room palace established around 1801 to 1803 by Raja [[Virendra Mohan Dar]] Bahadur.<ref>Smriti O Itihas: Annals of the Midnapore and Nadia Zamindari Houses, Kumar Rameshwar Roy, B.A. (1898) 12 Bentinck Street, Calcutta</ref>

In 1870, Raja Hara Mohan Dhar, father of [[Mohini Mohan Dhar]] sold the palace to the brothers Raja Ramendra Mohan Ray and Raja Kamud Mohan Ray at the cost of 5 Lakh Rupees.<ref>[https://rowailup.dhaka.gov.bd/pages/tourist-spot/%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8B%E0%A7%9F%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A7%9C%E0%A6%BF-7d65cb-699563fe35ce18e1c075946e ঢাকা জেলার ধামরাই উপজেলার সর্ব দক্ষিনে রোয়াইল ইউনিয়ন অবস্থিত রোয়াইল জমিদার বাড়ি]</ref> The Ray family rebuilt and reconstructed the palace and the ancient Shiv Mandir in the palace compund.<ref>Agrarian Relations in Eastern Bengal: The Zamindar, the Ryot, and the Indigo Commission Reports (1860–1875) Jogendra Nath Ghose, BL S. Lahiri & Co., College Street, Calcutta (1915)</ref> Princess Pritilata Dhar, the grand-daughter of Mohini Mohan Dhar, was born in the palace.<ref>The Permanent Settlement and the Rise of the Bengal Zamindari Raj: A Critical Appraisal of Revenue Administration under the East India Company, Ray, Sarat Chandra (1912) Thacker, Spink & Co., Calcutta & Simla</ref>

== Current state ==
The Rowail Zamindar palace still exists in the Rowail village, but in scattered ruins. Most of the part of the palace was demolished by the authorities.
[[File:Rowail Zamindar Bari (3).jpg|thumb]]
[[File:Rowail Zamindar Palace (2).jpg|thumb]]
== References ==

{{Reflist}}

Rowail Zamindar Palace

2026-10-25T12:45:17Z

J1234QWE:

2026-10-02T17:57:39Z

J1234QWE: /* Members */

{{Short description|Indian Zamindari Dynasty}}
{{Infobox family
| name = House of Dar
| native_name = دار راج
| coat_of_arms = [[File:Coat of Arms of the King of the House of Dar.png|150px]]
| coat_of_arms_caption = Heraldic Crest of the King of the House of Dar
| image = [[File:Emblem (or seal) of Dar Raj دار راج.png|95px]]
| image_caption = Seal of Dar Raj ([[Akhnoor]])
| type = [[Jagirdari]]{{•}}[[Zamindari]]
| origin = [[Akhnoor]]
| country = *[[File:Flag of India.svg|20px]] [[India]]
*[[File:Flag of Bangladesh.svg|20px]] [[Bangladesh]]
| region = *[[Dar (village)]]
*[[Dhamrai Upazila]]
*[[Rowail]]
*[[Jalsin (village)|Jalsin]]
*[[Nannar (village)]]
| founded = {{Start date and age|1699}}
| founder = [[Virendra Mohan Dar]]
| seat = Nannar Palace
| styles = {{collapsible list
|[[Maharaja]]
|[[Maharani]]
|[[Queen Regnant]]
|[[Prince]], [[Princess]]
|[[Rai Bahadur]]
|[[Babu]]
}}
| cadet_branches = {{Hidden begin
|title = Show
|titlestyle = text-align:center; font-weight:bold;
|contentstyle = text-align:center;
}}
{{Tree chart/start|align=center|summary=House of Dar family tree}}
{{Tree chart| | | DAR | | |DAR= '''[[File:Royal Standard of the House of Dar.png|40px|center]] {{center|House of Dar}}'''}}
{{Tree chart| |,|-|^|-|.| }}
{{Tree chart| NAN | | HUN |NAN= {{center|House of [[Nannar (village)|Nannar]]}}|HUN={{center|House of [[Hunderman]]{{Sfn|Sen|1941|p=162}}}} }}
{{Tree chart/end}}
| connected_members = {{collapsible list
|
| [[Peary Charan Sarkar]]
| [[Manik Ram Basu|Maharaja Manik Ram Basu]]
| [[Manojit Mohan Dhar]]
| [[Sadhvi Saudamini|Rani Sadhvi Saudamini]]
| [[Anupama Kundoo]]
| [[Roopa Basu]]
}}
| current_head = [[Highness|HH]] [[Maharaja]] VII
Vinayak Singh{{Efn|Vinayak Singh, ascended to ''Maharaja VII'' of the House of Dar because of Article VII of the ''[[Virendra Royal Succession Charter]]'' succeeding the [[Queen Regnant|Maharani Regnant]] Basu, on May 7, 2024.}}{{Sfn|Sen|1941|p=99-100}}
}}

'''House of Dar''' also known as '''Dar Raj''' ([[Bengali language|Bengali]]: দার রাজ [[Persian language|Persian]]: در راج) was a [[Jagir]]dari estate which originated in [[Dar (village)|Dar]] region of [[Akhnoor]] in the year 1771{{Efn|The Dar Raj foundations were laid by Hari Krishna Mohan Dar in the year 1699 in [[Srinagar]]. But the Dar Raj emerged as a powerful [[Jagirdari]] estate under the leadership of [[Virendra Mohan Dar]] from 1771.}} under the leadership of Maharaja [[Virendra Mohan Dar]] during the Durrani Rule. After the collapse of the [[Durrani Empire]], House of Dar shifted to Bengal (now [[Bangladesh]]) and established the House of [[Nannar (village)|Nannar]].<ref>Anirban Chattopadhyay, "''Virendramohan of Dar Raj: Locating Subaltern Voices in the Bengali Novel''", in: Tirthankar Roy and Tapati Guha-Thakurta, eds, ''Literary Cartographies of Bengal'', Volume 2: ''Textual Politics and the Colonial State'', Kolkata: Academic Publishers, 2014, '''pp'''. 114-132.</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Mukherjee |first=Ramesh Chandra |url=https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=eUy3EQAAQBAJ&pli=1 |title=Mahārāja Vīrendra Mohan Dār of Akhnūr |date=1987-07-21 |publisher=Nīldhôni Prokāśônā |pages=28, 29, 30 |language=en}}</ref><ref>Singh, Ravinath. (1974). ''The life and death of Virendra of Dhar Raj: A critical analysis of the final siege of Dhar''. In K. P. Acharya & D. Sharma (Eds.), ''Historiography of the Central Provinces: Vol. 4. The Paramara Epoch'' (A. M. C. Hollingbery, Trans.; 3rd ed., '''pp'''. 412, 414, 419, 421–485). ''Oriental Research Publishing House''. (Original work published 1921).</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Scanned copy of Book- বাংলার জমিদারি রাজ্য pp. 97.jpg|left|thumb|Scanned copy of Book- বাংলার জমিদারি রাজ্য pp. 97 by Shishir Ghosh [[Bachelor of Laws|BL]]- About the House of Dar<ref name=":0">''বাংলার জমিদারি রাজ্য'', শ্রী শিশির ঘোষ বি.এল. 1950-Machuabajar, Beadon Street, Calcutta- Hendon Printing, 14 Machuabazar, [[Kolkata]]</ref>]]
[[File:Scanned copy of Book- বাংলার জমিদারি রাজ্য pp. 98.jpg|left|thumb|Scanned copy of Book- বাংলার জমিদারি রাজ্য pp. 98 by Shishir Ghosh [[Bachelor of Laws|BL]]- About the House of Dar<ref name=":0" /> ]]
The House of Dar was established in the year in 1771 after [[Virendra Mohan Dar]], the grandson of a rich [[Kashmiri Pandits|Kashmiri Pandit]] saffron merchant- Hari Krishna Mohan Dar, was conferred the title of [[Raja]] by [[Ahmad Shah Durrani|Ahmed Shah Durrani]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=BL |first=Jitendranath Ghose |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=mx7iEQAAQBAJ&newbks=0&hl=en&source=newbks_fb&redir_esc=y |title=The Raja of Dar- Life and Legacy of Virendra Vasudev of Dar- ویرِندرا واسودِو موهان دار |date=1931-07-21 |publisher=Bridgebit Printing Works, Bowbajaar, Calcutta 1931 |pages=16, 17 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Badal |first=M. N. C. |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=m9C8EQAAQBAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=Virendra+Mohan+Dar&source=gbs_navlinks_s |title=ZAMĪNDĀRS OF EARLY BAṄGĀL AND EAST PĀKISTĀN AND DECLINE OF ZAMĪNDĀR SYSTEM |date=1949-06-11 |publisher=Baṅgāl Granthālaya Prakāśan |pages=55, 56, 57 |language=en}}</ref> Later in 1813, the title of ''[[Maharaja Bahadur|Bahadur]]'' was formally conferred upon Virendra Mohan Dar by Nawab [[Zain-ud-Din Ali Khan]] of [[Murshidabad]], with the official sanction of the British Governor-General, [[Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto|Lord Minto I]], in recognition of his significant contributions to land expansion, the construction of irrigation works, and consistent revenue payments to the [[East India Company]].{{Sfn|Sen|1941|p=151}}

