Maharaja Jagadindra Nath Roy Bahadur (Moitra) (20 October 1868- 5 January 1925) known as the Maharaja of Natore was a noted

zamindar A zamindar in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semi-autonomous feudal lord of a ''zamindari'' (feudal estate). The term itself came into use during the Mughal Empire, when Persian was the official language; ''zamindar'' is the ...

Natore Natore is a city ("town" in some sources) in western Bangladesh. It is the headquarters of the Natore District. Its current administrator is Asha Khatun. The Narod river is passing through the center of the city with pollution from upstream industr ...

from

Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...

and 2nd last King of Undivided Bengal. He is also noted for his contribution to the game of

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

in British India.

Family

He was the adopted son of Govind Chandra Nath Ray (Moitra), the Zamindar of Natore, a member of the

Rajshahi Raj Rajshahi Raj was the largest ''zamindari'' (feudatory kingdom) which occupied a vast position of Bengal (present-day Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh and West Bengal, India). The Royal Family of Rajshahi used the title Ray/Rai. The family ruled ...

family, who died childless and Brajasundari, his widow adopted Jagadindranath at age of fifteen. The personal title of Maharaja was bestowed upon him in 1877. He later made

Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...

his home.

Natore Rajbari Natore Rajbari (also known as Pagla Raja's Palace, Natore Palace) was a royal palace in Natore, Bangladesh. It was the residence and seat of the Rajshahi Raj family of zamindars. The famous queen Rani Bhabani lived here and after the death of ...

, the Natore Raj family's ancestral home since the time of

Rani Bhabani Rani Bhabani () (c. 1716–1803), also known as ''Ardhabangeshwari''(অর্ধবঙ্গেশ্বরী) and ''Natorer Rani'' or the Queen of Natore, was a Hindu zamindar during the British colonial era in what is now Rajshahi Division, ...

is now a protected monument of

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

Career and patronage

He was a patron of art and sports including the Town Club of Calcutta and the Bengal Gymkhana. He was editor of a monthly journal titled ''Manasi o Marmabani'' and earned a reputation as a journalist.

Cricket

He was a great cricket enthusiast and one of the active committee members of the

Calcutta Cricket Club Calcutta Cricket and Football Club is an Indian multi-sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Founded in 1792 as a cricket institution, the club later expanded to include football and rugby sections following its merger with the Calcutta Foo ...

. In 1890, he promoted his own cricket team known as ''Natore''. He was a great nationalist and his team consisted of Indian members. He promoted the Natore Stadium, a large cricket venue in his hometown of

and a sprawling cricket stadium, called Natore Garden in Calcutta at

Ballygunge Ballygunge is a locality of South Kolkata in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is one of the city's most affluent neighbourhoods. History The East India Company obtained from the Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar, in 1717, the ...

, which rivaled the

Eden Gardens Eden Gardens is an international cricket stadium in Kolkata (Calcutta), India. Established in 1864, it is the oldest and second-largest cricket stadium in India and third-largest in the world. The stadium currently has a capacity of 68,000. ...

Stadium also in Calcutta. He also roped in prominent Indian players of his time, like

Mehta Mehta () is an Indian surname, derived from the Sanskrit word ''mahita'' meaning 'great' or 'praised'. It is found among several Indian religious groups, including Hindus, Jains, Parsis, and Sikhs. Among Hindus, it is used by a wide range of castes ...

Baloo Baloo (from ''bhālū'' "bear") is a main fictional character featured in Rudyard Kipling's '' The Jungle Book'' from 1894 and '' The Second Jungle Book'' from 1895. Baloo, a sloth bear, is the strict teacher of the cubs of the Seeonee wolf pa ...

Shivram Shivram may refer to: * Shivram Shankar Apte, aka Dadasaheb Apte (1907–1985), founder and first General Secretary of the Vishva Hindu Parishad *Vaman Shivram Apte (1858–1892), Indian lexicographer and a professor of Sanskrit at Pune's Fergusson ...

Yeshwant ''Yeshwant'' is a 1997 Indian action crime film directed by Anil Mattoo, produced by Vijay K. Ranglani. It stars Nana Patekar and Madhoo in pivotal roles. Also, it was the final film of Shafi Inamdar, who died a year before the release. The film ...

, Ganpat Palwankar, Vithal Palwankar, Sheshacari, K. N. Mistry,

Warden A warden is a custodian, defender, or guardian. Warden is often used in the sense of a watchman or guardian, as in a prison warden. It can also refer to a chief or head official, as in the Warden of the Mint. ''Warden'' is etymologically ident ...

, H.L. Semper, Sardaranjan and his brothers, Muktidaranjan, Kuladaranjan, and Pramodranjan. Moni Das, another noted cricket player of the era from Bengal, was also patronized by the Maharaja. Although the Maharaja had only one eye, he would bat and field himself and was a good cricket player. His son, Kumar Jogindra Nath was also a good cricket player. The Natore team boasted a nationalist spirit and the team included many noted

Dalit Dalit ( from meaning "broken/scattered") is a term used for untouchables and outcasts, who represented the lowest stratum of the castes in the Indian subcontinent. They are also called Harijans. Dalits were excluded from the fourfold var ...

cricketers of the era. He adopted Srishchandra, a young but poor cricket talent and saved the life of an aspiring talent of Bengal. The Natore team promoted by him rivaled the team of Cooch Behar which was promoted by Maharaja Sir Nripendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur of

Cooch Behar Cooch Behar (), also known as Koch Bihar, is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal and it stands on bank of the Torsa river. The city is the headquarters of the Cooch Behar district. During the British Raj, Cooch Behar was the seat of the ...

in Bengal. The Natore team lasted until 1945, patronized by his son after his death.

Politics

In 1901, he was made Chairman of the Congress Reception Committee at Calcutta and gave a noted lecture on India's state of political affairs and industries. He was elected as a member of the

Bengal Legislative Council The Bengal Legislative Council ( was the legislative council of Bengal Presidency. It was the legislature of the Bengal Presidency during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After reforms were adopted in 1937, it served as the upper house of ...

in 1913.

Death

He died in 1925 survived by his son, Raja Joladhi Nath Roy, who succeeded him as Natore Raj.

Memorials

There is a school named after him, which he founded, named Maharaja Jagadindra Nath Roy School at Natore.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roy, Jagadindra Nath Indian cricketers 1868 births 1925 deaths Bengali Hindus Bengali zamindars Cricketers from Kolkata People from Natore District Indian philanthropists Founders of Indian schools and colleges Indian cricket administrators Indian royalty 19th-century Indian journalists 20th-century Indian journalists Writers from Kolkata Journalists from West Bengal 19th-century Indian sportsmen Sportspeople from British India