69-586: The Darbhanga Raj , also known as Raj Darbhanga and the Khandwala dynasty , was a Maithil Brahmin dynasty and the rulers of territories, not all contiguous, that were part of the Mithila region , now divided between India and Nepal. The rulers of Raj Darbhanga were Maithil Brahmins and their seat in the town of Darbhanga became the core of the Mithila region as the rulers were patrons of Maithil culture and
138-1047: A Brahmin family, Ramananda welcomed everyone to spiritual pursuits without discriminating anyone by gender, class, caste or religion (such as Muslims). He composed his spiritual message in poems, using widely spoken vernacular language rather than Sanskrit, to make it widely accessible. The Hindu tradition recognises him as the founder of the Hindu Ramanandi Sampradaya , the largest monastic renunciant community in Asia in modern times. Other medieval era Brahmins who led spiritual movements without social or gender discrimination included Andal (9th-century female poet), Basava (12th-century Lingayatism), Dnyaneshwar (13th-century Bhakti poet), Vallabha Acharya (16th-century Vaishnava poet), Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (14th-century Vaishnava saint) were among others. Many 18th and 19th century Brahmins are credited with religious movements that criticised idolatry . For example,
207-606: A Buddhist kingdom, states Leider, may have been because Hindu texts provide guidelines for such social rituals and political ceremonies, while Buddhist texts do not. The Brahmins were also consulted in the transmission, development and maintenance of law and justice system outside India. Hindu Dharmasastras , particularly Manusmriti written by the Prajapati Manu, states Anthony Reid, were "greatly honored in Burma (Myanmar), Siam (Thailand), Cambodia and Java-Bali (Indonesia) as
276-525: A professor of Sanskrit and Religious studies, state, "there is no evidence in the Rigveda for an elaborate, much-subdivided and overarching caste system", and "the varna system seems to be embryonic in the Rigveda and, both then and later, a social ideal rather than a social reality". According to Vijay Nath, in the Markandeya Purana (250 CE), there are references to Brahmins who were born into
345-573: A relative of Sarfaraz Khan, in the Battle of Phulwarion . Orissa also came under Alivardi's control. Alivardi Khan defeated a rebellion in Orissa led by Mirza Baqir Khan, and invading Orissa a second time, he subdued the Barha Sayyids with great difficulty, and installed a brave warrior Shaikh Masum as governor. Immediately after his usurpation of power, Alivardi had his takeover legitimized by
414-717: A state of lawlessness at the end of the Tughlaq Dynasty . The Tughlaq had attacked and taken control of Bihar and from the end of the Tughlaq Dynasty until the establishment of the Mughal Empire in 1526 there was anarchy and chaos in the region with various Rajput clans fighting for power. Akbar , the Mughal emperor, realised that taxes from Mithila could only be collected if there was a king who could ensure peace there and by 1574 he had succeeded in defeating
483-706: A teacher, author, strategist, philosopher, economist, jurist, and royal advisor, who assisted the first Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya in his rise to power and is widely credited for having played an important role in the establishment of the Maurya Empire . Historical records from mid 1st millennium CE and later, suggest Brahmins were agriculturalists and warriors in medieval India, quite often instead of as exception. Donkin and other scholars state that Hoysala Empire records frequently mention Brahmin merchants who "carried on trade in horses, elephants and pearls" and transported goods throughout medieval India before
552-518: Is a varna ( caste ) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the Kshatriya , Vaishya , and Shudra . The traditional occupation of Brahmins is that of priesthood ( purohit , pandit , or pujari ) at Hindu temples or at socio-religious ceremonies, and the performing of rite of passage rituals, such as solemnising a wedding with hymns and prayers. Traditionally, Brahmins are accorded
621-806: Is awarded the Darbhanga Cup. Raja Bishweshwar Singh was one of the founding members of the All India Football Federation , the prime governing body for football in India. Raja Bahadur, along with Rai Bahadur Jyoti Prasad Singh of Hariharpur Estate, were the Honorary Secretaries of the federation upon its inception in 1935. Brahmin Traditional Brahmin ( / ˈ b r ɑː m ɪ n / ; Sanskrit : ब्राह्मण , romanized : brāhmaṇa )
