History of Dinajpur(Part-6) Raja Radhanath()1778 A.D.-1800 A.D),Raja singh, the Rani Saraswati.

Raja Baidyanath died in 1780 without an heir. His widow Rani Saraswati adopted a young boy named Radhanath. Radhanath obtained a sanad from the british declaring him successor to Baidayanath, on payment of a succession fee of 730 mohars. Warren Hastings signed the sanad where lands of the estate were given. Since Raja Radhanath was minor, the management of the estate was looked after first by Raja Devi Singh of Dilwarput, Murshidabad and later by one Janaki Ram Singh, brother of the Rani Sawaswati, Janaki Ram Singh was not efficient in running the estate. He failed to understand the strictness of the British revenue system and had arrears on his payment.Therefore, the Board of Revenue removed him fro the post of manager, Ram Kanta Ray, a relative of the Raj family, was appointed as a new manager in 1787.he was doing his duty well.But young Radhanath and Rani Sarawati did not like him and British because of the removal of Janaki Ram Singh for his simple fault of arrears in Payments.

It is said that Rani Saraswati became very annoyed with the British due to their interference in der estate.F.W.Strong (1912:26) has given a citation from Westmacott regarding the attitude of the Rani towards British rule.

The Ranee's feelings of hostility against the British rule are pardonable. He husband for 20 years had reigned almost as an independent prince, and after his death her brother Janokee Ram had maintained an equal state. Suddenly her brother was called upon to pay his revenue with a punctually never known before, and on default was sent in custody to Calcutta, and she never saw him again. The collections of the estate were taken entirely out of the hands of the family. and even the expenses of repairs of the Rajbaree and the monthly wages of  the servants, were defrayed by Government orders without reference to her wishes. The herd of buffaloes belonging to the Rajbaree was sent to the uncultivated part of the district as a public nuisance, and many of the consecrated cattle were sold.The Ranee was not even allowed to take care of her adopted son,9 or 10 years old, but he was made over for education to the manager, Ram Kanto Roy, for whom she had a strong personal aversion.At the same time the income of the Zamindaree was beign decreased by the abolition of all the illegal taxes and ceases which the Rajas had collected as long as she could remember and by the determination of Government that the family charities were to be paid out of the privy purse and not out of the imperial revenue as heretofore.She was naturally in no temper to look on Mr.Hatch's reforms as beneficial or to acquiesce in the action of Government.

To Be Continue..............

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History of Dinajpur (Part-5) Raja Baidyanath(1763 A.D.-1778 A.D.)

Raja Baidyanath was third among Ramnath's four sons namely: Krishnanath, Roopnath, Baidyanath and Kantanath. A manuscript signed by Muhammad Jafir Khan, Subadar of Bengal, in which Baidyanath declared the rightful heir of his father. The character of Baidyanath was modest, gentle and weak-minded. He had given a lot of privilege to the Brahmins and due to that they became more powerful during his reign.

The political scenario of India changed immediately after Baidyanath took responsibility of the estate. The  British obtained the Diwani of Bengal in 1765, with the right of collecting the revenues, and in 1772 or thereabouts an English collector or chief of the revenue was appointed to the zamindar of Dinajpur. F.W Strong(1912:25) has given a description of the policy and account of the new regime...........

It is probable that the strictness, with which the collection of the revenue was henceforth made, under the new regime, is accountable for the decline in prosperity of the family, which began about this time. The collectorate records do not begin till A.D.1786, and the first Collector, Mr.Marriot, appears to have only been a Collector in the more limited sense of being responsible for the payment of the Government revenue.Mr. Redfen and Mr.Vansittart, who were appointed subsequently for short periods, were probably in the same position. Mr.Hatch, who was appointed subsequently for short periods, were probably in the same position. Mr.hatch who was appointed Managing Collector of the Dinajpur Raj in 1786, and was vested with judicial powers and jurisdication over the greater part of the area covered by the present districts of Dinajpur, Malda and Bogra, was the first District Officer in the modern sense of the term.From this time on we have a regular record of the administration of the district. Raja Baidyanath died in 1780 without an heir.

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