SAWANTRAJ at 10:36, 18 January 2026

2026-01-18T10:36:08Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:06, 18 January 2026
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	{{Short description\|Moitra Royal Family}}		{{Short description\|Moitra Royal Family}}
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=~~April 2017~~}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=February 2025}}
	{{Use Indian English\|date=April 2017}}		{{Use Indian English\|date=April 2017}}
	{{Royal house\|		{{Royal house
	\|~~coat of arms~~ = Natore Rajbari1 (Palace).JPG		\| image = Natore Rajbari1 (Palace).JPG
	\|image_size = ~~200px~~		\| image_size =
	\|~~caption~~ = ~~Palace~~ of ~~the Rajas~~		\| image_caption = The palace of Natore
	\|country = [[East Bengal]]		\| parent_family = [[Puthia Raj family]]
	\|titles = {{plainlist\|		\| country = [[East Bengal]]
			\| titles = {{plainlist\|
	* [[Raja]]		* [[Raja]]
	* [[Rai (Indian)\|Rai-Raiyan]]		* [[Rai (Indian)\|Rai-Raiyan]]
	* [[Raja Bahadur]]		* [[Raja Bahadur]]
			* [[Rai Bahadur]]
			* [[Rai Sahib]]
	}}		}}
	\|founder = [[Raja]] Kamdev ~~Moitra~~		\| founder = [[Raja]] Kamdev
	\|current head = ~~Legally Abolished (1950)~~		\| current head =
	\|founding year = 18th century		\| founding year = 18th century
	}}		}}
	{{Bengal Zamindars series}}		{{Bengal Zamindars series}}
	'''Rajshahi Raj''' was ~~a large~~ ''[[zamindari]]'' (feudatory kingdom) which occupied a vast position of [[Bengal]] (present-day [[Rajshahi Division]], [[Bangladesh~~]] and [[West Bengal~~, ~~India]]). It was the richest~~ and ~~second largest zamindari with an area of about 33,670 km<sup>2</sup>, after the [[Burdwan (Zamindari~~)~~\|Burdwan Raj]]~~. The Royal Family of Rajshahi used the title Ray/Rai and their surname was [[Moitra\|Maitra]]. The zamindari came into being during the early part of the 18th century when [[Nawab]] [[Murshid Quli Khan]] was the [[Dewan]]/[[Subahdar]] of Bengal (1704–1727).		'''Rajshahi Raj''' was the largest ''[[zamindari]]'' (feudatory kingdom) during the British Raj which occupied a vast position of [[Bengal]] (present-day [[Rajshahi Division]], Bangladesh, and Bihar). The Royal Family of Rajshahi used the title Ray/Rai.

	~~The family ruled~~ their ~~dominions and~~ estates ~~from~~ the [[~~Natore Palace~~]] ~~in present-day Bangladesh~~. ~~They belonged to the varendra bramhins of Moitra clan~~, ~~as they were bestowed the title~~ of ~~Rai-Raiyan, they used~~ this ~~title while ruling half~~ of ~~undivided Bengal.They were~~ the most ~~philanthropic among all Bengali Royals~~. ~~A member~~ of ~~this~~ Raj family, [[~~Jagadindra Nath Ray\|Maharaja Jagadindra Nath Ray (Moitra)~~]], was ~~a patron~~ of ~~cricket~~, and ~~wanted~~ to ~~defeat~~ the [[~~United Kingdom\|British~~]] ~~in their own game~~ of [[~~Cricket~~ (~~sport~~)~~\|cricket]]~~. ~~His rival~~ was the [[~~Maharaja~~]] of [[~~Cooch Behar State~~\|~~Koch Bihar~~]].<ref>{{cite news \|title=Book Review: More than just a game \|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/GC05Df04.html \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050407220059/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/GC05Df04.html \|url-status=unfit \|archive-date=7 April 2005 \|newspaper=Asia Times \|date=5 March 2005}}</ref>		==History==

			Many old aristocrats and landlords lost their estates during the reign of the Nawab of Bengal, [[Murshid Quli Khan]]. Besides, many zamindars lost their zamindari on account of their disobedience and rebellion. Murshid Quli Khan settled these zamindaries with his trusted followers. In this process of replacement the most fortunate beneficiary was the Rajshahi zamindari. The family also benefited by another feature of nawab's revenue policy of encouragement to the formation of big zamindaries.

			The [[Rajshahi Raj family]] traced its origin to Kamdev Rai, a [[tahsildar]] of the [[Puthia Raj family]]. Kamdev had three sons Ramjivan, Raghunandan and Bishnuram. Raghunandan was the very promising and enterprising. Raja Darpanarain, the [[zamindar]] of [[Puthia]], and Murshid Quli Khan had significant contributions behind Raghunandan's rise to prominence. Raghunandan sided with Murshid Quli Khan in his entanglement with the [[Subahdar]], the Prince [[Azim-us-Shan]], the grandson of Emperor Aurangzeb and thus won the confidence of the [[nawab]].