== Shift to Bengal ==
[[File:Dhar Zamindars of Dhar Raj (Dacca, 1879).png|thumb|Dhar Zamindars of Dhar Raj, [[Dacca]], ({{circa|1879}} Center: Raja III Hara Mohan Dhar]]
After the death of [[Ahmad Shah Durrani|Ahmed Shah Durrani]], the House of Durrani collapsed and the jagirs and fedual landlords started losing power in Kashmir, including the House of Dar. Due to the extreme political instability and attacks caused by the [[Sikh Misls]] the Dar Raj shifted to [[Bangladesh]] towards the end of the eighteenth century.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nalinikanta Bhattacharya |url=http://archive.org/details/dar-raj-dhar-raj-of-akhnur-and-dhaka |title=Dar Raj (Dhar Raj) of Akhnur and Dhaka |date=1938-04-18}}</ref>{{Sfn|Basu|1919|p=45, 46}} The House of Dar established the Char Talibari Rajbari at the Rajrajeshwar Union of Bangladesh as their primary seat but soon lost it due to the erosion caused by the [[Padma River]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=BL |first=Jitendranath Ghose |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=mx7iEQAAQBAJ&newbks=0&hl=en&source=newbks_fb&redir_esc=y |title=The Raja of Dar- Life and Legacy of Virendra Vasudev of Dar- ویرِندرا واسودِو موهان دار |date=1931-07-21 |publisher=Bridgebit Printing Works, Bowbajaar, Calcutta 1931 |pages=36, 37, 28, 39 |language=en}}</ref> In 1802, The Maharaja, established the 250-room Dhar Zamindar Bari at [[Nannar (village)|Nannar Village]]- which later came to be known as House of Nannar, a branch of the House of Dar. The Zamindari spanned over 25,000 acres of land including Rajrajeshwar, [[Rowail]], Sharifbag,. Ashulia, Demra, [[Nannar (village)|Nannar]], [[Dhamrai Upazila|Dhamrai]] and Suapur.{{Sfn|Basu|1919|p=21-28}}{{Sfn|Sen|1941|p=141, 142}}

== Residences ==
The House of Dar established three successive principal seats of power across Kashmir and Bengal:
[[File:Dhar Jamindar Bari Image (1869).jpg|thumb|The Dhar Zamindar Palace in 1869]]

* ''Dar Haveli'' ([[Dar (village)|Dar]], Akhnoor): Established near the banks of the [[Chenab River]], the original family seat was a traditional Kashmiri-style wooden haveli. Following his ascension, Maharaja [[Virendra Mohan Dar]] expanded the estate into a five-acre palace complex featuring a ''Diwan-i-Aam'' (Hall of Public Audience) and a ''Diwan-i-Khas'' supported by carved deodar pillars. The palace was destroyed by fire during a hostile [[Sikh Confederacy|Sikh]] incursion in 1788–1789.{{Sfn|Pal|1908|p=122}}
* [[File:Ruins of the Dhar Zamindar Bari (Later part of Alokeshi High School) 2015.jpg|thumb|Ruins of the Dhar Zamindar Palace (Later part of Alokeshi High School) in 2015]]''Rajrajeshwar Palace'' ([[Bengal]]): Established in 1790 on the Char Talibari tract along the [[Padma River]], this palace served as the initial hub for the dynasty's relocation to East Bengal. Constructed with thick brick walls and elevated foundations to counter seasonal floods, the estate was permanently abandoned in 1797 after catastrophic riverbank erosion dangerously undermined the structure.{{Sfn|Pal|1908|p=276}}
* [[File:The Private Palace Pond of the Dhar Zamindar Bari.jpg|thumb|The Private Palace Pond, ''Virendra Sagar'', of the Dhar Zamindar Bari, 2018]]''Nannar Palace'' ([[Bengal]]): Built between 1797 and 1801 in [[Dhamrai Upazila]], the 250-room Nannar Rajbari (popularly known as the ''Dhar Zamindar Bari'') served as the permanent administrative and cultural seat of the Dar Raj. Constructed on stable, flood-resistant uplands, the palace grounds featured a grand Durbar Hall, a family shrine (the ''Dhar Krishna Mandir''), and a brick-lined reservoir called the ''Virendra Sagar''.{{Sfn|Pal|1908|p=298}} Later in 1919 Raja IV Mohini Mohan Dhar demolished majority of the palace and converted it into Elokeshi Balika Vidyalaya, [[Jalsin (village)|Jalsin]]. The other branch of the school is located in [[Gidhni]]. The palace was demolished in 2023.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=iFP0EQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y |title=The Dhar Family- Succession (Private collection of the Dhar Raj family) |date=1933-10-28 |publisher=Metcuff Printing Works 34 Mechuabazar Street, Calcutta. |pages=145, 146, 147 |language=en}}</ref>

== Establishments ==
[[File:Elokeshi High School, Gidhni (Image).jpg|left|thumb|Gidhni, Elokeshi High School]]
[[File:Alokeshi High School, Jalsin.jpg|thumb|Alokeshi High School, Jalsin]]
Raja IV of the Dar Raj established two schools, namely the ''Elokeshi High School'' in Jalsin after demolishing a significant part of the Dhar Zamindar Bari. Another branch of this school was established in Gidhni- ''Gidhni Elokeshi High School''.<ref name=":1" /> Raja IV Dewan MM Dhar also played the leasing role in the leading of the iron ore mines in [[Gorumahisani]] along with [[Pramatha Nath Bose]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Odisha (India) |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Orissa_District_Gazetteers_Mayurbhanj/EiYLAQAAIAAJ?hl=en |title=Orissa District Gazetteers: Mayurbhanj |last2=Orissa (India) |date=1967 |publisher=Superintendent, Orissa Government Press |pages=38, 39 |language=en}}</ref> [[Rupsa–Baripada–Bangriposi line|Rupsa–Baripada–Bangriposi railway line]] creation operation was lead and managed by the [[Raja]] IV [[Dewan]] Mohini Mohan Dhar.<ref name=":2" /> On 25 April 1960 Raja VI Chittajit Mohan Dhar [[Member of parliament|M.P.]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bollyy |title=Shashi Kapoor’s First Solo Hero Hit ‘Jab Jab Phool Khile’ Marks 60 Years Since Its 1965 Release |url=https://bollyy.com/entertainment/shashi-kapoors-first-solo-hero-hit-jab-jab-phool-khile-marks-60-years-since-its-1965-release-10644834 |access-date=2026-08-19 |website=bollyy.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tripathi |first=Shanti Swaroop |title=Jab Jab Phool Khile 1965 film: शशि कपूर की पहली सोलो हिट ‘जब जब फूल खिले’ — 1965 की यादगार सुपरहिट फिल्म |url=https://mayapuri.com/photos/entertainment/released-sixty-years-ago-5-november-1965-the-film-ran-for-fifty-weeks-shashi-kapoors-first-solo-hero-hit-jab-jab-phool-khile-made-him-a-star-in-north-africa-10638582 |access-date=2026-08-28 |website=mayapuri.com |language=hi}}</ref> established [[Perfect Chemical Industries]] with the help of [[Humayun Kabir (Indian National Congress politician)|Humayun Kabir]] on 39 Dum Dum Road, Calcutta.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/The_Commercial_and_Financial_Chronicle/TetI3JJj1bwC?hl=en&gbpv=0&bsq=PErfect%20Chemical%20Industries%2019%20dum%20dum%20road%201960 |title=The Commercial and Financial Chronicle |date=1962 |publisher=William B. Dana Company. |pages=17 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Indian_Chemical_Directory/rQ8fAQAAMAAJ?hl=en |title=Indian Chemical Directory |date=1975 |publisher=Technical Press Publications |volume=XI |pages=153 |language=en |via=University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign}}</ref> Perfect Chemical Industries specialized in the domestic production of critical industrial and defense-related chemicals—such as [[benzyl benzoate]] and [[dimethyl phthalate]]—which helped reduce India's import dependency and saved valuable foreign exchange during its active years of operation.<ref>{{Cite book |last=India |first=India Office of the Registrar of Newspapers for |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Press_in_India/PiYSmcEhrzMC?hl=en&gbpv=0&bsq=Chittajit%20Mohan%20Dhar |title=Press in India: Annual Report of the Registrar of Newspapers for India |date=1966 |publisher=Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India |pages=529 |language=en}}</ref> The annual turnovers were around ₹42 to ₹45 Crores with net profits near ₹7.8 Crores, official regulatory records currently classify the company's status as "Strike Off." as of 2026<ref>{{Cite web |last=SensiBook |title=PERFECT CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES {{!}} Financials & Director Contacts |url=https://www.sensibook.com/companies/468072/U24232WB1960PTC024634/PERFECT-CHEMICAL-INDUSTRIES-PVT-LTD |access-date=2026-08-19 |website=SensiBook |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Prof Humayun Kabir at Dum Dum Chemical Factory |url=https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:640/format:webp/0*zu1eH1GNCecYhhoU.jpeg|website=Bombay Times Newspaper|url-status=live}}</ref> Perfect Chemical Industries shut down and was sold to [[Emami]] after the death of Chittajit Mohan Dhar in 1975.
[[File:CM Dhar and Humayun Kabeer.jpg|thumb|Chittajit Mohan Dhar (center) and [[Humayun Kabir (Indian National Congress politician)|Humayun Kabir]] (right) at Perfect Chemical Industries, [[Dum Dum]]]]
== Flags ==
[[File:Royal Standard of the House of Dar.png|thumb|Royal Standard of the House of Dar with the Coat of Arms of the [[:en:House of Dar#List of Rulers|King]] of the House of Dar]]