690-603: Is in the Rigveda , occurs once, and the hymn is called Purusha Sukta . According to a hymn in Mandala 10 , Rigveda 10.90.11-2, Brahmins are described as having emerged from the mouth of Purusha , being that part of the body from which words emerge. The Purusha Sukta varna verse is now generally considered to have been inserted at a later date into the Vedic text, possibly as a charter myth . Stephanie Jamison and Joel Brereton,
759-711: Is preliminary, at best. Most Sanskrit works are a-historic or, at least, not especially interested in presenting a chronological account of India's history. When we actually encounter history, such as in Rajatarangini or in the Gopalavamsavali of Nepal, the texts do not deal with brahmins in great detail. According to Kalhana 's Rajatarangini (12th cent. CE) and Sahyadrikhanda (5th–13th cent. CE) of Skandapurana, Brahmins are broadly classified into two groups based on geography. The northern Pancha Gauda group comprises five Brahmin communities, as mentioned in
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#1732780180459828-461: The Battle of Burdwan , where Raghoji and his Maratha forces were completely routed. The enraged Alivardi then dismissed the shamed Mir Jafar. Alivardi's defending armies were overrun in Orissa in the year 1751, despite receiving some assistance from Shuja-ud-Daula . But Orissa was ultimately surrendered to the ravaging Marathas . These Maratha attacks continued until March 1751 when a peace treaty
897-606: The Kshatriya surname of Singh and also made use of force when it came to pursuing their interests. They defended their domains against raiders from Nepal and fought battles against local Rajput Rajas. The Raj Darbhanga also made the Senas of Makwanpur in Nepal their subordinates with the Senas having to pay tribute to the Rajas of Darbhanga. The Raj Darbhanga used its military to help
966-668: The Maithili language . At its peak, the dynasty encompassed over 4000 square miles (10,360 km) and is described as the "largest and richest of the North Bihar zamindaris and one of the greatest zamindaris of British India ". Despite not being recognised as a princely state by the British Raj, Darbhanga was larger and held more magisterial powers than many princely states, particularly those in Western India. The region
1035-623: The 14th-century. The Pāli Canon depicts Brahmins as the most prestigious and elite non-Buddhist figures. They mention them parading their learning. The Pali Canon and other Buddhist texts such as the Jataka Tales also record the livelihood of Brahmins to have included being farmers, handicraft workers and artisans such as carpentry and architecture. Buddhist sources extensively attest, state Greg Bailey and Ian Mabbett, that Brahmins were "supporting themselves not by religious practice, but employment in all manner of secular occupations", in
1104-718: The Brahmins Raja Ram Mohan Roy led Brahmo Samaj and Dayananda Saraswati led the Arya Samaj . Some Brahmins formed an influential group in Burmese Buddhist kingdoms in 18th- and 19th-century. The court Brahmins were locally called Punna . During the Konbaung dynasty , Buddhist kings relied on their court Brahmins to consecrate them to kingship in elaborate ceremonies, and to help resolve political questions. This role of Hindu Brahmins in
1173-524: The British and kept trying to be accorded gun salutes and other privileges but it never materialised. Rulers of Darbhanga included: Darbhanga has several palaces that were built during the Darbhanga Raj era. They include Nargona Palace , which was constructed after the 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake and has since been donated to Lalit Narayan Mithila University , and Lakshmivilas Palace . which
1242-704: The Buddhist and other non-Hindu tradition is Mahano . Strabo cites Megasthenes, highlighting two Indian philosophical schools Sramana and Brahmana : Megasthenes makes a different division of the philosophers, saying that they are of two kinds, one of which he calls the Brachmanes , and the other the Sarmanes ... Patrick Olivelle states that both Buddhist and Brahmanical literature repeatedly define "Brahmin" not in terms of family of birth, but in terms of personal qualities. These virtues and characteristics mirror
1311-523: The Gupta Empire era and thereafter. However, the knowledge about actual history of Brahmins or other varnas of Hinduism in and after the first millennium is fragmentary and preliminary, with little that is from verifiable records or archaeological evidence, and much that is constructed from ahistorical Sanskrit works and fiction. Michael Witzel writes: Current research in the area is fragmentary. The state of our knowledge of this fundamental subject
