Created by Ira Leviton
Last edited March 24, 2026


Maharaja Nabakrishna Deb
Maharaja Nabakrishna Deb: Posthumous Portrait, c. early 20th Century
Born10 October 1733
Died22 December 1797(1797-12-22) (aged 64)
Calcutta, Bengal, British India
Known forFounder of Sovabazar Raj
SuccessorGopi Mohun Deb
Children1

Maharaja Nabakrishna Deb (also known as Raja Nabakrishna Deb, archaic spelling Nubkissen; 10 October 1733 – 22 December 1797), founder of the Sovabazar Raj family, was a maharaja and close confidant and friend of Robert Clive.[1][2][3][4] Deb was instrumental in a plot against Siraj-ud-Daulah.[5]

In 1757, Deb began construction of Shobhabazar Rajbari. It was a large house with a public courtyard, and was designed to flaunt his wealth and status. There he hosted an annual Durga Puja festival. Clive attended after his victory at the Battle of Plassey.[6]

Gallery[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Sengupta, Subodh Chandra; Basu, Anjali, eds. (1998) [First published 1976]. নবকৃষ্ণ দেব [Nabakrishna Dev]. Saṃsada bāṅāli caritābhidhāna (in Bengali). Vol. 1 (4th ed.). Kolkata: Sahitya Samsad. p. 242. ISBN 81-85626-65-0. নবকৃষ্ণ দেব (১৭৩৩ - ২২-১১-১৭৯৭) ... শোভাবাজার রাজবংশের প্রতিষ্ঠাতা। ... লর্ড ক্লাইভের চেষ্টায় তিনি 'মহারাজা বাহাদুর' উপাধি [Nabakrishna Dev (1733 - 22-11-1797) ... Founder of the Shobhabazar dynasty. ... He was given the title of 'Maharaja Bahadur' through the efforts of Lord Clive] {{cite encyclopedia}}: Unknown parameter |script-encyclopedia= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |trans-encyclopedia= ignored (help)
  2. Mukherjee Pandey, Jhimli (30 September 2006). "Shobhabazar Raj Bari". Family tradition alive in the City of Joy. Times of India. Retrieved 18 February 2007.
  3. Cotton, H. E. A. (1980) [First published 1907]. Calcutta Old and New (Revised ed.). Calcutta: General Printers and Publishers Pvt. Ltd. pp. 288–289.
  4. "Durga puja's colonial roots - Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis". 21 October 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  5. "Indian School, Early 20th Century". Bid and Hammer. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
  6. Beattie, Martin (2004). "Hybrid identities: 'Public' and 'private' life in the courtyard houses of Barabazaar, Kolkata, lndia". In Menin, Sarah (ed.). Constructing Place: Mind and the Matter of Place-Making. Routledge. p. 156. ISBN 978-1-134-37909-5. Retrieved 4 April 2017.