[[File:Royal Standard of the House of Dar (16 Dar Estates of Akhnoor).svg|thumb|Royal Standard of the House of Dar in Jammu from (1771 to 1789) which represented the role of the Dar Zamindari over 16 villages and mouzas in Jammu and Kashmir Valley area.]]

[[File:Royal Standard of the House of Dar (19 Dar Estates of Bengal).svg|thumb|Royal Standard of the House of Dar in Bengal (Now [[Bangladesh]] and parts of [[West Bengal|Bengal]]) (Since 1799) which represented the role of the Dar Zamindari over 19 villages and mouzas in Bengal (Now parts of [[Bangladesh]] and [[West Bengal]])

st Bengale]]

[[File:Royal Standard of the House of Hunderman (Of the House of Dar).svg|thumb|Royal Standard of the House of Hunderman (Founded by the cousin of [[Virendra Mohan Dar|The Maharaja]], in [[Hunderman]]) After the death of Waqif Ali Khan, in 1810, the Maharaja and the Dar Raj took over the House of Hunderman.]]

== Honours and Chivalric Orders ==
[[File:Amrita Bazaar Patrika Dar Raj (A social gathering) Part 1.png|thumb|[[Amrita Bazar Patrika|Amrita Bazaar Patrika]] news paper 11 May 1944]]

The House of Dar established family orders of chivalry to recognize public service, philanthropy, and contributions to society.{{Sfn|Pal|1908|p=199}}

* '''Order of Dar Raj (ODR):''' First instituted in 1818 by Maharaja [[Virendra Mohan Dar]], the ODR is the primary order of the family estate.
* '''Most Excellent Order of the House of Virendra (MHV):''' Introduced in 1916 by Raja Mohini Mohan Dhar, this order was created in memory of Maharaja Virendra Mohan Dar.

While these honours were conferred across generations, their investiture was formally documented in the regional press during the headship of Raja Dhirendra Mohan Dhar, B.L., B.Sc. On 13 May 1944, an investiture ceremony was held at Saudamini Kutir (19 Kabir Road, Calcutta), followed by a public celebration at [[Laha family|Lahabari]] on 20 May 1944, where fourteen distinguished individuals were decorated with the ODR and MHV.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 May 1944 |title=A Social Gathering |work=[[Amrita Bazar Patrika|Amritabazaar Patrika]] |pages=6}}</ref>
[[File:Amrita Bazaar Patrika Dar Raj (A social gathering) Part 2.png|thumb|List of people awarded ODR and MHV by the royal family, [[Amrita Bazar Patrika|Amrita Bazaar Patrika]] 1944]]

== List of Rulers ==
Although princely pensions, titles, and privileges were officially abolished in India in 1971, families of some former princely rulers have continued to use the old titles unofficially for certain family members, or made new ones for themselves. In some instances, the titles are used in conducting family ceremonies and traditions, to promote the ideal of princely and royal India for tourists, and to sustaining the wealth, stardom, and clout some families have retained.<ref name="padmanab-combined">* {{citation |last=Karatchkova |first=Elena |title=Raj Rhapsodies: Tourism, Heritage, and the Seductions of History |page=30 |year=2016 |chapter=Ghost Towns and Bustling Cities: Constructing a Master Narrative in Nineteenth-Century Jaipur |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pAnPCwAAQBAJ&pg=PR37 |isbn=9781317071624 |quote=The contemporary master narrative for Jaipur and Amber is ‘royalty’. This theme is ubiquitous in tourist publications, such as ''Majestic Jaipur'' (Wheeler 1998). Royal personalities are emphasized, as in ''Jaipur: The Royal City''. One article on tourist attractions of Jaipur features a full-page photograph of Maharaja Bhawani Singh, in full regalia, with his wife and daughter, all identified as ‘the present royal family’ |orig-year=2007}}
* {{citation |last1=Aldrich |first1=Robert |title=Crowns and colonies: European monarchies and overseas empires |page=43 |year=2016 |editor=Robert Aldrich, Cindy McCreery |series=Studies in Imperialism Book 142 |chapter=European sovereigns and their empires 'beyond the seas' |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DW25DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT43 |publisher=Manchester University Press |isbn=9781526100894 |quote=Although Prime Minister Indira Gandhi deprived the India princes of their official titles and privy purses in 1971, the maharajas and other princes, such as the traditional Maharana of Udaipur, who now styles himself as the 'Custodian' of the House of Mewar in Rajasthan, retain wealth, influence and celebrity; in 2015, a twenty-three-year-old economics graduate was thus installed as the most recent Maharajah of Mysore. |last2=McCreery |first2=Cindy}}
* {{cite book |last=Ramusack |first=Barbara N. |author-link=Barbara Ramusack |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kz1-mtazYqEC&pg=PA279 |title=The Indian princes and their states |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-521-26727-4 |page=279 |quote=The princes of India offer fantasy for post-modern consumption. Faced with escalating maintenance costs and declining sources of income, princely entrepreneurs transformed palaces into hotels where tourists could experience an idealised, pampered lifestyle of royalty during a democratic era. In 1954 Karan Singh of Jammu and Kashmir leased his main palace in Srinagar to the Oberoi chain; it seems appropriate that he became minister for tourism and civil aviation in 1967 in Indira Gandhi’s government. In 1958 the Rambagh Palace Hotel opened in Jaipur followed by the much photographed Lake Palace Hotel in Udaipur in the early 1960s}}</ref>
{{History of Bengal}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+List of Zamindar Maharaja's and Maharani's of The House of Dar and it's Branches<ref>{{Cite book |last=সেন |first=প্রণব কুমার |url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=rXLzEQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y |title=বীরেন্দ্র মোহন দরের জীবনচরিত |date=1941-05-04 |publisher=শতভিষা প্রকাশন, ১২/১বি, বঙ্কিম চ্যাটার্জি স্ট্রিট |pages=252–264 |language=bn}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=سین |first=پی۔ کے۔ |url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=QXTzEQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y |title=ویرندراموهان دار از آخنور – زندگی و مرگ – یک زندگی‌نامه |date=1941-01-14 |publisher=انجمن کتاب گھر، لاہور |pages=195, 196, 197, 198 |language=fa}}</ref>
! rowspan="2" |Ruler
! rowspan="2" |Image
! colspan="3" |Reign
! rowspan="2" |Consort
|-
!Start
!End
!Duration
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Maharaja]] I [[Bahadur (title)|Bahadur]]
[[Virendra Mohan Dar]]
|[[File:ویرِندرا واسودِو موهان دار.png|80px]]
|1771
|1821
|50 years
|
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Maharaja]] II
Mukunda Mohan Dar
|[[File:Oil portrait of Raja Mukund Mohan Dar of Akhnoor and dhamrai.png|80px]]
|1821
|13 August 1875
|54 years
|
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Maharaja]] III
Hara Mohan Dhar
|[[File:Haramohandhar.png|80px]]
|1876
|1898
|22 years
|[[File:3rd Rani of Nannar- Rani Elokeshi Devi age 39.png|80px]]
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Maharaja]] IV [[Judge]] [[Babu (title)|Babu]]
Mohini Mohan Dar
|[[File:মোহিনী মোহন ধর বিচারক ও ময়ূরভঞ্জের প্রাক্তন দেওয়ান দার রাজ্যের চতুর্থ উপাধিধারী রাজা.jpg|80px]]
|1898
|15 May 1947
|49 years
|[[File:Sadhvi Saudamini Dhar.jpg|80px]]
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Maharaja]] V
Dhirendra Mohan Dar
|[[File:Barrister Dhirendra Mohan Dhar.jpg|80px]]
|15 May 1947
|11 May 1949
|{{Age in years and days|15 May 1947|11 May 1949}}
|[[File:Amiyabala Sircar Dhar.jpg|80px]]
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Maharaja]] VI
Chittajit Mohan Dhar
|[[File:Chittajit Mohan Dhar, PhD.jpg|80px]]
|11 May 1949
|24 February 1975
|{{Age in years and days|11 May 1949|24 February 1975}}
|[[File:Leena Dhar.jpg|80px]]
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Privy purse in India#Abolition|Titular]] Maharani Regnant
Subha Basu Dhar{{Efn|Although the House of Dar ordinarily follows [[Primogeniture|agnatic primogeniture]] under Article II of the ''[[Virendra Mohan Dar|Virendra Royal Succession Charter]]'', the Charter does not absolutely exclude female succession. Article VI establishes the precedence of male lines over female lines, while Article VII provides that, in the absence of eligible male descendants in both the male and female lines, the eldest surviving daughter may succeed as ''Maharani Regnant''. Accordingly, the accession of Subha Basu Dhar as [[Maharani]] was regarded by the family as being in conformity with the provisions of the Charter rather than an exception to it until the birth of a male heir- the grandson of Maharaja VI. Dhar remained the [[Queen Regnant|Maharani Regnant]] till, the heir apparent, the only son of Princess III turned 18.{{Sfn|Sen|1941|p=99}}}}
|[[File:Princess_Subha_Dhar_(1952).jpg|80px]]
|24 February 1975
|7 May 2006
|{{Age in years and days|24 February 1975|7 May 2006}}
|
|-
|[[Highness|HH]] [[Privy purse in India#Abolition|Titular]] [[Maharaja]] VII
Vinayak Singh{{Efn|Vinayak Singh, ascended to ''Maharaja VII'' of the House of Dar because of Article VII of the ''[[Virendra Mohan Dar|Virendra Royal Succession Charter]]'' succeeding the [[Queen Regnant|Maharani Regnant]] Basu, on May 7, 2024.}}
|[[File:Vinayak of Dar I.jpg|80x80px]]
|7 May 2024
|[[Incumbent]]
| {{Age in years and days|7 May 2024}}
|
|}