1380-633: The Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah and resumed the policies of Murshid Quli Khan . He also chose Faujdars from various regions such as Patna , Dacca and Orissa. Since 1742, the Maratha Empire raided Bengal repeatedly, ravaging its territories. Alivardi almost immediately had a long ditch, called the Maratha ditch , dug around Calcutta . Alivardi was a brilliant artillery tactician, though his armies were overrun by
1449-832: The Mughals, later to the British Raj. The East India Company also recruited sepoys (soldiers) from the Brahmin communities of Bihar and Awadh (in the present day Uttar Pradesh) for the Bengal army . Many Brahmins, in other parts of South Asia lived like other varna, engaged in all sorts of professions. Among Nepalese Hindus, for example, Niels Gutschow and Axel Michaels report the actual observed professions of Brahmins from 18th- to early 20th-century included being temple priests, ministers, merchants, farmers, potters, masons, carpenters, coppersmiths, stone workers, barbers, and gardeners, among others. Other 20th-century surveys, such as in
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#17327801804591518-531: The Nasiri dynasty of Nawabs by defeating Sarfaraz Khan in 1740 and assumed power himself. During much of his reign Alivardi encountered frequent Maratha raids under Raghuji Bhonsle , culminating in the surrender of the province of Orissa in a peace settlement in 1751. He also faced separatist rebellions in Bihar as well as a revolt from his grandson Siraj ud-Daulah , though these were suppressed. Alivardi spent
1587-642: The Nawabs of Bengal in suppressing rebellions from Bettiah , the chieftains of the Terai and Banjaras although the Rajas of Darbhanga themselves still refused to pay taxes or tribute to the Nawabs. In 1750, Alivardi Khan of Bengal sent a force against Narendra Singh of Darbhanga following his refusal to remit revenue however this force was defeated. The descendants of Mahesh Thakur gradually consolidated their power in social, agrarian, and political matters and came to be regarded as kings of Madhubani . Darbhanga became
1656-488: The Rajput Rajas of Tirhut . As per local tradition, Akbar summoned Rajpandit Chandrapati Thakur to Delhi and asked him to name one of his sons who could be made caretaker and tax collector for his lands in Mithila. Chandrapati Thakur named his middle son, Mahesh Thakur , whom Akbar then declared as the ruler of Mithila on the day of Ram Navami in 1557. Akbar had been impressed with his "great erudition". Henningham
1725-522: The Royal tradition of Thailand , particularly for the consecration and to mark annual land fertility rituals of Buddhist kings. A small Brahmanical temple Devasathan , established in 1784 by King Rama I of Thailand, has been managed by ethnically Thai Brahmins ever since. The temple hosts Phra Phikhanesuan (Ganesha), Phra Narai (Narayana, Vishnu), Phra Itsuan (Shiva), Uma , Brahma , Indra ( Sakka ) and other Hindu deities. The tradition asserts that
1794-673: The Thai Brahmins have roots in Hindu holy city of Varanasi and southern state of Tamil Nadu, go by the title Pandita , and the various annual rites and state ceremonies they conduct has been a blend of Buddhist and Hindu rituals. The coronation ceremony of the Thai king is almost entirely conducted by the royal Brahmins. According to 2007 reports, Brahmins in India are about five per cent of its total population. The Himalayan states of Uttarakhand (20%) and Himachal Pradesh (14%) have
1863-603: The classical period of India. Some of the Brahmin occupations mentioned in the Buddhist texts such as Jatakas and Sutta Nipata are very lowly. The Dharmasutras too mention Brahmin farmers. According to Haidar and Sardar, unlike the Mughal Empire in Northern India, Brahmins figured prominently in the administration of Deccan sultanates . Under Golconda Sultanate Telugu Niyogi Brahmins served in many different roles such as accountants, ministers, in
1932-470: The defining documents of law and order, which kings were obliged to uphold. They were copied, translated and incorporated into local law code, with strict adherence to the original text in Burma and Siam, and a stronger tendency to adapt to local needs in Java (Indonesia)". The mythical origins of Cambodia are credited to a Brahmin prince named Kaundinya, who arrived by sea, married a Naga princess living in
2001-403: The difference that the latter was not sacerdotal. The Brahmins were expected to perform all six Vedic duties as opposed to other twice-borns who performed three. Historical records, state scholars, suggest that Brahmin varna was not limited to a particular status or priest and the teaching profession. Chanakya , a Brahmin born in 375 BCE, was an ancient Indian polymath who was active as
