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The zamindars of Mahipur ( bn, মহিপুরের জমিদার) were a
Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
aristocratic family of feudal landowners. The
zamindari A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...
estate encompassed the Chakla of Qazirhat under the Cooch Behar State since the
Mughal period The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
. Although their aristocratic status was lost with the
East Bengal State Acquisition and Tenancy Act of 1950 The East Bengal State Acquisition and Tenancy Act of 1950 (also known as the East Pakistan Estate Acquisition Act 1950) was a law passed by the newly formed democratic Government of East Bengal in the Dominion of Pakistan (present day Bangladesh) ...
, the Mahipur estate remains an important part of the history of Rangpur and belongs to one of the eighteen ancient zamindar families of Rangpur. The zamindari palace was lost as a result of flooding from the
Teesta River Teesta River is a long river that rises in the Pauhunri Mountain of eastern Himalayas, flows through the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal through Rangpur, and enters the Bay of Bengal. It drains an area of . In India, it flows through ...
, although the mosque, cemetery, polished reservoir and large draw-well can still be seen today.


Location

The family is based in the village of Mahipur, which is presently in Lakkhitari Union,
Gangachara Upazila Gangachara ( bn, গংগাচড়া, Gongachora) is the northernmost upazila of Bangladesh's Rangpur District, located in the Rangpur Division. Etymology There are several legends relating to the etymology of Gangachara. It is said that this ...
of northern
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
's
Rangpur District Rangpur ( bn, রংপুর) is a district in Northern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Rangpur Division. Geography Under the Rangpur Division (one of eight divisions) composed of eight districts of northern Bangladesh, the District of Rangpur ...
. The village was formally known as Narsingha but was later renamed to Mahipur in honour of Emperor
Mahipala Mahipala (or Mahipala I; ) was a notable king of the Pala dynasty, which ruled over much of the eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent between the 8th and 12th centuries. He was the son and successor of Vigrahapala II. Mahipala's reign marke ...
. However, locals continue to refer to the village as Bherbheri, after a little
beel A beel (Bengali and Assamese: বিল) is a billabong or a lake-like wetland with static water (as opposed to moving water in rivers and canals - typically called in Bengali, in the Ganges - Brahmaputra flood plains of the Eastern Indian s ...
which used to border the village. The Bherbheri beel merged with the
Teesta River Teesta River is a long river that rises in the Pauhunri Mountain of eastern Himalayas, flows through the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal through Rangpur, and enters the Bay of Bengal. It drains an area of . In India, it flows through ...
many years ago.


History


Early history

The family were said to have held property in the Rangpur region since the eleventh century. In the early eighteenth century, the
Cooch Behar State Cooch Behar, also known as Koch Bihar, was a princely state in India during the British Raj. The state was placed under the Bengal States Agency, part of the Eastern States Agency of the Bengal Presidency. It is located south of the Hima ...
's military commander-in-chief Arif Muhammad was appointed the
Choudhury Chowdhury is a title of honour, usually hereditary, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is an adaption from Sanskrit. During the Mughal rule, it was a title awarded to eminent people, while during British rule, the term was associated ...
of 4.5 units of land (including Mahipur) to collect the revenue of these areas. After submitting to the
Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
in 1711, he became the zamindar of the Qazirhat
pargana Pargana ( bn, পরগনা, , hi, परगना, ur, پرگنہ) or parganah, also spelt pergunnah during the time of the Sultanate period, Mughal times and British Raj, is a former administrative unit of the Indian subcontinent and each ...
/ chakla which included the areas of Qazirhat, Mahipur, Tushbhandar, Tepa and Dimla. After the death of Arif Muhammad Choudhury, his son Khulu Muhammad Choudhury became the next zamindar of Mahipur. He was then succeeded by Arif's brother Khayrullah Choudhury who sold a significant portion of the estate. After the latter's death, the estate was split between his wife Anarkali Begum and his son Majarullah Choudhury. During the time of the
Permanent Settlement The Permanent Settlement, also known as the Permanent Settlement of Bengal, was an agreement between the East India Company and Bengali landlords to fix revenues to be raised from land that had far-reaching consequences for both agricultural met ...
in 1793, Arif Muhammad's son Muhammad Amin Choudhury had become the zamindar and many small rent-free
taluks A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...
were created in the zamindari. As a result, income narrowed and government debt increased. He was succeeded by Inayatullah Choudhury (b. 1832), who was a member of the Rangpur District Education Committee under the Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner in 1873. He contributed to turning
Rangpur Zilla School Rangpur Zilla School (Rangpur District School) is a school located in Rangpur District, Bangladesh. It is one of the earliest schools established in Bengal. History The school was established in 1832 as Rangpur Zamindar School, by the loca ...
into a higher English school. The zamindari fell into bankruptcy as a result of his luxurious lifestyle, and he had to sell a large part of the estate.