==Members==
Notable direct and distant members of the family include- [[Jogesh Chandra Ghosh]], an ayurvedic scholar, founder of the [[Sadhana Aushadhalaya]] and [[Gopalpur Tea Company]]<nowiki/>and the brother of [[Sadhvi Saudamini|Maharani IV- Saudamini]].<ref>Sengupta, Subhodh Chandra; Basu, Anjali, eds. (January 2002). <bdi>যোগেশচন্দ্র ঘোষ</bdi> [Jogesh Chandra Ghosh]. ''Samsad Bangali Charitabhidhan (Bibliographical Dictionary)'' (in Bengali). Vol. 1 (4th ed.). Kolkata: Shishu Sahitya Samsad. p. 445. {{ISBN|978-81-85626-65-9}}.</ref> The Maharani V Amiyabala was the granddaughter of educationist and philanthropist [[Peary Charan Sarkar]], founder of Barasat Peary Charan Sarkar High School and the author of the first book of reading. Amiyabala was the sister of Sir. [[Nripendra Nath Sircar]] [[Order of the Star of India|K.C.S.I]], former Advocate General of Bengal and the father of [[Padma Bhushan]] [[Birendranath Sircar|Birendra Nath Sircar]].<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Sircar, Sir Nripendra Nath, (died 1945), Law Member of Executive Council of Governor-General of India, 1934–39; late Vice-President, Viceroy's Executive Council; Leader of Indian Legislative Assembly |url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/display/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-231810 |journal=WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO |language=en-US |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-231810 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250421110806/https://www.ukwhoswho.com/display/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-231810 |archive-date=2025-04-21}}</ref> Amiyabala was the grandchild Princess Kailashkamini of Hatkhola, the granddaughter of [[Manik Ram Basu|Maharaja Manik Ram Basu]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=BeeZone |url=http://archive.org/details/sailendrasircarcentenary |title=Sailendra Sircar Centenary |date=2019-07-03 |pages=12, 13, 14, 15 |language=Bengali}}</ref> Out of the five children of Maharaja V, one of them was Dhirendra Mohan Dhar a barrister-at-law from [[King's College London]] and a Mathematician who was married to Amiyabala. The other son was Satyendra Mohan Dhar [[Order of the Indian Empire|C.I.E]]., [[Indian Civil Service|I.C.S.]] who was married to Ava Dhar [[Order of the British Empire|M.B.E.]], [[Order of the British Empire|O.B.E.]],<ref>''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage: With Her Majesty's Royal Warrant Holders'' (1955) [[University of Michigan]], Kelly's Directories (pub) John Debrett</ref> the granddaughter of Sir. [[Krishna Govinda Gupta]] [[Order of the Star of India|K.C.S.I.]], and the niece-in-law of Sir. [[Albion Rajkumar Banerji|Albion Banerji]]- former Prime Minister of [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]]. Ava and Satyendra had two sons- [[Manojit Mohan Dhar]] being one of them. The sister of Maharaja VI, the Princess Royal, Pritilata is the grandmother of [[Anupama Kundoo]], an architect, professor and Auguste Perret winner.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kundoo |first=Anupama |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=jnRIAQAAIAAJ&redir_esc=y |title=Roger Anger: Recherche Sur la Beauté : Architecture 1953-2008 |date=2009 |publisher=Jovis |isbn=978-3-86859-006-7 |language=fr}}</ref> Granddaughter of the Maharaja VI via his eldest daughter- Queen Mother Subha, is [[Roopa Basu]], a British designer, architect and artist.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saree Stories: Making mini sarees & unfolding their stories - South Asian Heritage Trust |url=https://southasianheritage.org.uk/events/saree-stories-making-mini-sarees-unfolding-their-stories/ |access-date=2026-08-13 |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Uma Dhar]], the daughter of Maharaja VI is an Indian Philosopher, researcher and the mother of Maharaja VII- Vinayak.

== References ==

=== Notes ===
{{Notelist}}

=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==

* {{Cite book |last=Basu |first=Gopi Nath |url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=1lnvEQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y |title=LETTERS AND PAMPHLETS OF RAJA VIRENDRAMOHAN |date=1919-04-04 |publisher=Thacker, Spink, & Co. |editor-last=Dice Esq. |editor-first=M.R. |language=en}}
* {{Cite book
|ref={{harvid|Sen|1941}}
|last=Sen
|first=P. K.
|last2=Fitzroy
|first2=Edward
|last3=Harrington
|first3=Reginald
|title=Virendra Mohan Dar: A Biography
|year=1941
|publisher=Metcuff Printing Works
|location=Calcutta
|language=en
|url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=b7nyEQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y
}}
* {{cite book |last=Pal |first=Gurnindra |author-link= |title=রাজা বীরেন্দ্র মোহন দার এর জীবনচরিত্র |language=bn |trans-title=Raja Virendra Mohan Dar's Biography |edition=1st incomplete serialization |location=[[Calcutta]] |publisher=Kuntaline Press |publication-place=5 Shib Narayan Das Lane / 61–62 [[Bowbazar Street|Bowbazar]], [[Calcutta]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]] |year=1908}}
{{S-start}}
{{S-hou| House of Dar | name='''House of Dar'''}}
{{S-bef| before=Ramhari Dar (As Patriarch in [[Dar (village)|Dar]])}}
{{S-ttl | title=[[Maharaja]] / [[Jagirdar]] of [[Dar (village)|Dar]] | years=1771–1795}}
{{S-ttl | title=[[Zamindar]] of [[Dhamrai]] (Based at [[Nannar (village)|Nannar]] Rajbari) | years=1801–1821}}
{{S-aft| after=[[Raja]] Mukund Mohan Dar (Heir to the Nannar Estate)}}
{{S-end}}