2070-553: The end of the 18th century, the Sarkar of Tirhut was practically an independent kingdom until the conquest of Bengal and Bihar by the British. The Raj Darbhanga was also much larger when compared with many of the princely states in Western parts of India, many of whom only contained a population of 200 people. These princely states also lacked the magisterial powers that Raj Darbhanga had. Its annual income of approximately 4 million rupees
2139-522: The estate was impartible and succession was to be governed by primogeniture. Zamindari estates in the region, including Darbhanga, sought intervention from the Court of Wards from time to time because the stewardship of the British authorities, who invested funds wisely, had a tendency to boost their economic position. The estate had in any event been badly run prior to this time: a complex system influenced by both nepotism and sycophancy had dramatically affected
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2208-521: The families of Raksasas . He posits that this is an indication that some Brahmins are immigrants and some are also mixed. According to Abraham Eraly , "Brahmin as a varna hardly had any presence in historical records before the Gupta Empire era" (3rd century to 6th century CE), when Buddhism dominated the land. "No Brahmin, no sacrifice, no ritualistic act of any kind ever, even once, is referred to" in any Indian texts between third century BCE and
2277-501: The family's rental income. The bureaucratic system introduced by the Court, whose appointed officials had no ties to the area, resolved the issue although, being focussed entirely on what was best for the owners, it did so without considering the consequences for the tenants. Towards the end of the 19th century, 47 percent of the cropped area of the Darbhanga estate was used for the cultivation of rice. Three percent of total cultivation
2346-563: The flooded lands. Kaudinya founded Kambuja-desa, or Kambuja (transliterated to Kampuchea or Cambodia). Kaundinya introduced Hinduism, particularly Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Harihara (half Vishnu, half Shiva), and these ideas grew in southeast Asia in the 1st millennium CE. The Chams Balamon (Hindu Brahmin Chams) form a majority of the Cham population in Vietnam . Brahmins have been part of
2415-551: The highest percentage of Brahmin population relative to respective state's total Hindus. According to the Center for the Study of Developing Societies, in 2004 about 65% of Brahmin households in India earned less than $ 100 a month compared to 89% of Scheduled Tribes , 91% of Scheduled Castes and 86% of Muslims. Alivardi Khan Alivardi Khan (1671 – 9 April 1756) was the fourth Nawab of Bengal from 1740 to 1756. He toppled
2484-482: The highest ritual status of the four social classes, and they also served as spiritual teachers ( guru or acharya ). In practice, Indian texts suggest that some Brahmins historically also became agriculturalists , warriors , traders , and had also held other occupations in the Indian subcontinent. It seems likely that Kannauj and Middle country was the place of origin of majority of migrating Brahmins throughout
2553-518: The influence of the British Raj caused them to lose control of the territories that were in Nepal but, nonetheless, their holdings were considerable. One estimate suggests that when their rule came to an end, the territories comprised around 6,200 square kilometres (2,400 sq mi), with around 4500 villages. The area that now comprises the northern part of the Indian state of Bihar was under
2622-583: The land themselves, many supplementing their income by selling their labour services to other farmers. Many of the prominent thinkers and earliest champions of the Bhakti movement were Brahmins, a movement that encouraged a direct relationship of an individual with a personal god. Among the many Brahmins who nurtured the Bhakti movement were Ramanuja , Nimbarka , Vallabha and Madhvacharya of Vaishnavism, Ramananda , another devotional poet sant . Born in
2691-575: The large force of the Marathas from Berar who had arrived to pillage and conquer the territories of Bengal under the command of Raghoji I Bhonsle . In the year 1747, the Marathas led by Raghoji began to raid, pillage and annex the territories of Alivardi. During the Maratha invasion of Orissa, its Subedar Mir Jafar completely withdrew all forces until the arrival of Alivardi and the Mughal army at