19th and 20th centuries

Inayatullah was succeeded by Shaykh Ziaullah Choudhury, also known as Baura Korta, who was considered to be a just and fair zamindar. It is said that he did not even forgive his wife for stealing. On one occasion, his wife got on a
palanquin The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of people. Smaller litters may take the form of open chairs or beds carried by two or more carriers, some being enclosed for protection from the el ...
and set off for her father's home. However, four or six footmen could not pick up the vehicle. When Ziaullah was informed of this, he investigated and discovered that there was a large amount of money hidden under the vehicle. As a result, he executed his wife for theft. When he informed the matter to the British Collector of Rangpur, the government freed him of all charges. Ziaullah is also considered to be a
wali A wali (''wali'' ar, وَلِيّ, '; plural , '), the Arabic word which has been variously translated "master", "authority", "custodian", "protector", is most commonly used by Muslims to indicate an Islamic saint, otherwise referred to by the ...
and was noted for reciting the
Qur'an The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing. ...
regularly. A popular folk poem mentioned this incident too: *Ziaullah's elder son Abdul Wajid Choudhury (born 1857) was an honorary magistrate and a member of the Rangpur District Board as well as the municipal board. He studied at
Rangpur Zilla School Rangpur Zilla School (Rangpur District School) is a school located in Rangpur District, Bangladesh. It is one of the earliest schools established in Bengal. History The school was established in 1832 as Rangpur Zamindar School, by the loca ...
, and later founded his own school,
madrasa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
and public
dispensary A dispensary is an office in a school, hospital, industrial plant, or other organization that dispenses medications, medical supplies, and in some cases even medical and dental treatment. In a traditional dispensary set-up, a pharmacist dispen ...
. In 1898, the
British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
awarded him the title of
Khan Bahadur Khan Bahadur – a compound of khan ('leader') and bahadur ('brave') – was a formal title of respect and honor, which was conferred exclusively on Muslim and other non-Hindu natives of British India. It was one degree higher than the title of K ...
as part of the 1898 New Year Honours. *His other son Abdul Majid Choudhury (1860-1912) was the most prominent zamindar of the family and become so, after his father Ziaullah's death in 1883. Abdul Majid constructed the Mahipur Mosque along with his father during his lifetime. He studied in
Rangpur Zilla School Rangpur Zilla School (Rangpur District School) is a school located in Rangpur District, Bangladesh. It is one of the earliest schools established in Bengal. History The school was established in 1832 as Rangpur Zamindar School, by the loca ...
until 1879, and then graduated from Calcutta Alia Madrasa in 1881. In 1896, the
British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
awarded him the title of
Khan Bahadur Khan Bahadur – a compound of khan ('leader') and bahadur ('brave') – was a formal title of respect and honor, which was conferred exclusively on Muslim and other non-Hindu natives of British India. It was one degree higher than the title of K ...
as part of the 1896 New Year Honours. He had a successful term as zamindar, honorary magistrate, Rangpur District Board member from 1892 to 1912, and various other roles. The Mahipur Zamindari had a revenue of 25,000 takas under him. In 1898, he became the inaugural president of the Rangpur branch of
Syed Ameer Ali Syed Ameer Ali Order of the Star of India (1849–1928) was an Indian/ British Indian jurist hailing from the state of Oudh from where his father moved and settled down at Bengal Presidency. He was a prominent political leader, and author of a n ...
's Central National Muhammedan Association. His founded Munshipara Madrasa was visited by the Governor John Woodburn on 11 July 1989, and subsequently all of the Alia Madrasas of Rangpur received funds from the District Board as well as the Mohsin Fund. Abdul Majid was also the founding vice-president of the Rangpur Sahitya Parishad, a regional Bengali-literary council, and was praised by