[[Category:History of Kolkata]]
[[Category:Royal families]]
[[Category:Zamindars of Bengal]]
[[Category:Zamindari estates]]
[[Category:Noble families]]
[[Category:Royal families by continent]]
[[Category:Jammu and Kashmir]]

2026-09-25T19:29:14Z

J1234QWE: Added flags

{{Infobox royalty
| birth_date = 1758-09-14
| image = File:ویرِندرا واسودِو موهان دار.png
| caption = Miniature Portrait {{circa|1782}}
| birth_name = Virendra Vasudev Mohan Dar
| birth_place = Akhnoor
| clan_name = [[House of Dar]]
| coronation = 1771
| death_date = 1821-02-03
| death_place = Dhaka, Bangladesh
| dynasty = [[House of Dar|Dar]]
| father = Ramhari Dar
| house = [[House of Dar|Dar]]
| house-type = Royalty, Jagirdari
| name = Virendra Mohan Dar
| occupation = Businessman and Jagirdar
| reign = 1771-1821
| religion = Kashmiri Pandit
| royal house = [[House of Dar|Dar]]
| spouse = 4
| successor = Raja Mukund Mohan Dar
| title = King and Founder of Dar Raj
}}

[[Raja|Maharaja]] '''Virendra Vasudev Mohan Dar''' ''Bahadur'' ({{langx|fa|ویرِندرا واسودِو موهان دار}}) (14 September 1758 – 3 February 1821), also known as [[Raja]] Virendra Mohan Dar or The Saffron King, was a [[Kashmiri Pandit]] [[jagirdar]] and the King of 16 Dar estates in [[Jammu]]<ref group="note">We 11,000 acre northern frontier estates centered around [[Akhnoor]] along the [[Chenab River]] included Dar, Ambaran, Pamberwan, Maira, Garkhal, Sohal, Brui alongside surrounding village tracts and mouzas- Jia Pota, Jourian, Pargwal, Bhalwal, Gharota, Sui, Dauri, Malpur along with foothill tracts extending towards Khouri and Bhimber.</ref> from 1771 until the collapse of the royal family in 1789 and 19 Dar estates in [[Bangladesh]] and [[West Bengal]]<ref group="note">The eastern 45,000 acre holdings in the [[Dhaka District|Dacca District]] were governed from Rajrajeshwar (Char Talibari) and Nannar Rajbari, encompassing [[Dhamrai Upazila|Dhamrai]], [[Rowail]], Sharifbagh, Demra, Ashulia, Jalsin, Sambha, Suapur, Amta, and regional border tracts in Kaliganj, [[Harirampur, West Bengal|Harirampur]], [[Manikganj]], [[Saturia]], and Ghior.</ref> until his death in 1821.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Mukherjee |first=Ramesh Chandra |url=https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=eUy3EQAAQBAJ&pli=1 |title=Mahārāja Vīrendra Mohan Dār of Akhnūr |date=1987-07-21 |publisher=Nīldhôni Prokāśônā |location=Calcutta |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Nalinikanta Bhattacharya |url=http://archive.org/details/dar-raj-dhar-raj-of-akhnur-and-dhaka |title=Dar Raj (Dhar Raj) of Akhnur and Dhaka |date=1938-04-18}}</ref>
{{Short description|Indian Zamindar and Businessman}}
== Early life and education ==
Virendra Mohan Dar was born on 14 September 1758, in [[Akhnoor]], Kashmir. He completed his education, in [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Sanskrit]], [[English language|English]] and [[Mathematics]] under [[Kashmiri people|kashmiri pandits]] such as Pt. Madhusudan Kaul.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=BL |first=Jitendranath Ghose |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=mx7iEQAAQBAJ&newbks=0&hl=en&source=newbks_fb&redir_esc=y |title=The Raja of Dar- Life and Legacy of Virendra Vasudev of Dar- ویرِندرا واسودِو موهان دار |date=1931-07-21 |publisher=Bridgebit Printing Works, Bowbajaar, Calcutta 1931 |pages=21, 22, 23 |language=en}}</ref>{{sfn|Basu|1919|pp=10–14}} He was the grandson of Kashmiri Pandit Saffron Merchant- Hari Krishna Mohan Dar.
== Accession ==
[[File:Coat of Arms of the King of the House of Dar.png|Coat of Arms of the King of the House|thumb]]
During the reign of [[Ahmad Shah Durrani]], he was formally conferred the title of [[Maharaja]] and was coronated in 1771. His role is considered significant in the political and social history of [[Kashmir]].<ref name="KashmirHistory">Khan, Mohammad Ishaq (2004). ''History of Medieval Kashmir''. Srinagar: Gulshan Books. pp. 312–314.</ref><ref name="Mukherjee">{{Cite book |last=Mukherjee |first=Ramesh |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=3uW4EQAAQBAJ&newbks=0&hl=en&source=newbks_fb&redir_esc=y |title=وِرینٛدر موہن دار |date=1979-12-06 |publisher=Banwara Publishing |language=ar}}</ref> The death of [[Ahmad Shah Durrani|Ahmed Shah Durrani]] in 1772 resulted in the decline of the [[Durrani Empire]] due to which the Dar [[Royal family|Raj]] eventually lost power in Akhnoor and the [[Kashmir Valley|Cashmere Valley]], hence they shifted to [[Bengal]] (Now [[Bangladesh]]).<ref>{{Cite book |last=BL |first=Jitendranath Ghose |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=mx7iEQAAQBAJ&newbks=0&hl=en&source=newbks_fb&redir_esc=y |title=The Raja of Dar- Life and Legacy of Virendra Vasudev of Dar- ویرِندرا واسودِو موهان دار |date=1931-07-21 |publisher=Bridgebit Printing Works, Bowbajaar, Calcutta 1931 |pages=54, 58, 59 |language=en}}</ref>{{sfn|Basu|1919|pp=21–28}}

Virendra Mohan Dar was spontaneously titled the "''Saffron King''" by merchants for his systematic regulation and expansion of the [[saffron trade]] in his 11,000-acre [[Akhnoor]] domain. He institutionalized cultivation and implemented a "''Charter of Fair Commerce''" to prevent [[Adulterant|product adulteration]] and maintain market integrity.{{Sfn|Sen|1941|p=88}}

===Virendra Royal Succession Charter===
Dar established a formal constitutional code known as ''The Virendra Royal Succession Charter'' (or the Virendra Royal Succession Charter of the [[House of Dar]]). Promulgated around 1773, the document was intended to provide legal clarity for the inheritance of the Dar Raj and was engrossed in both [[Sanskrit]] and [[Persian language|Persian]]. The Charter consists of 18 articles that define the hereditary rights and administrative symbols of the dynasty.{{Sfn|Sen|1941|p=96}}

Articles of the Virendra Royal Succession Charter:{{Sfn|Sen|1941|pp=97–106}}<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=iFP0EQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y |title=The Dhar Family- Succession (Private collection of the Dhar Raj family) |date=1933-10-28 |publisher=Metcuff Printing Works 34 Mechuabazar Street, [[Calcutta]]. |year=1933 |publication-date=28 October 1933 |language=en}}</ref>

* '''Article I''': Establishes the sovereignty of the Dar Raj as hereditary and non-elective.
* '''Article II''': Mandates [[agnatic primogeniture]], stating the eldest legitimate son succeeds to the throne.
* '''Article III''': Reserves the title of [[Yuvraj]] exclusively for the eldest legitimate son during his father's lifetime.
* '''Article IV''': Assigns the title of [[Prince|Rajkumar]] to younger legitimate sons.
* '''Article V''': Grants the title of [[Princess|Rajkumari]] (Princess) to legitimate daughters for their lifetime.
* '''Article VI''': Stipulates that legitimate sons and their lines always take precedence over female lines.
* '''Article VII''': Provides for succession in the absence of sons, moving first to the eldest son of the eldest daughter; if no male descendants exist in the female line, the eldest surviving daughter may ascend as Maharani [[Monarchy|Regnant]].
* '''Article VIII''': Details that the eldest son of a Maharani Regnant succeeds as Maharaja.
* '''Article IX''': Clarifies the order of succession through collateral female branches if the primary female line fails to produce a male heir.
* '''Article X''': Directs succession to the nearest legitimate male descendant of the senior collateral branch if the reigning Maharaja has no direct descendants.
* '''Article XI''': Explicitly prohibits adoption from creating any dynastic rights to the throne, titles, or royal estates.
* '''Article XII''': Excludes children born outside of a lawful marriage from hereditary claims.
* '''Article XIII''': States that marriage into the royal family does not confer independent sovereignty; a spouse does not become a sovereign by right of marriage.
* '''Article XIV''': Defines the title and precedence of the Maharani Consort (also [[Queen consort|Queen Consort]]), who has no sovereign authority unless appointed as a Regent.
* '''Article XVI''': Declares the Crown, titles, and supreme authority one and indivisible, prohibiting the partitioning of the Raj among multiple heirs.
* '''Article XVII''': Establishes the ''permanence of the Charter'', requiring unanimous consent from the Royal Council and senior family members for any alterations.
* '''Article XVIII''': Mandates that each sovereign assume a personal [[Heraldry|Royal Crest]] and [[Cipher]] (e.g., V I, V II) to be used on the Great Seal and official instruments.