2760-434: The late first century CE. He also states that "The absence of literary and material evidence, however, does not mean that Brahmanical culture did not exist at that time, but only that it had no elite patronage and was largely confined to rural folk, and therefore went unrecorded in history". Their role as priests and repository of sacred knowledge, as well as their importance in the practice of Vedic Shrauta rituals, grew during
2829-517: The latter part of his reign rebuilding Bengal. He was a patron of the arts and resumed the policies of Murshid Quli Khan . He maintained a politically neutral stance with the European powers in the subcontinent and prevented any infighting amongst them in his dominions. He was succeeded by Siraj ud-Daulah in 1756. Originally Mirza Bande or Mirza Muhammad Ali, Alivardi was a native of the Deccan who
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2898-430: The main deities of the royal family. Even though they were deeply religious, they were also secular in their outlook. The palace area in Darbhanga has three tombs of Muslim saints and a small mosque. The walls of fort at Darbhanga was designed to leave an area so that the mosque is not disturbed. The tomb of a Muslim saint is located next to Anandbagh Palace. As part of their attempt to reintroduce old Hindu customs such as
2967-485: The medieval centuries. Coming from Kannauj is a frequent claim among Brahmins in areas distant from Madhyadesha or Ganges heartland. The term Brahmin appears extensively in ancient and medieval Sutras and commentary texts of Buddhism and Jainism . Modern scholars state that such usage of the term Brahmin in ancient texts does not imply a caste, but simply "masters" (experts), guardian, recluse, preacher or guide of any tradition. An alternate synonym for Brahmin in
3036-544: The new British rulers. They were the first community to take up Western education and therefore dominated lower level of British administration in the 19th century. Similarly, the Tamil Brahmins were also quick to take up English education during British colonial rule and dominate government service and law. Eric Bellman states that during the Islamic Mughal Empire era Brahmins served as advisers to
3105-531: The objective of publishing Tantric texts in English and other languages. Darbhanga became one of the prominent centres of Hindustani classical music from the late 18th century. The kings of Raj Darbhanga were great patrons of music, art, and culture. Several famous musicians were associated with Raj Darbhanga. Prominent amongst them were Ustad Bismillah Khan, Gauhar Jaan , Pandit Ram Chatur Mallik, Pandit Rameshwar Pathak , and Pandit Siya Ram Tiwari. Raj Darbhanga
3174-553: The revenue administration, and in the judicial service. The Deccan sultanates also heavily recruited Marathi Brahmins at different levels of their administration. During the days of Maratha Empire in the 17th and 18th century, the occupation of Marathi Brahmins ranged from being state administrators, being warriors to being de facto rulers as Peshwa . After the collapse of Maratha empire, Brahmins in Maharashtra region were quick to take advantage of opportunities opened up by
3243-633: The seat of power of the Raj Darbhanga family in 1762. They also had a palace at Rajnagar Bihar situated in Madhubani district. They bought land from local people. They became known as a Khandavala family (the richest landlord). For a period of twenty years (1860–1880), Darbhanga Raj was placed under the Court of Wards by the British Raj . During this period, Darbhanga Raj was involved in litigation regarding succession. This litigation decided that
3312-627: The south of the Vindhya mountain range. The term "Dravida" too has territorial, linguistic and ethnological connotations, referring to southern India, the Dravidian people, and to the Dravidian languages of southern India. The Pancha Dravida Brahmins are: The Dharmasutra and Dharmashastra texts of Hinduism describe the expectations, duties and role of Brahmins. According to Kulkarni, the Grhya-sutras state that Yajna , Adhyayana (studying
3381-407: The state of Uttar Pradesh , recorded that the primary occupation of almost all Brahmin families surveyed was neither priestly nor Vedas-related, but like other varnas, ranged from crop farming (80 per cent of Brahmins), dairy, service, labour such as cooking, and other occupations. The survey reported that the Brahmin families involved in agriculture as their primary occupation in modern times plough
3450-497: The study of Vedas and Vedic rites, the Maharaja reintroduced Samavedic study by inviting a few well-versed Samavedins from south India to teach there. Maharaja Rameshwar Singh established and was general president of Sri Bharat Dharma Mahamadal, a neo-conservative Hindu organisation that sought to make Hindu scriptures available to all castes and women. He was one of the main patrons of Agamanusandhana Samiti, an organisation with