			Again, when the diwani was transferred to [[Murshidabad]], he was appointed in a similar capacity as his master's representative there. During this time he came in close contact of Murshid Quli Khan and secured his confidence. Which is why the ''naib'' (later ruler of Bengal) trusted him and let him set up the dynasty. Just a few zamindars controlled half of the total landed property of Bengal and in 1793 British East India company has abolished Nizamat (local rule by nawabs appointed y the Mughal emperor) and has taken complete control of the province of Bengal. The colonial state viewed these princely zamindaris as potential threats to the security of the new state, because their power were so great that they could at any opportune moment combine and put the colonial state in great jeopardy. Hence it became a policy of the government to weaken these estates, if not destroy them altogether. One of the strategies to implement this design was the ruthless operation of the [[sunset law]] (law which required the lords to submit their revenues by sunset).<ref>{{Cite book \|title=History of Bangladesh: 1704 - 1971 \|date=1997 \|publisher=Asiatic Civil Military Press \|isbn=978-984-512-337-2 \|editor-last=Islam \|editor-first=Sirajul \|location=Dhaka \|editor-last2=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh}}</ref> The family continued to rule from the [[Natore Palace\|natore palace]].<ref>{{cite news \|title=Book Review: More than just a game \|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/GC05Df04.html \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050407220059/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/GC05Df04.html \|url-status=unfit \|archive-date=7 April 2005 \|newspaper=Asia Times \|date=5 March 2005}}</ref>

	==References==		==References==
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	==Further reading==		==Further reading==
	* ''Jamini Kanta Bhaduri'' (1912) A Short History Of Natore Raj {{ISBN\|0-04-394204-0}}		* ''Jamini Kanta Bhaduri'' (1912) A Short History of Natore Raj {{ISBN\|0-04-394204-0}}
	* {{Cite Banglapedia \|article=Rajshahi Raj \|author= Mahmood, ABM; Islam, Sirajul }}		* {{Cite Banglapedia \|article=Rajshahi Raj \|author= Mahmood, ABM; Islam, Sirajul }}

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

	[[Category:~~History of Bengal~~]]		[[Category:Bengali zamindars]]
	[[Category:Zamindari estates]]		[[Category:Zamindari estates]]
	[[Category:Quasi-princely estates of India]]		[[Category:Quasi-princely estates of India]]

imported>BD2412: /* top */Typo fixing for Wikipedia:Typo Team/moss, replaced: ,a → , a, ,t → , t, .The → . The

2021-07-13T20:12:20Z

top: Typo fixing for Wikipedia:Typo Team/moss, replaced: ,a → , a, ,t → , t, .The → . The

New page

{{Short description|Moitra Royal Family}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2017}}
{{Royal house|
|coat of arms = Natore Rajbari1 (Palace).JPG
|image_size = 200px
|caption = Palace of the Rajas
|country = [[East Bengal]]
|titles = {{plainlist|
* [[Raja]]
* [[Rai (Indian)|Rai-Raiyan]]
* [[Raja Bahadur]]
}}
|founder = [[Raja]] Kamdev Moitra
|current head = Legally Abolished (1950)
|founding year = 18th century
}}
{{Bengal Zamindars series}}
'''Rajshahi Raj''' was a large ''[[zamindari]]'' (feudatory kingdom) which occupied a vast position of [[Bengal]] (present-day [[Rajshahi Division]], [[Bangladesh]] and [[West Bengal, India]]). It was the richest and second largest zamindari with an area of about 33,670 km<sup>2</sup>, after the [[Burdwan (Zamindari)|Burdwan Raj]]. The Royal Family of Rajshahi used the title Ray/Rai and their surname was [[Moitra|Maitra]]. The zamindari came into being during the early part of the 18th century when [[Nawab]] [[Murshid Quli Khan]] was the [[Dewan]]/[[Subahdar]] of Bengal (1704–1727).

The family ruled their dominions and estates from the [[Natore Palace]] in present-day Bangladesh. They belonged to the varendra bramhins of Moitra clan, as they were bestowed the title of Rai-Raiyan, they used this title while ruling half of undivided Bengal.They were the most philanthropic among all Bengali Royals. A member of this Raj family, [[Jagadindra Nath Ray|Maharaja Jagadindra Nath Ray (Moitra)]], was a patron of cricket, and wanted to defeat the [[United Kingdom|British]] in their own game of [[Cricket (sport)|cricket]]. His rival was the [[Maharaja]] of [[Cooch Behar State|Koch Bihar]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Book Review: More than just a game |url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/GC05Df04.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050407220059/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/GC05Df04.html |url-status=unfit |archive-date=7 April 2005 |newspaper=Asia Times |date=5 March 2005}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* ''Jamini Kanta Bhaduri'' (1912) A Short History Of Natore Raj {{ISBN|0-04-394204-0}}
* {{Cite Banglapedia |article=Rajshahi Raj |author= Mahmood, ABM; Islam, Sirajul }}

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

[[Category:History of Bengal]]
[[Category:Zamindari estates]]
[[Category:Quasi-princely estates of India]]
[[Category:1710 establishments in Asia]]
[[Category:1950 disestablishments in India]]
[[Category:Rajshahi District]]
[[Category:Bengali Hindus]]
[[Category:Bengali families]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi Hindus]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi families]]
[[Category:Hindu families]]
[[Category:Indian families]]

Rajshahi Raj - Revision history

SAWANTRAJ at 10:36, 18 January 2026

imported>BD2412: /* top */Typo fixing for Wikipedia:Typo Team/moss, replaced: ,a → , a, ,t → , t, .The → . The