== Shift to Bengal ==
Virendra Mohan constructed the Dhar Rajbari at ''Char Talibari'', in the Rajrajeshwar area of [[Bengal]] (Now [[Bangladesh]]), at a cost of 2 million rupees. Later, due to severe erosion by the [[Padma River]], the palace was completely destroyed. He then built the 250 room Dhar Zamindar Palace at Jalsin, Nannar Village in [[Dhamrai Upazila|Dhamrai]] at a cost of 3 million rupees, which is also known as Nannar Rajbari.<ref name="Mukherjee"/><ref>{{Cite book |last=Badal |first=M. N. C. |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=m9C8EQAAQBAJ&pg=PT63&dq=Virendra+Mohan+Dar&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiq693olrySAxV_XWwGHTYnOksQ6AF6BAgPEAM#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=ZAMĪNDĀRS OF EARLY BAṄGĀL AND EAST PĀKISTĀN AND DECLINE OF ZAMĪNDĀR SYSTEM |date=1949-06-11 |publisher=Baṅgāl Granthālaya Prakāśan |language=en}}</ref>{{sfn|Basu|1919|pp=112–125}} The House of Dar under The Maharaja, spanned over 40,000 acres of land across [[Bangladesh]] and [[Jammu]].<ref>Singh, Ravinath. (1974). ''The life and death of Virendra of Dhar Raj: A critical analysis of the final siege of Dhar''. In K. P. Acharya & D. Sharma (Eds.), ''Historiography of the Central Provinces: Vol. 4. The Paramara Epoch'' (A. M. C. Hollingbery, Trans.; 3rd ed., '''pp'''. 412, 414, 419, 421–485). ''Oriental Research Publishing House''. (Original work published 1921).</ref> In 1813, the title of ''[[Maharaja Bahadur|Bahadur]]'' was formally conferred upon Virendra Mohan Dar by Nawab [[Zain-ud-Din Ali Khan]] of [[Murshidabad]], with the official sanction of the British Governor-General, [[Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto|Lord Minto I]], in recognition of his significant contributions to land expansion, the construction of irrigation works, and consistent revenue payments to the [[East India Company]].{{Sfn|Sen|1941|p=204}} By the end of 1820 he established 3 palaces in the [[Dhamrai Upazila]].{{Sfn|Pal|1908|p=150}}

== Flags ==
[[File:Royal Standard of the House of Dar.png|thumb|Royal Standard of the [[House of Dar]] with the Coat of Arms of the King of the House of Dar]]

[[File:Royal Standard of the House of Dar (16 Dar Estates of Akhnoor).svg|thumb|Royal Standard of the House of Dar in Jammu from (1771 to 1789) which represented the role of the [[House of Dar|Dar Zamindari]] over 16 villages and mouzas in Jammu and Kashmir Valley area.]]

[[File:Royal Standard of the House of Dar (19 Dar Estates of Bengal).svg|thumb|Royal Standard of the House of Dar in Bengal (Now [[Bangladesh]] and parts of [[West Bengal|Bengal]]) (Since 1799) which represented the role of the [[House of Dar|Dar Zamindari]] over 19 villages and mouzas in Bengal (Now parts of [[Bangladesh]] and [[West Bengal]])

st Bengale]]

[[File:Royal Standard of the House of Hunderman (Of the House of Dar).svg|thumb|Royal Standard of the House of Hunderman (Founded by the cousin of The Maharaja, in [[Hunderman]]) After the death of Waqif Ali Khan, in 1810, the Maharaja and the [[House of Dar|Dar Raj]] took over the House of Hunderman.]]

== Death and legacy ==
[[File:Utkaldipikanews1906.png|thumb|''[[Utkala Dipika]]''. 8 August 1906. p. 98.]]
Virendra Mohan Dar is mentioned in various historical texts and records, where he is identified as one of the influential local rulers of [[Kashmir]] during the [[Durrani Empire|Durrani]] period.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ikram |first=Sheikh Mohamad |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/History_of_Muslim_Civilization_in_India/ciBuAAAAMAAJ |title=History of Muslim Civilization in India and Pakistan: A Political and Cultural History |date=1989 |publisher=Institute of Islamic Culture |isbn=978-969-469-001-8 |pages=201–202 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sufi |first=G. M. D. |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Kash%C4%ABr_Being_a_History_of_Kashmir_from/ImRDAAAAYAAJ |title=Kashīr, Being a History of Kashmir from the Earliest Times to Our Own |date=1974 |publisher=Light & Life Publishers |pages=85–86 |language=en}}</ref> In the year 1816, his son comissioned a portrait of him by [[Thomas Hickey (painter)|Thomas Hickey]].{{Sfn|Pal|1908|p=283}} In August 1906, the [[Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo|Maharaja]] of [[Mayurbhanj State]] authorized the striking of a unique, ceremonial [[gold coin]] to posthumously honor the long-standing political and administrative legacy of Raja Virendra Mohan Dar, on the request of the [[Dewan]]- Mohini Mohan Dhar.<ref>{{Cite web |last=টুডে ডেস্ক |first=বাংলাদেশ বার্তা |title=শতবর্ষের আলো ছড়াচ্ছে ধামরাইয়ের জলসীন এলোকেশী উচ্চ বিদ্যালয় |url=https://www.bangladeshbartatoday.com/details/feature/2721 |url-status=live |access-date=2026-09-17 |website=bangladeshbartatoday.com |language=bn}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Majumdar |first=S |title=শতবর্ষ পেরিয়েও বেসরকারি! ঐতিহ্যের এলোকেশী উচ্চ বিদ্যালয়কে সরকারি করার দাবি |url=https://doiniksokolerbarta.com/2026/09/17/%e0%a6%b6%e0%a6%a4%e0%a6%ac%e0%a6%b0%e0%a7%8d%e0%a6%b7-%e0%a6%aa%e0%a7%87%e0%a6%b0%e0%a6%bf%e0%a6%af%e0%a6%bc%e0%a7%87%e0%a6%93-%e0%a6%ac%e0%a7%87%e0%a6%b8%e0%a6%b0%e0%a6%95%e0%a6%be%e0%a6%b0%e0%a6%bf/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-09-17 |website=doiniksokolerbarta |language=bn}}</ref> The commemorative coin featured a portrait of Dar on one side and the official emblem of the [[House of Dar|Dar Raj State]] on the reverse. It was placed on public display at the Dar Raj Kachahri on September 14, 1906.<ref>{{cite news |date=8 August 1906 |title=The Mashra correspondent of the same paper states... |newspaper=[[Utkala Dipika]] |department=Section 98 |page=98}}</ref> He died in 1821 of [[cancer]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Historical_Abstracts/pc4LAQAAMAAJ |title=Historical Abstracts: Modern history abstracts, 1775–1914. Part A |date=1988 |publisher=American Bibliographical Center, CLIO |pages=69, 70, 98 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Commissioner |first=India Census |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Census_of_India_1931/TaDUb97q6GwC |title=Census of India, 1931 |date=1933 |publisher=Manager of Publications |pages=186, 188 |language=en}}</ref> His son, [[Raja]] Mukund Mohan Dar, was [[Coronation|coronated]] the following year.

