Krishnaram Rai
Krishnaram Rai | |
|---|---|
| Zamindar of Bardhaman | |
Reign | 1689–1696 |
Predecessor | Ghana Shyam Rai |
Successor | Jagat Ram Rai[1] |
| Noble family | Kapoor |
Issue | Jagat Ram Rai, Satyabati |
| Father | Ghana Shyam Rai |
Krishnaram Rai was an early prominent noble and king of the House of Burdwan (in present-day West Bengal, India).[2][3][4]
Early life and succession
[edit]Krishnaram Rai was born into the Kapoor family originating from Lahore, which had settled in Bardhaman during the 17th century. He was the son of Ghana Shyam Rai, succeeding him as head of the family estate.[5]
Reign and Mughal recognition
[edit]In 1689, during the reign of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, Krishnaram Rai was officially granted a farman recognizing him as the zamindar and chowdhury of Bardhaman and other surrounding parganas, including Senpahari.[6]
Downfall and death
[edit]During the weak provincial governance of subahdar Ibrahim Khan, regional lawlessness grew. In 1696, Sobha Singh, the zamindar of Chetua-Barda, allied with the Afghan chief Rahim Khan and led an armed revolt against the Bardhaman estate.[7]
During the assault on Bardhaman, Krishnaram Rai was defeated and slain. Following his death, his family was captured, though his son Jagat Ram Rai managed to escape to Dhaka to seek assistance from the Mughal imperial administration. His daughter, Satyabati, famously defended her honor by killing Sobha Singh with a dagger before taking her own life. [8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ The Hind Rajasthan, Or, The Annals of the Native States of India. Usha. 1985. p. 9.
- ↑ Hussain, Sahanawaz (2025-01-01). Art and culture of West Bengal. Academic enclave publisher. p. 70. ISBN 978-93-48642-38-7.
- ↑ Hoque, M. Inamul (1994). Bengal Towards the Close of Aurangzib's Reign (1690-1707). Islamic Foundation Bangladesh. pp. 48, 49. ISBN 978-984-06-9008-4.
- ↑ Peterson, J.C.K. (1910). Bengal District Gazetteers : Burdwan. Calcutta: Bengal Secretariat Book Depot. p. 27.
- ↑ McLane, John R. (2002-07-25). Land and Local Kingship in Eighteenth-Century Bengal. Cambridge University Press. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-521-52654-8.
- ↑ Celebrated Trials in India. Banerjee. 1902. p. 234.
- ↑ "The Burdwan Central Co operative Bank". www.burdwanccb.bank.in. Retrieved 2026-08-04.
- ↑ Bengal (India), West (1994). West Bengal District Gazetteers: Barddhamān. State editor, West Bengal District Gazetteers. p. 88.