Maniruzzaman Islamabadi Munīruzzamān Khān Islāmābādī ( bn, মনিরুজ্জামান খাঁন ইসলামাবাদী; 1875-1950), also known by the epithet Biplobi Maulana ( bn, বিপ্লবী মাওলানা, , Revolutionary M ...
. He was the founder of the Mahipur branch of Nur al-Iman, and a member of the All-India Compulsory Primary Education Execution Committee too. He died on 11 November 1912. The zamindari was then split between Abdul Majid's son Abdul Aziz Choudhury (10.5 ana) and his daughter Majidatunnessa Chowdhurani (4.5 ana). Chowdhurani would lease her inheritance to her brother on an annual basis for 2200 takas, thus making him the zamindar of the entire estate. In 1916, he was among the 28 founders of the
Carmichael College Carmichael College is an educational institution in Rangpur, Bangladesh. It was established on 10 November 1916 and was named after Thomas David Baron Carmichael of Skirling. The college is situated in Lalbag, to the south from zero point of ...
in Rangpur. The Mahipur Kuthi was his main cutcherry, which is still standing today, and is better known as Babu Miyar Bari, after one of his grandson who was the final zamindar. As zamindar Khan Bahadur Abdul Aziz Choudhury did not have a son, his daughter Zahera Khatun became the next zamindar. She married Syed Husaynur Rahman of
Dacca Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...
, who died in 1932 at the age of 27, leaving behind an eight-month son named Syed Shamsur Rahman, also known as Babu Mia. The zamindari estate was entrusted to her younger brother-in-law Syed Ataur Rahman before being passed on to Syed Shamsur Rahman when he turned 18 as per the
Court of Wards The Court of Wards and Liveries was a court established during the reign of Henry VIII in England. Its purpose was to administer a system of feudal dues; but as well as the revenue collection, the court was also responsible for wardship and liv ...
. Most of the lands of the Mahipur zamindari was leased to wealthy Muslim such as the Basunias and Pramaniks. The rent was collected through the employees and deposited in the head-quarters cutcherry in Mahipur. Every
Pohela Boishakh Pohela Boishakh ( bn, পহেলা বৈশাখ) is the first day of the Bengali calendar which is also the official calendar of Bangladesh. This festival is celebrated on 14 April in Bangladesh and 15 April in the Indian states of We ...
(Bengali New Year), the land lease was renewed by paying nazrana to the zamindar's house. The headquarters cutcherry was defended by foot-soldiers and musketeers of Mughal and Bihari origin. Most of the ''naib''s (deputies) of the zamindar were Muslims. The final deputy was Charuchandra Rai, a Varendriya
Kayastha Kayastha (also referred to as Kayasth) denotes a cluster of disparate Indian communities broadly categorised by the regions of the Indian subcontinent in which they were traditionally locatedthe Chitraguptavanshi Kayasthas of North India, the C ...
from
Pabna Pabna ( bn, পাবনা) is a city of Pabna District, Bangladesh and the administrative capital of the eponymous Pabna District. It is on the north bank of the Padma River and has a population of about . Etymology * According to the histo ...
. Syed Shamsur Rahman was noted as a zamindar for loving his tenants. However, the
East Bengal State Acquisition and Tenancy Act of 1950 The East Bengal State Acquisition and Tenancy Act of 1950 (also known as the East Pakistan Estate Acquisition Act 1950) was a law passed by the newly formed democratic Government of East Bengal in the Dominion of Pakistan (present day Bangladesh) ...
meant the abolishment of the zamindari system. He gave away 100 bighas of land under the law made by
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ( bn, শেখ মুজিবুর রহমান; 17 March 1920 – 15 August 1975), often shortened as Sheikh Mujib or Mujib and widely known as Bangabandhu (meaning ''Friend of Bengal''), was a Bengalis, Beng ...
and distributed it all to the poor. He died in 2005, leaving behind a wife, son and three daughters.


List of zamindars


See also

*
Dulai Zamindari The Azim Choudhury Zamindar Bari () is a historic estate and Bengali family based in the village of Dulai in Sujanagar, Pabna District. History Sharfuddin Sarkar and Rahimuddin Chowdhury The zamindar palace was established 250 years ago in t ...


References

{{Rangpur District Muslim families Bengali families Zamindari estates Bangladeshi families People from Gangachara Upazila Rangpur District Gangachara Upazila