Oriya Speaking Feudatory States
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Orissa Review * August - 2005 Oriya Speaking Feudatory States Dr. Hemanta Kumar Mohapatra The origin of the Feudatory States of Orissa is youngest of them. At last when defeated in that obscure. Over the years historians have developed fratricidal war, they submitted to the victorious different hypotheses. But none of them has been brother, who in his magnanimity forgave them all able to prove its validity. The first hypothesis in and gave each of them a piece of territory to rule this direction tried to graft 'Rajput origin' to the independently. It is believed that these eighteen founders of such States. It was assumed that brothers ultimately became the founders of the having come on pilgrims to Sri Jagannath, Puri, a eighteen small princely States of the future Orissa. few ambitious Rajput pilgrims stopped on their But this hypothesis is still doubtful as it is based way back and carved out principalities for on legendary half-truth and lacks historicity. themselves. But this hypothesis lacks universal These States constituted one of the dense application. However this is applicable to the forest areas in the country, forest revenues being Feudatory States of Patnagarh and Sambalpur. for some of them the largest item of their income. The Kingdom of Patnagarh was founded by a An irregular mass of forest-covered hills broken member of the Chauhan clan of Delhi, named by river valleys with here and there a wide rice- Ramaidev. The Kingdom of Sambalpur was growing plain and covered for the most part with founded by a Chauhan King named Balaramdev. dense forest, they were probably in the wildest The second hypothesis stands on the aboriginal and least accessible areas. Nonetheless these origin of the Feudatory Chiefs. But if a careful States particularly the Northern ones were analysis of the customs and traditions of the situated in a mineral rich belt. princely Courts is made, little tribal attributes can be observed there on. Such a hypothesis is not Politically these States were insignificant as supported by sufficient historical evidences and long as strong central rule was in vogue at Katak. naturally failed to get the unanimous agreement With the downfall of the 'Suryavamshi Gajpatis', of the historians. The third hypothesis brought the the central authority of Bidanasi Katak, the capital origin of the princes back to the Fifteenth Century of the then Orissa declined. The Feudatory Chiefs A.D. when the Gajapati Kings were ruling over started violating their allegiance to the central rule Orissa. According to this tradition, of Orissa. They kept themselves busy in wars and Kapilendradev, the first Gajapati king of Orissa tried to enhance their sphere of influence. By this ruling from 1435 to 1468 AD had as many as act they further weakened the military power of eighteen sons who contested with Orissa and ultimately due to their apathy the Purushottamadev, who happened to be the Afghans conquered Orissa in 1516 A.D. 17 Orissa Review * August - 2005 During the Afghans and Mughals Khan-i-Dauran also put down the revolt particularly till Akbar (1556-1605) the Feudatory by Zamindar Uddanta of Narasinghpur, Chiefs of Orissa were not disturbed. Their Zamindar Hari Chandan Krishna Bhanja of territories came to be known as the "Garjat", Nilgiri. As mentioned earlier the Zamindar of whereas the territories under the direct control of Ranpur with others joined the rebellious Raja the Mughals were called 'Mughalbandi'. During Mukundadev of Khurda. Khan-i-Dauran the rule of Jahangir and Shahjahan the Feudatory captured the seven forts around Khurda. Chiefs of Orissa were enjoying a great deal of Mukunda dev fled. His brother, Bhramarbar Ray independence. After paying their tributes (tributary was made the Raja of Khurda. Khan-i-Dauran dues ) to the Mughal rulers they were free to rule plundered Keonjhar, defeated the Raja their States according to their sweet will. No Laxminaryan Bhanja and recovered the fort of Subahdar of Orissa felt it necessary to interfere Panchira. The Zamindar of Ranapur was also in the internal affairs of these States. But such an subjugated by him. The Zamindars of Dompara, apathy led to insubordination in the part of the Hijli, Malipara, Patia, Sarangagarh, Kanika, Chiefs and when Aurangzeb became the Mughal Kujanga and Khallikote were also subjugated by Badshah of Delhi the Feudatory States were in a him. Khan-i-Dauran informed Aurangzeb that he state of anarchy and confusion. had punished all the usurpers, oppressors and lawless men of the province and made them Aurangzeb appointed Khan-i-Dauran as obedient. the Subahdar of Orissa. In 1660 when he came to Orissa, the Zamindars or the Rajas were in a After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707 the Mughal empire started to disintegrate. The Mughal refractory mood and were trying to spread their Subahdars became independent and asserted sphere of influence. Raja Mukundadev of Khurda their power in the far-away provinces. In 1713 ceased to pay tribute and was hostile to the Murshid Quli Khan made himself the Nazim of Mughal authority. Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Orissa was kept under The Zamindars of Ranpur, Saranga, a Naib Nazim or Assistant Subahdar. Sujauddin Dompara, Khallikote joined him. Raja Krishna was appointed the first Naib Nazim of Orissa. Chandra Bhanja Deo of Hariharpur(Mayurbhanj) Thus the Nazims of Bengal ruled Orissa from had occupied a large tract of land from Medinapur 1713 to 1751. In 1715 Aliverdi Khan, the Nazim to Bhadrak. Laxminarayan Bhanja, the Raja of of Bengel ceded all territorial possessions south Keonjhar, had occupied the fort of Panchira. of the river Sonamukhi (Suvarnarekha) to the Marathas in lieu of peace for Bengal and agreed Khan-i-Dauran, the new Subahdar sent for to pay a heavy sum of Rupees 12 lakhs annually Krishna Chandra Bhanja of Mayurbhanj to come as Chauth for Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Januji to Jaleswar and pay him homage. At Jaleswar, Bhonsle signed this treaty on behalf of his father when both of them met, the Raja of Mayurbhanj Raghuji Bhonsle of Nagpur. Thus Orissa came got excited and attacked the Subahdar with under the administration of the Marathas in 1751 sword. He was captured and by the order of and they continued to rule this province till 1803. Khan-i-Dauran was put to death. After his death Jaya Chandra Bhanja, the brother of Krishna During this period the Marathas also Chandra was recognized as the Raja of maintained their supremacy over twenty four Mayurbhanj. Feudatory Chiefs of Orissa who purchased their 18 Orissa Review * August - 2005 restricted freedom by paying the Marathas the Tribikram Bhanj was recognized as its ruler. Thus annual tribute. The Maratha authorities rarely the number of Orissa Tributary Mahals named interfered in the internal administration of the Baud and Athmallick were transferred from the states. There were no established principles on jurisdiction of the Agent on the South-West the basis of which the amount of tributes, the State Frontier to the Commissioner of Cuttack. Thus, had to pay was to be calculated. The Chiefs were the number of the Orissa Tributary Mahals was seldom regular in paying their annual tributes. This raised from 16 to 18.3 Thus the three districts of at times led to military operation by the Marathas Puri in the coastal tract and 18 tributary Mahals for compelling either a refractory chieftain or a in the hill region to the west constituted the British reluctant chief to pay tributes in time. However Orissa in the 19th Century. The total area the role which the Marathas played was more or extending 23907 square miles were occupied by less of an umpire to ensure maintenance of law the Tributary Mahals. It did not include all the and order and timely payment of tributes. The Oriya speaking territories under its jurisdiction. Marathas occupied Sambalpur by the end of the Confiscation of Banki (1840) and Angul 18th Century (1799 AD). It was kept under the (1848) Bhonsle of Nagpur. The inhabitants of Banki complained before Soon after the British occupation of the superintendent against the tyrannical activities Cuttack on 14 October, 1803 Harcourt and of its ruler Jagannath Srichandan. The ruler was Melville opened negotiation with the Chiefs of found guilty in the murder case of his priest Garjats, as a result of which treaty engagements Raghuanath Paramguru. In 1840 A.J.M. Mills 1 were exchanged with as many as eleven States. became the Superintendent of the Orissa Tributary By those engagements the Chiefs acknowledged Mahals. He recommended that the Raja should loyalty to the East India Company and agreed to be banished from Banki and kept as a State pay to the company's government fixed annual Prisoner for life. His Mahal should be confiscated tributes in specified instalments. The Company and placed under the direct management of the on the other hand agreed to accept the fixed government.5 The government confirmed the tribute in perpetuity and also assured that no sentence passed on the Raja and authorized the further demand, however small, would be made confiscation of Banki. Banki became a permanent on them.2 government estate like Khurda and was managed With Raghuji Bhonsle the Britishers signed by the Collector of Cuttack.6 the Treaty of Deogaon on 17 December, 1803. In 1846-47 the British authorities felt that This treaty was ratified by Raghuji in 1804. the Raja of Angul was assisting the 'Khonds' who According to this ratified treaty Raghuji Bhonsle rovotted under Chakra Bisoyi. Such an attempt agreed to confirm certain treaties which had been on the part of the Raja hampered the movement concluded in course of the war with his for the suppression of the Meriah sacrifice in the feudatories by the British Government.