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{{Short description|Indian dynasty of Kings from Bengal}}
The '''Birkul Raj family''' also known as '''Birkul Royal Family''', was a feudal dynasty, identifying with the [[Mahishya]] caste, established under the [[Bhanja dynasty|Bhanja]] kings of [[Mayurbhanj State|Mayurbhanj state]], as their feudatories, in the year 1500 that ruled over south-eastern, [[Mughal era]] [[Midnapore district]].<ref name=":3" /> However, by the time of the [[British India|British occupation]], they were reduced to ruling over certain regions around present-day [[Digha]] and northern fringes of [[Odisha]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Ray |first=Ratnalekha |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lJouAAAAMAAJ&q=birkul+raj |title=Change in Bengal Agrarian Society, C1760-1850 |date=1979 |publisher=Manohar |pages=137 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2" />

== History ==
Before the arrival of the British, vast areas of present-day [[Midnapore|Medinipur]] and [[Odisha]] were under the rule of the [[Mayurbhanj State|Mayurbhanj]] rulers ([[Bhanja dynasty|Bhanja Kings]]). Around in 1500 AD, for some reason the farmers of the Medinipur region rose in rebellion which created disorder in the [[Gajapati Empire]]. Therefore, [[Prataparudra Deva]] ordered his vassals, the [[Bhanja dynasty|Bhanja rulers]] of [[Mayurbhanj State|Mayurbhanj]], to subdue the rebellion. They in turn, delegated their work to one, [[Bhuiyan]] Sagar Ray, a [[Mahishya]] by caste and a resident of [[Bamra State|Bamra kingdom]], to carry out the task.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=RAY |first=NIHARRANJAN |url=http://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.12532 |title=HISTORY AND SOCIETY |date=1978 |publisher=K.P.BAGCHI,CALCUTTA |pages=366}}</ref> At that time, on the orders of the Bhanj king, '''Sagar Ray''' skillfully suppressed the peasant uprising in the Birkul ([[Digha]]) area. As a reward, the Bhanj king established him as the [[Raja]] of the Birkul dandapat, encompassing the village [[forts]] of Birkul, Kakrachoura and Mirgoda.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Office |first1=West Bengal (India) Census |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lxykIfp9Gz0C&q=birkul+raj |title=District Handbooks: Hooghly |last2=Mitra |first2=Asok |date=1952 |publisher=s.n. Guha Ray |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Barui |first=Balai |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rQw7AAAAMAAJ&q=birkul+raj |title=The Salt Industry of Bengal, 1757-1800: A Study in the Interaction of British Monopoly Control and Indigenous Enterprise |date=1985 |publisher=K.P. Bagchi |isbn=978-0-8364-1478-3 |pages=100, 171 |language=en}}</ref>

[[Raja]] Sagar Ray, fought wars with the neighbouring kingdoms of the [[Bahubalindra Royal Family|Moyna Raj]] and the [[Kajlagarh|Kajlagarh Raj]] to consolidate his control over the area.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Das |first=Bishnupada |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wuLZAAAAMAAJ |title=Some Aspects of Socio-economic Changes in South Western Frontier Bengal Since Introduction of Neo-Vaiṣṇavism |date=1996 |publisher=Firma KLM Private Limited |isbn=978-81-7102-049-2 |language=en}}</ref> Sagar Ray, established himself as the dominant landlord of the area and donated lands to [[Brahmin]]s and began to perform elaborate [[Yajna]]s and pujas.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bhaumik |first=Sudarshana |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bKh4EAAAQBAJ&dq=sudarshana+bhowmik+Medinipur+history&pg=PT285 |title=The Changing World of Caste and Hierarchy in Bengal: Depiction from the Mangalkavyas c. 1700–1931 |date=2022-08-26 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-000-64143-1 |language=en}}</ref> He established temples in Sagareswar village to ''Bridheshwar [[Shiva]]'' and ''Buddhadev Mahadev'', his family deities. Sagar Ray was succeeded by his son Raja Jadunath Ray, followed by his grandson [[Raja]] Puroshattam Ray.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Welcome to Midnapore.in-Royal Families of Midnapore |url=https://www.midnapore.in/royal_families_birkul.html |access-date=2025-11-16 |website=www.midnapore.in}}</ref>

Sagar Ray's great-grandson [[Raja]] Narahari Ray, further divided his Kingdom, by making his eldest son the Raja of Birkul, his second son as a [[Chowdhury]] to the [[Nawabs of Bengal]], and his third and youngest son as the [[Zamindar]] of Kakrachoura.<ref name=":0" /> Among them, the Kingdom of Birkul, became one of the most profitable salt producing areas in the entire district of [[Midnapore district|Medinipore]].<ref name=":4" /> Raj Ballabh Bhuiyan Ray, the then ruler, also had some scuffles with the authority of the newly implemented [[Company rule in India|Company rule]].<ref name=":4" />

== Later outcome ==
In 1760s, Raja Sarveshwar Ray, held the whole [[Zamindar]]i for quite some time. The other half was purchased by the Raja of Malighati. In 1781, Udayananda Chowdhury of the other branch of the family, was imprisoned by the [[Nawabs of Bengal]] at [[Murshidabad]] for defaulting on taxes. On the account of Raja Sarveshwar not having any sons, he was succeeded by his cousin, a descendant of [[Raja]] Sagar Ray on the maternal side, [[Raja]] Lal Bihari Singha Gajendra Mohapatra, the [[Turkagarh Royal Family|Raja of Turkagarh]].<ref name=":1" /> Later, the [[British Raj]] recognised Lal bihari's grandson Jashodanandan Mohapatra as the ruler of Birkul.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Jānā |first=Yudhishṭhira |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xQzgqWvrhMAC&q=%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%83%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%B0+%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4+%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B8 |title=Br̥hattara Tāmraliptera itihāsa |date=1965 |publisher=Kalikātā Pustakālaẏa |language=bn}}</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Sagareshwar Briddheshwar Shiva Temple.jpg|Briddheshwar Shiva Temple of [[Raja]] Sagar Ray
File:Kuldevota of Birkul Raj.jpg|Buddhadeva Mahadav, the [[Kuldevta]] of Birkul Raj
</gallery>

== See also ==

* [[Mayurbhanj State]]
* [[Gajapati Empire]]
* [[Prataparudra Deva]]
* [[Mahishya]]
* [[Bahubalindra Royal Family]]
* [[Tamluk Royal Family]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Dynasties of Odisha]]
[[Category:Asian royal families]]
[[Category:Kshatriya]]
[[Category:Bengali zamindars]]
[[Category:Bengali families]]
[[Category:Bengali Hindus]]
[[Category:Indian families]]
[[Category:Hindu families]]
[[Category:Zamindari estates]]
[[Category:Dynasties of Bengal]]

Birkul Raj - Revision history

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