Classical Status to Odia Language Review

Sir Basudev Sudhal Dev - The Pioneer of Modern Odisha

Dr. Antaryami Behera

Childhood and Early Life reforms. Measures were taken for the settlement In the history of dynastic rule in the of lands in the name of Rayats. Land Revenue feudatory state Bamra, the reign of Raja Basudev was fixed according to the category of lands. Sudhal Dev is considered as a golden period. Raja Scheduled rates of’ rent was fixed for each Basudev Sudhal Dev, one of the leading socio- category and was collected from the rayats. political thinkers of’ modern Odisha, was born During 1874-75, the income of the state was on 16th May 1850 in the royal family of Bamra Rs.18000/- (Rupees eighteen thousand) only State. As his elder father Braja Sundar Tribhuban from land revenue. He was not only a good Dev was issueless, he adopted Basudev to administrator in the land revenue system but also succeed him. Raja Basudev was the twenty in judiciary and police administration. He had seventh ruler in the succession list of the throne. handled all the department intelligently and Basudev ascended the throne at the age of smoothly. He had taken reformative measures of eighteen. all the departments and gave satisfactory salaries to the servants. Basudev had his early education in the village Chatasali. He was both brilliant and Progress in Education plodding. Basudev had his ability and in a very When Raja Basudev took over the reign short time he could finish the alphabet learning of the state, there was only one primary school in and writing. Apart from this he had to learn Sanskrit Bamra. He increased the number of primary and Grammar from Pandit Ananda Brahma and schools to 28, established one high school at he also acquired knowledge of various Kavyas, Deogarh, the State capital of Bamra State in 1882 Dramas, Vedas and Upanisads from Pandit and it was affiliated with the Calcutta University. Purusottam and Pandit Barpanda. The king kept close contact with the veteran Before he ascended the throne he had achieved educationists of Bengal and recruited good all above this. scholars for the posts of teachers in the high Reforms in Agriculture and Administration school. He was also taking the advice of his friends Iswar Chandra Bidyasagar and Ashutosh After his accession to the throne the first Mukherjee, the veteran educationists of Bengal, step he took was to raise the state fund, because for progress of education in the state. In this the economic status of the people of Bamra was context the Administrative Report of 1892 not so good. So, he controlled over the forest mentioned as “Raja Sudhal Deo is a thoroughly goods and produces of the farmers. To improve competent enlightened ruler not only has he himself the production of the land, he introduced land done a great deal to improve his state, but by

March - 2014 49 Odisha Review Classical Status to Odia Language giving his sons the excellent education both in famous scholar, edited Hiteishini English and Vernacular he has done his best to under the auspices of the Darbar of Bamra. This secure the future prospective of his people.” unitiring efforts kept alive Odia literature. The king himself was also a poet and writer. He had also Development in Trade and Commerce translated a number of books from Sanskrit and Geographically, Bamra was rich in natural Odia such as Dashakarma Paddhati, resources like iron ore, limestone, and forest Mundakopanishad and Kabi Kalpalata. The goods. So the king had keen desire to its proper poem ‘Janhamamu’ is his unique creation. His utilization. During that period was not court was regularly visited by the celebrated Odia only the capital town but also the main centre for poets and writers namely Gangadhar Meher, socio-economic development of Odisha. Cuttack Radhanath Ray, Fakir Mohan Senapati and was also the main centre for trade and commerce. others, Raja Sudhal Dev was also a lover of art But there was no such road or route to Cuttack. and sculpture. The capital town Deogarh was Sudhal Dev introduced a route on river Brahmani adorned with artistic sculptures. for trade and commerce. Raja Basudev had also Social Reforms established a saw mill in his state for commerce. He abolished child marriage and dowry According to the Administrative Report of 1898 : system in his State. He was also donating or “There are large saw mills in the state and a financially supporting to the orphan children and considerable business is done. This brings much widows. These helps made him a benevolent profit to the inhabitants of the state, who are monarch. enabled to earn good wages by labour and by In recognition of his efficient carting the timber to the Railway.” administration, and the all round development of Raja Sudhal Dev displayed paternal care the people the title ‘Knight Commander of Indian for the comfort and welfare of his subjects. Roads Empire’ was conferred on him by the British connecting to neighbouring Princely States were Government on 6th March 1895 at Calcutta. Raja constructed in order to extend communication Sudhal Dev breathed his last in November 1903. facilities. His death ‘brought to an end of his long and remarkable quest for people of Odisha’. For the Use of Science & Technology suitable and many sided contributions he made As a patron of Science and Technology, during the pre-independent period, he will be Raja Basudev established one ‘Observatory’ at remembered for generations to come. Deograh. Besides huge amount was spent from References the State Exchequer towards the purchase of X- 1. Brahma, R.C. Sir Basudev Sudhaldev (Odia) Ray machine, telescope etc. In consultation with Bhubaneswar, 1993. the Postal Department of , Post Offices were 2. Dani, P.C. (ed) Upekshita Baraputra (Odia), opened at the central places of the States. Post Part-I, 1992. Office and telephone connection were opened in 3. Das, S.P. Sambalpur Itihas (Odia), Sambalpur, Bamra State in 1894 and 1900 respectively. 1962 Patron in Sanskrit and Odia Literature 4. Kar. B. Illustrious Sons of Sambalpur, Cuttack, 1996. Raja Sudhal Dev was a great patron of Sanskrit and Odia literature. He opened Sanskrit 5. Mishra B.B. Daksina Koshala (Odia), Sambalpur, 2003. Toles for learning of Sanskrit by the purohits. He 6. Panda, D.K. Sambalpur (Odia), Sambalpur, 2007. established Jagannath Ballav Printing Press at Deogarh in 1886. Pandit Nilamani Vidyaratna a 7. Odisha District Gazetters, Sambalpur, 1971.

50 March- 2014