3519-637: The text, residing north of the Vindhya mountain range . Historically, the Vindhya mountain range formed the southern boundary of the Āryāvarta , the territory of the ancient Indo-Aryan peoples , and Gauda has territorial, ethnographic and linguistic connotations. Linguistically, the term "Gauda" refers to the Sanskrit-derived languages of northern India. The Pancha Gauda Brahmins are: Subcastes of Gaur Brahmins are: Subcastes of Kanyakubja Brahmins are: The Pancha Dravida Brahmins reside to
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#17327801804593588-399: The values cherished in Hinduism during the Sannyasa stage of life, or the life of renunciation for spiritual pursuits. Brahmins, states Olivelle, were the social class from which most ascetics came. The term Brahmin in Indian texts has also signified someone who is good and virtuous, not just someone of priestly class. The earliest inferred reference to "Brahmin" as a possible social class
3657-427: The vedas and teaching), dana pratigraha (accepting and giving gifts) are the "peculiar duties and privileges of brahmins". John Bussanich states that the ethical precepts set for Brahmins, in ancient Indian texts, are similar to Greek virtue-ethics, that "Manu's dharmic Brahmin can be compared to Aristotle's man of practical wisdom", and that "the virtuous Brahmin is not unlike the Platonic-Aristotelian philosopher" with
3726-424: Was Maharaja Bahadur Sir Kameshwar Singh . He died in 1962 without naming a successor. The origin of the royal family of Darbhanga is traced to a grant of the Sarkar of Tirhut to Mahesh Thakur by Akbar. The supporters of the theory that Raj Darbhanga was a kingdom argue that it was held by privy council , that the rulership was a hereditary one with succession governed by primogeniture . The supporters argue that by
3795-402: Was a circular structure in front of Manokamna Temple, which was known as the bandstand. The band used to play music there in the evening. Today the floor of the bandstand is the only part still extant. Raj Darbhanga promoted various sports activities. The polo ground in Laheriasarai was a major centre for polo in pre-independence times in Bihar. The winner of a major polo tournament in Calcutta
3864-464: Was a main patron of Dhrupad , a vocal style in Hindustani classical music. One of the three major schools of Dhrupad today is known as Darbhanga Gharana . Raj Darbhanga supported Murad Ali Khan, one of the foremost sarod players of his time. Khan is credited with being the first person to use metal strings and metal fingerboard plates on his sarod, which has today become the standard. Raj Darbhanga had its own symphony orchestra and police band. There
3933-602: Was a patron of various musical instruments such as the Veena and Khol drums. He also patronized many manuscripts of the Shahnameh . Alivardi Khan died at 5 am on 9 April 1756, aged at least 80. He was buried in Khushbagh next to his mother's grave. He was succeeded by his daughter's son, Siraj-ud-Daula , who was aged 23 at the time. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Alivardi had only one wife, Sharfunnesa. They had three daughters, of whom at least two married sons of his elder brother Haji Ahmad. Alivardi outlived his sons-in-law and, having had no sons of his own, he
4002-439: Was also on par with many a princely state. The opponents of the theory argue that Raj Darbhanga was never a kingdom but rather a zamindari with all the trappings of a princely state. The rulers of Raj Darbhanga were the largest landowners in India, and thus were called Raja, and later Maharaja and Maharajadhiraja. They were given the status of ruling prince. According to Arvind, they were "robber barons", who curried favour from
4071-597: Was assigned as the Naib Nazim (Deputy Subahdar ) of Bihar . A year later, he was titled Shuja ul-Mulk (Hero of the country), Hassemm ud-Daula (Sword of the state) and Mahabat Jang (Horror in War) and the rank of Paach Hazari Mansabdar (The rank holder of 5000) by Nawab Shuja ud-Din and returned to Azimabad . Alivardi aspired for larger authority. On 10 April 1740 in the Battle of Giria , he defeated and killed Shuja ud-Din's successor, Sarfaraz Khan . Thus he took control of Bengal and Bihar. Then on 3 March 1741, he defeated Rustam Jang, deputy governor of Orissa and
