Remembering the Greatness of Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo

ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo, who ruled the erstwhile princely state of Mayurbhanj from 1882 to 1912 was an enlightened and benevolent ruler who, by his multifarious reforms brought unprecedented changes in all the branches of administration in the state for which his reign is known as the Golden Era of the Bhanja Dynasty. Born on the 17th December 1871, Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo was the eldest son of Maharaja Krushna Chandra Bhanja Deo, the illustrious king of the Mayurbhanj State. He was unfortunate enough to have lost his father, when he was barely 11 years of age and hence the Remembering the Greatness of Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo Balabhadra Ghadai State came under the Court of Wards with with or even surpass others. As an enlightened Mr. P.V.Willy as its Manager. He assumed direct ruler he established State Council in 1893 to meet control of the state in 1890. As a ruler of practical the requirements of democratic Government. It wisdom Sriram Chandra brought with him consisted of the Chief of the State as President Sri Mahini Mohan Dhar, M.A.B.L., who was his and the Dewan, the State Judge, the private tutor in the Ravenshaw College at Cuttack Superintendent of Police, the State Engineer and and appointed him successively as Asvisor, State two non-official gentlemen as members. All Judge, Dewan and Vice-President of the State legislative measures were to be passed by the Council. Sri M. M. Dhar became the defacto Council and the budget was discussed in the Counsellor of the Maharaja in all matters. Council. The State Council had powers to hear appeals even against the orders of the Maharaja, Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo with the Maharaja exercising his casting vote as could trace out the main causes of speedy President of the Council. Criminal, Civil and development of other states and he had taken up Revenue laws and regulations, including land the same process to develop his state to compete Revenue Settlement, Forest, Excise and Land 4 DECEMBER - 2018 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 Acquisition laws and rules, were enacted by the social service activities. He was also instrumental Maharaja in Council. The tenancy system was in the establishment of a Dharmasala and a reorganized by Survey and Land revenue Mayurbhanj Brahmana Samiti at Baripada. Settlement and the tenants were allowed for the first time, occupancy rights over their holdings. During the rule of Maharaja Sriram All abwabs were abolished and special protection Chandra a network of roads was constructed for was given to the rights of Adivasis. In order to facilities of trade and as well of administration. In administer the new laws and regulations the 1905 he planned for a road connecting the four departmental machinery was elaborated and Sub-Divisional headquarters towns of Baripada, reorganized. For administration purposes the state Rairangpur, Karanjia and Udala. There was then was divided into three divisions, viz.(I) Sadar Sub- a total length of 474.50 miles of roads out of Division, (ii) Bamanghaty Sub-Division, (iii) which more than 100 miles were metalled. Panchpir Sub-Division. A regular system of Mayurbhanj was the first among Odisha group Thanas and out-posts was introduced as well as of Princely States to have railways. In 1904, at Chawkidari system for the interior parts of the the initiative of the Maharaja Baripada, the capital State with assessment of Chowkidari tax by the of Mayurbhanj, was connected with Calcutta- village Panchayats. For smooth administration, Madras line of the Bengal Nagpur Railway at Baripada Municipality was constituted on the 1st Rupsa in neighboring Balasore. The Bengal July 1905 under Mayurbhanj State Regulation 1 Nagpur Railway also connected the three mining of 1905.The Municipal area of 2 square miles areas, Badampahar, Gorumahisani and Sulaipat was divided into 6 Wards and the number of within the state with Tatanagar. This helped further Commissioners was 14 excluding the Chairman, to develop the trade and commerce of the state 5 of them being official and 9 non-officials. Pandit and added to the welfare of the subjects. Gopabandhu Das was appointed to the post of Maharaja Sriram Chandra had a State Pleader and Public Prosecutor of resourceful brain to promote cottage industries Mayurbhanj with effect from 10 January,1910. including tasar textile in his state. He encouraged He also accepted the post of Vice-Chairman of the weavers and promoted the textile of the Baripada Municipality. After taking over the Tasar,Matha and Silk. He also provided some charges, he enlarged the number of Municipal upto-date machineries for improving the quality employees to improve the sanitary conditions and and quantity of this textile. In the Calcutta water supply system of the town. Arrangements exhibition of 1910 the Matha clothes were were made for the widening of roads and