== References ==

=== Notes ===
{{reflist|group=note}}
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{Cite book |last=Basu |first=Gopi Nath |url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=1lnvEQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y |title=LETTERS AND PAMPHLETS OF RAJA VIRENDRAMOHAN |date=1919-04-04 |publisher=Thacker, Spink, & Co. |editor-last=Dice Esq. |editor-first=M.R. |language=en}}
* {{Cite book
|ref={{harvid|Sen|1941}}
|last=Sen
|first=P. K.
|last2=Fitzroy
|first2=Edward
|last3=Harrington
|first3=Reginald
|title=Virendra Mohan Dar: A Biography
|year=1941
|publisher=Metcuff Printing Works
|location=Calcutta
|language=en
|url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=b7nyEQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y
}}
* {{cite book |last=Pal |first=Gurnindra |author-link= |title=রাজা বীরেন্দ্র মোহন দার এর জীবনচরিত্র |language=bn |trans-title=Raja Virendra Mohan Dar's Biography |edition=1st incomplete serialization |location=[[Calcutta]] |publisher=Kuntaline Press |publication-place=5 Shib Narayan Das Lane / 61–62 [[Bowbazar Street|Bowbazar]], [[Calcutta]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]] |year=1908}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dar, Virendra Mohan}}
[[Category:1758 births]]
[[Category:1821 deaths]]
[[Category:Royalty and nobility articles]]
[[Category:Indian royalty]]
[[Category:Zamindars of Bengal]]
[[Category:Kashmiri Brahmins]]
[[Category:People from Kashmir]]
[[Category:Bengali zamindars]]
[[Category:Indian businesspeople]]

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2026-09-25T17:16:42Z

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{{Infobox royalty
| birth_date = 1758-09-14
| image = File:ویرِندرا واسودِو موهان دار.png
| caption = Miniature Portrait {{circa|1782}}
| birth_name = Virendra Vasudev Mohan Dar
| birth_place = Akhnoor
| clan_name = [[House of Dar]]
| coronation = 1771
| death_date = 1821-02-03
| death_place = Dhaka, Bangladesh
| dynasty = [[House of Dar|Dar]]
| father = Ramhari Dar
| house = [[House of Dar|Dar]]
| house-type = Royalty, Jagirdari
| name = Virendra Mohan Dar
| occupation = Businessman and Jagirdar
| reign = 1771-1821
| religion = Kashmiri Pandit
| royal house = [[House of Dar|Dar]]
| spouse = 4
| successor = Raja Mukund Mohan Dar
| title = King and Founder of Dar Raj
}}

[[Raja|Maharaja]] '''Virendra Vasudev Mohan Dar''' ''Bahadur'' ({{langx|fa|ویرِندرا واسودِو موهان دار}}) (14 September 1758 – 3 February 1821), also known as [[Raja]] Virendra Mohan Dar or The Saffron King, was a [[Kashmiri Pandit]] [[jagirdar]] and the King of 16 Dar estates in [[Jammu]]<ref group="note">The 11,000 acre northern frontier estates centered around [[Akhnoor]] along the [[Chenab River]] included Dar, Ambaran, Pamberwan, Maira, Garkhal, Sohal, Brui alongside surrounding village tracts and mouzas- Jia Pota, Jourian, Pargwal, Bhalwal, Gharota, Sui, Dauri, Malpur along with foothill tracts extending towards Khouri and Bhimber.</ref> from 1771 until the collapse of the royal family in 1789 and 19 Dar estates in [[Bangladesh]] and [[West Bengal]]<ref group="note">The eastern 45,000 acre holdings in the [[Dhaka District|Dacca District]] were governed from Rajrajeshwar (Char Talibari) and Nannar Rajbari, encompassing [[Dhamrai Upazila|Dhamrai]], [[Rowail]], Sharifbagh, Demra, Ashulia, Jalsin, Sambha, Suapur, Amta, and regional border tracts in Kaliganj, [[Harirampur, West Bengal|Harirampur]], [[Manikganj]], [[Saturia]], and Ghior.</ref> until his death in 1821.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Mukherjee |first=Ramesh Chandra |url=https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=eUy3EQAAQBAJ&pli=1 |title=Mahārāja Vīrendra Mohan Dār of Akhnūr |date=1987-07-21 |publisher=Nīldhôni Prokāśônā |location=Calcutta |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Nalinikanta Bhattacharya |url=http://archive.org/details/dar-raj-dhar-raj-of-akhnur-and-dhaka |title=Dar Raj (Dhar Raj) of Akhnur and Dhaka |date=1938-04-18}}</ref>
{{Short description|Indian Zamindar and Businessman}}
== Early life and education ==
Virendra Mohan Dar was born on 14 September 1758, in [[Akhnoor]], Kashmir. He completed his education, in [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Sanskrit]], [[English language|English]] and [[Mathematics]] under [[Kashmiri people|kashmiri pandits]] such as Pt. Madhusudan Kaul.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=BL |first=Jitendranath Ghose |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=mx7iEQAAQBAJ&newbks=0&hl=en&source=newbks_fb&redir_esc=y |title=The Raja of Dar- Life and Legacy of Virendra Vasudev of Dar- ویرِندرا واسودِو موهان دار |date=1931-07-21 |publisher=Bridgebit Printing Works, Bowbajaar, Calcutta 1931 |pages=21, 22, 23 |language=en}}</ref>{{sfn|Basu|1919|pp=10–14}}
== Accession ==
[[File:Coat of Arms of the King of the House of Dar.png|Coat of Arms of the King of the House|thumb]]
During the reign of [[Ahmad Shah Durrani]], he was formally conferred the title of [[Maharaja]] and was coronated in 1771. His role is considered significant in the political and social history of [[Kashmir]].<ref name="KashmirHistory">Khan, Mohammad Ishaq (2004). ''History of Medieval Kashmir''. Srinagar: Gulshan Books. pp. 312–314.</ref><ref name="Mukherjee">{{Cite book |last=Mukherjee |first=Ramesh |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=3uW4EQAAQBAJ&newbks=0&hl=en&source=newbks_fb&redir_esc=y |title=وِرینٛدر موہن دار |date=1979-12-06 |publisher=Banwara Publishing |language=ar}}</ref> The death of [[Ahmad Shah Durrani|Ahmed Shah Durrani]] in 1772 resulted in the decline of the [[Durrani Empire]] due to which the Dar [[Royal family|Raj]] eventually lost power in Akhnoor and the [[Kashmir Valley|Cashmere Valley]], hence they shifted to [[Bengal]] (Now [[Bangladesh]]).<ref>{{Cite book |last=BL |first=Jitendranath Ghose |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=mx7iEQAAQBAJ&newbks=0&hl=en&source=newbks_fb&redir_esc=y |title=The Raja of Dar- Life and Legacy of Virendra Vasudev of Dar- ویرِندرا واسودِو موهان دار |date=1931-07-21 |publisher=Bridgebit Printing Works, Bowbajaar, Calcutta 1931 |pages=54, 58, 59 |language=en}}</ref>{{sfn|Basu|1919|pp=21–28}}

Virendra Mohan Dar was spontaneously titled the "''Saffron King''" by merchants for his systematic regulation and expansion of the [[saffron trade]] in his 11,000-acre [[Akhnoor]] domain. He institutionalized cultivation and implemented a "''Charter of Fair Commerce''" to prevent [[Adulterant|product adulteration]] and maintain market integrity.{{Sfn|Sen|1941|p=88}}

===Virendra Royal Succession Charter===
Dar established a formal constitutional code known as ''The Virendra Royal Succession Charter'' (or the Virendra Royal Succession Charter of the [[House of Dar]]). Promulgated around 1773, the document was intended to provide legal clarity for the inheritance of the Dar Raj and was engrossed in both [[Sanskrit]] and [[Persian language|Persian]]. The Charter consists of 18 articles that define the hereditary rights and administrative symbols of the dynasty.{{Sfn|Sen|1941|p=96}}

Articles of the Virendra Royal Succession Charter:{{Sfn|Sen|1941|pp=97–106}}<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=iFP0EQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y |title=The Dhar Family- Succession (Private collection of the Dhar Raj family) |date=1933-10-28 |publisher=Metcuff Printing Works 34 Mechuabazar Street, [[Calcutta]]. |year=1933 |publication-date=28 October 1933 |language=en}}</ref>

* '''Article I''': Establishes the sovereignty of the Dar Raj as hereditary and non-elective.
* '''Article II''': Mandates [[agnatic primogeniture]], stating the eldest legitimate son succeeds to the throne.
* '''Article III''': Reserves the title of [[Yuvraj]] exclusively for the eldest legitimate son during his father's lifetime.
* '''Article IV''': Assigns the title of [[Prince|Rajkumar]] to younger legitimate sons.
* '''Article V''': Grants the title of [[Princess|Rajkumari]] (Princess) to legitimate daughters for their lifetime.
* '''Article VI''': Stipulates that legitimate sons and their lines always take precedence over female lines.
* '''Article VII''': Provides for succession in the absence of sons, moving first to the eldest son of the eldest daughter; if no male descendants exist in the female line, the eldest surviving daughter may ascend as Maharani [[Monarchy|Regnant]].
* '''Article VIII''': Details that the eldest son of a Maharani Regnant succeeds as Maharaja.
* '''Article IX''': Clarifies the order of succession through collateral female branches if the primary female line fails to produce a male heir.
* '''Article X''': Directs succession to the nearest legitimate male descendant of the senior collateral branch if the reigning Maharaja has no direct descendants.
* '''Article XI''': Explicitly prohibits adoption from creating any dynastic rights to the throne, titles, or royal estates.
* '''Article XII''': Excludes children born outside of a lawful marriage from hereditary claims.
* '''Article XIII''': States that marriage into the royal family does not confer independent sovereignty; a spouse does not become a sovereign by right of marriage.
* '''Article XIV''': Defines the title and precedence of the Maharani Consort (also [[Queen consort|Queen Consort]]), who has no sovereign authority unless appointed as a Regent.
* '''Article XVI''': Declares the Crown, titles, and supreme authority one and indivisible, prohibiting the partitioning of the Raj among multiple heirs.
* '''Article XVII''': Establishes the ''permanence of the Charter'', requiring unanimous consent from the Royal Council and senior family members for any alterations.
* '''Article XVIII''': Mandates that each sovereign assume a personal [[Heraldry|Royal Crest]] and [[Cipher]] (e.g., V I, V II) to be used on the Great Seal and official instruments.