4140-595: Was born in 1676. His father Mirza Muhammad Madani, who was of either Arab or Turkish descent, was the son of a foster-brother of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb ; Madani himself began his career as a cup-bearer under the latter's son Azam Shah . Muhammad Ali's mother was a Deccani Muslim descending from the Iranian Turkmen Afshar tribe of Khorasan . Through her, he was a cousin of Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan , also known as Mirza Deccani. Like their father, he and his elder brother Mirza Ahmad (later known as Haji Ahmad) found favour under Azam Shah. Muhammad Ali
4209-399: Was given over to indigo at that time, making the estate one of the most important centres in the region for this crop prior to the introduction of chemical dyes. After the independence of India from British rule in 1947, the Government of India initiated several land reform actions and the Zamindari system was abolished. The fortunes of Darbhanga Raj dwindled. The last ruler of Raj Darbhanga
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#17327801804594278-417: Was highly prosperous until the late 1990s. The Khandaval dynasty were Maithil Brahmins who came into prominence in the time of the Mughal emperor Akbar . The extent of their lands, which were not contiguous, varied over time, and by the British era, their area of ownership was smaller than the area that they were granted under earlier sanad arrangements. A particularly significant reduction occurred when
4347-434: Was legally independent and no longer had to pay tribute to the Nawabs of Bengal . In a report to the Patna Committee of review, Shitab Rai, the naib diwan of Bihar, admitted that the weak state of the empire had rendered many of the zamindars, including Raj Darbhanga, independent. Henningham described the Raj Darbhanga as a "semi-independent chieftainship". The rulers of Darbhanga in keeping with their elevated status, adopted
4416-472: Was mostly engaged in various wars against the Marathas. Towards the end, he turned his attention to rebuilding and restoring Bengal. He also saved Bengal from the effects of war of succession in Austria through proper vigilance and precautions, unlike south India, which got caught up in it. He maintained a policy of neutrality towards European powers and forbade the British, French and Dutch to have any hostility against each other in his dominion. Alivardi Khan
4485-660: Was named superintendent of the filkhana (elephant-stables) as well as being given responsibility over the zardozkhana (department of embroidered cloths). However, following Azam Shah's death in 1707, the family fell into poverty. They migrated to Cuttack in Orissa , then under the deputy-governorship of their relative Shuja-ud-Din. Finding employment with the latter, Muhammad Ali and Mirza Ahmad proved themselves capable in supporting his government, later even aiding Shuja-ud-Din in becoming Nawab of Bengal . In 1728, Shuja-ud-Din promoted Muhammad Ali to Faujdar (General) of Rajmahal and entitled him as Alivardi Khan . In 1733, he
4554-439: Was of the opinion that Akbar made use of Mahesh Thakur by helping the Maithil Brahmins to displace the Rajputs as the local ruling elite. In 1684, Aurangzeb issued a firman that had the effect of differentiating Raj Darbhanga from other estates of the region. The lands belonging to the Darbhanga family were theirs permanently and became private property rather than belonging to the empire. Raj Darbhanga from this point onwards
4623-445: Was settled between Alivardi and Raghoji. In 1750, Alivardi faced a revolt from Siraj ud-Daulah , his daughter's son, who seized Patna. Alivardi forgave him. Alivardi also subdued the revolt of a few unruly Afghans who were trying to separate Bihar from his administration, and chastised the Banjaras who were marauding through Bihar and chased them towards the Terai . According to some historians, Alivardi Khan's reign of 16 years
4692-553: Was severely damaged in the 1934 earthquake, rebuilt, and later donated to Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University and Darbhanga Fort . Darbhanga Raj also had several palaces in other towns in India, including the Rajnagar Palace Complex at Rajnagar , in Madhubani District of Bihar, and Darbhanga House (currently the Loreto Convent Tara Hall school) at Kaithu, Shimla. The Maharajas of Darbhanga were devoted to Sanskrit traditions and were supporters of orthodox Hindu practices in both caste and religion. Shiva and Kali were
4761-409: Was succeeded by his maternal grandson Siraj ud-Daulah . Alivardi's issue are as follows: Alivardi also had a number of half-siblings, including Muhammad Amin Khan and Muhammad Yar Khan, who served under him as a general and governor of Hugli respectively. His half-sister Shah Khanum was the wife of Mir Jafar , who later claimed the throne of Bengal in 1757. The historian Ghulam Hussain Khan
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