lighting immensely popular and many excellent products of the roads at night with kerosene oil-lamps were rewarded. Mayurbhanj textile of Matha and erected on the road side. He persuaded the Silk earned reputation at the national level and its Maharaja to establish an orphanage where sole credit went to the Maharaja himself. He also orphans, poor and meritorious students of the caused the establishment of two lac factories one schools were accommodated. With some school at Asna and the other at Rairangpur. boys, Gopabandhu founded at Baripada a Young Utkal Association. In their holidays members of Maharaja Sriram Chandra was quite the Association engaged themselves in various conscious of the importance of forest resources DECEMBER - 2018 5 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review for ecological protection and economic growth October, 1905 respectively. These journals of the state.In1894 he created for the first time carried contributions from the leading writers of the Forest Department for preservation of forests the Odia literature of that period. He also and creation of new ones. This Department helped established a huge library called the Victoria in protection and maintenance of feorst resources Diamond Jubilee Library in the capital town in in an area of 88 square miles at the first instance 1899 to provide the people with easy access to and subsequently expanded to the entire forest books, magazines and newspapers. In 1903 the areas of the state. He was of the strong opinion Utkal Sahitya Samaj was established in Cuttack that with the efficient management of the forest in his presence. In the year 1905 whenever the resources, the state exchequer will be enriched Utkal Sahitya Samaj celebrated the second and with the adequate funds he could implement anniversary of its foundation, Maharaja Sriram various development projects for public welfare. Chandra was the Chief Guest on the occasion. Prior to the Maharaja the state income from the There he himself declared to bear the entire forest was not more than Rs.25,000/-per annum, construction charges of a new building for which but due to his efforts it increased to Rs.2,00,000/- the building of Utkal Sahitya Samaj was named as Sriram Chandra Bhawan. per annum. The Maharaja proved himself a great During the rule of Maharaja Sriram patron of education. In order to make the day Chandra the geological survey in Mayurbhanj laborers literate, he established Night Schools in was conducted in 1903.The eminent geologist the states. He established a High English School Sri Pramath Nath Bose, appointed for the at Baripada, M.E. Schools in different parts of purpose, brought to light the extensive iron-ore the state and a large number of Lower and Upper deposits of high quality on the Gorumahisani and Primary Schools in big villages for spread of Sulaipat hills in the Bamanghaty sub-division. education. He extended financial support for These deposits were considered to be almost remodeling the dilapidated parts of science inexhaustible and were pronounced to be of department of Ravenshaw College, Cuttack by excellent quality, perhaps second to none in the donating Rs.27,000/- in 1892. He also donated whole of Asia by the famous American and huge amount of money to the Medical College of English experts like M/S.Perin, Weld and Colonel Cuttack which was subsequently renamed as Staddart, who visited the deposits during Sriram Chandra Bhanja Medical College. 1905-06.This discovery was a momentous one as the steel plant of the Tata Iron & Steel Co. at The Chhau Dance of Mayurbhanj Jamsedpur was entirely based on the exploitation occupied a unique place among the folk dances of these deposits. of Odisha during the royal patronage of Maharaja Sriram Chandra. He provided all the facilities of Maharaja Sriram Chandra was a patron Chhau Dance-costumes, musical instruments, and of Odia language and literature. Under his kind stage management-equipments with the patronage two leading journals entitled "Utkala remunerations to the dancers. With the help of Prava" and “Manorama’’ were published his brother Routrai Saheb and his cousin Bada monthly and weekly on 1st April 1891 and 23rd Lal Saheb, he innovated a new dance, which was 6 DECEMBER - 2018 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 famous as ‘War Dance’. He spent a lot of money Indologist Nagendra Nath Vasu in 1906 as the for the creation of this special dance and a Head of the Archaeological Department to magnificent show of it was presented before the conduct an archaeological survey. Mr.Vasu British Emperor, George V and Queen Mary at a conducted his research during the period from pageant at Calcutta in 1912.As a result of this, 1907 to 1909 with the support of the Maharaja the fame of Mayurbhanj Chhau had crossed and this resulted in the publication of a scholarly geographical limitations and had claimed book entitled The Archaeological Survey of worldwide fans for its beauty, vigour and marvel Mayurbhanj in 191.

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