== Shift to Bengal ==
Virendra Mohan constructed the Dhar Rajbari at ''Char Talibari'', in the Rajrajeshwar area of [[Bengal]] (Now [[Bangladesh]]), at a cost of 2 million rupees. Later, due to severe erosion by the [[Padma River]], the palace was completely destroyed. He then built the 250 room Dhar Zamindar Palace at Jalsin, Nannar Village in [[Dhamrai Upazila|Dhamrai]] at a cost of 3 million rupees, which is also known as Nannar Rajbari.<ref name="Mukherjee"/><ref>{{Cite book |last=Badal |first=M. N. C. |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=m9C8EQAAQBAJ&pg=PT63&dq=Virendra+Mohan+Dar&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiq693olrySAxV_XWwGHTYnOksQ6AF6BAgPEAM#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=ZAMĪNDĀRS OF EARLY BAṄGĀL AND EAST PĀKISTĀN AND DECLINE OF ZAMĪNDĀR SYSTEM |date=1949-06-11 |publisher=Baṅgāl Granthālaya Prakāśan |language=en}}</ref>{{sfn|Basu|1919|pp=112–125}} The House of Dar under The Maharaja, spanned over 40,000 acres of land across [[Bangladesh]] and [[Jammu]].<ref>Singh, Ravinath. (1974). ''The life and death of Virendra of Dhar Raj: A critical analysis of the final siege of Dhar''. In K. P. Acharya & D. Sharma (Eds.), ''Historiography of the Central Provinces: Vol. 4. The Paramara Epoch'' (A. M. C. Hollingbery, Trans.; 3rd ed., '''pp'''. 412, 414, 419, 421–485). ''Oriental Research Publishing House''. (Original work published 1921).</ref> In 1813, the title of ''[[Maharaja Bahadur|Bahadur]]'' was formally conferred upon Virendra Mohan Dar by Nawab [[Zain-ud-Din Ali Khan]] of [[Murshidabad]], with the official sanction of the British Governor-General, [[Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto|Lord Minto I]], in recognition of his significant contributions to land expansion, the construction of irrigation works, and consistent revenue payments to the [[East India Company]].{{Sfn|Sen|1941|p=204}} By the end of 1820 he established 3 palaces in the [[Dhamrai Upazila]].{{Sfn|Pal|1908|p=150}}

== Death and legacy ==
[[File:Utkaldipikanews1906.png|thumb|''[[Utkala Dipika]]''. 8 August 1906. p. 98.]]
Virendra Mohan Dar is mentioned in various historical texts and records, where he is identified as one of the influential local rulers of [[Kashmir]] during the [[Durrani Empire|Durrani]] period.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ikram |first=Sheikh Mohamad |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/History_of_Muslim_Civilization_in_India/ciBuAAAAMAAJ |title=History of Muslim Civilization in India and Pakistan: A Political and Cultural History |date=1989 |publisher=Institute of Islamic Culture |isbn=978-969-469-001-8 |pages=201–202 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sufi |first=G. M. D. |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Kash%C4%ABr_Being_a_History_of_Kashmir_from/ImRDAAAAYAAJ |title=Kashīr, Being a History of Kashmir from the Earliest Times to Our Own |date=1974 |publisher=Light & Life Publishers |pages=85–86 |language=en}}</ref> In the year 1816, his son comissioned a portrait of him by [[Thomas Hickey (painter)|Thomas Hickey]].{{Sfn|Pal|1908|p=283}} In August 1906, the [[Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo|Maharaja]] of [[Mayurbhanj State]] authorized the striking of a unique, ceremonial [[gold coin]] to posthumously honor the long-standing political and administrative legacy of Raja Virendra Mohan Dar, on the request of the [[Dewan]]- Mohini Mohan Dhar.<ref>{{Cite web |last=টুডে ডেস্ক |first=বাংলাদেশ বার্তা |title=শতবর্ষের আলো ছড়াচ্ছে ধামরাইয়ের জলসীন এলোকেশী উচ্চ বিদ্যালয় |url=https://www.bangladeshbartatoday.com/details/feature/2721 |url-status=live |access-date=2026-09-17 |website=bangladeshbartatoday.com |language=bn}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Majumdar |first=S |title=শতবর্ষ পেরিয়েও বেসরকারি! ঐতিহ্যের এলোকেশী উচ্চ বিদ্যালয়কে সরকারি করার দাবি |url=https://doiniksokolerbarta.com/2026/09/17/%e0%a6%b6%e0%a6%a4%e0%a6%ac%e0%a6%b0%e0%a7%8d%e0%a6%b7-%e0%a6%aa%e0%a7%87%e0%a6%b0%e0%a6%bf%e0%a6%af%e0%a6%bc%e0%a7%87%e0%a6%93-%e0%a6%ac%e0%a7%87%e0%a6%b8%e0%a6%b0%e0%a6%95%e0%a6%be%e0%a6%b0%e0%a6%bf/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-09-17 |website=doiniksokolerbarta |language=bn}}</ref> The commemorative coin featured a portrait of Dar on one side and the official emblem of the [[House of Dar|Dar Raj State]] on the reverse. It was placed on public display at the Dar Raj Kachahri on September 14, 1906.<ref>{{cite news |date=8 August 1906 |title=The Mashra correspondent of the same paper states... |newspaper=[[Utkala Dipika]] |department=Section 98 |page=98}}</ref> He died in 1821 of [[cancer]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Historical_Abstracts/pc4LAQAAMAAJ |title=Historical Abstracts: Modern history abstracts, 1775–1914. Part A |date=1988 |publisher=American Bibliographical Center, CLIO |pages=69, 70, 98 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Commissioner |first=India Census |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Census_of_India_1931/TaDUb97q6GwC |title=Census of India, 1931 |date=1933 |publisher=Manager of Publications |pages=186, 188 |language=en}}</ref> His son, [[Raja]] Mukund Mohan Dar, was [[Coronation|coronated]] the following year.

== References ==

=== Notes ===
{{reflist|group=note}}
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{Cite book |last=Basu |first=Gopi Nath |url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=1lnvEQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y |title=LETTERS AND PAMPHLETS OF RAJA VIRENDRAMOHAN |date=1919-04-04 |publisher=Thacker, Spink, & Co. |editor-last=Dice Esq. |editor-first=M.R. |language=en}}
* {{Cite book
|ref={{harvid|Sen|1941}}
|last=Sen
|first=P. K.
|last2=Fitzroy
|first2=Edward
|last3=Harrington
|first3=Reginald
|title=Virendra Mohan Dar: A Biography
|year=1941
|publisher=Metcuff Printing Works
|location=Calcutta
|language=en
|url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about?id=b7nyEQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y
}}
* {{cite book |last=Pal |first=Gurnindra |author-link= |title=রাজা বীরেন্দ্র মোহন দার এর জীবনচরিত্র |language=bn |trans-title=Raja Virendra Mohan Dar's Biography |edition=1st incomplete serialization |location=[[Calcutta]] |publisher=Kuntaline Press |publication-place=5 Shib Narayan Das Lane / 61–62 [[Bowbazar Street|Bowbazar]], [[Calcutta]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]] |year=1908}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dar, Virendra Mohan}}
[[Category:1758 births]]
[[Category:1821 deaths]]
[[Category:Royalty and nobility articles]]
[[Category:Indian royalty]]
[[Category:Zamindars of Bengal]]
[[Category:Kashmiri Brahmins]]
[[Category:People from Kashmir]]
[[Category:Bengali zamindars]]
[[Category:Indian businesspeople]]

Virendra Mohan Dar

2026-09-23T19:23:08Z

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