Rajnagar is a census town situated in the
Rajnagar CD block within the
Suri Sadar subdivision of Birbhum district in the Indian state of
West Bengal
West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...
. Once the capital of Royal Kingdoms in the area, Rajnagar's significance declined with the fading away of the kingdoms.
History
Founded by Bir Singh, a Hindu Raja, Rajnagar fell under the control of Muhammad Shiran and Ali Mardan in the early 13th century. The district eventually came under Mughal administration, with the later Muslim Zamindars of Rajnagar, known as "Nagar Raj," being feudatories of the Mughals. The decline of the Nagar Raj began in the mid-18th century, marked by battles with the British and Marathas.
Nagar Raj
Established by Jonad Khan in 1600, the Nagar Raj witnessed a period of autonomy during the rule of Asadullah Khan. However, subsequent rulers faced challenges, and by the early 19th century, Rajnagar had become a deserted town with dilapidated palaces and ruins.
His son, Badi-uz-zaman Khan (1718–52) made an abortive attempt at shaking off the nominal allegiance to Murshidabad. He was invested with the title of
Raja
Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
T ...
by Murshid Quli Khan. During his reign Birbhum was ravaged by the Marathas. They also overran Rajnagar. It was during the reign of his son, Asad-uz-Zaman Khan (1752-1777) that the Nagar Raj witnessed the zenith of its power and then started declining. The Raja was faithful to the Nawab and after the
Battle of Plassey
The Battle of Plassey was a decisive victory of the British East India Company, under the leadership of Robert Clive, over the Nawab of Bengal and his French Indies Company, French allies on 23 June 1757. The victory was made possible by the de ...
, was on bad terms with the British. He was defeated by the combined forces of the British and
Mir Qasim
Mir Qasim () was the Nawab of Bengal from 1760 to 1763. He was installed as Nawab with the support of the British East India Company, replacing Mir Jafar, his father-in-law, who had himself been supported earlier by the East India Company afte ...
in 1761. He fled, regrouped and fought back again. He was completely routed at the Battle of
Hetampur
Hetampur is a large village in Suri Sadar subdivision of Birbhum District in the Indian States and territories of India, state of West Bengal. It is situated near Dubrajpur. The village is famous for the Royal and historical palace.
Geography
...
in 1765. By a treaty, he was restored to his estate but much of his autonomy was lost.
[Gupta, Dr. Ranjan Kumar, ''The Economic Life of a Bengal District: Birbhum 1770 – 1857'', pp. 2 – 9, The University of Burdwan, 1984.]
In the course of time, they lost their supremacy to the
Hetampur Raj. The British set up their district headquarters at
Suri, and by the early 19th century, Rajnagar had been reduced to a deserted town with dilapidated palaces and ruins of habitation, and the forest slowly encroaching.
Nostalgia
Despite the decline, the last Pathan ruler, Rafiqul Alam Khan, is still honored as the Raja during Muslim festivals. He wears a royal attire twice a year, connecting the present with the town's historical past.
Geography
Location
Rajnagar is located at , with an average elevation of 101 m. It sits on ancient Archean rocks, receiving an annual rainfall of 1405 mm. The area has laterite soil, unsuitable for agriculture.
Suri, 25 km away, is connected by a road.
Police station
Rajnagar police station has jurisdiction over
Rajnagar CD block.
CD block HQ
The headquarters of Rajnagar CD block are located at Rajnagar.
Demographics
As per the
2011 Census of India, Rajnagar had a total population of 13,965 of which 7,173 (51%) were males and 6,792 (49%) were females. Population below 6 years was 1,771. The total number of literates in Rajnagar was 8,845 (72.54% of the population over 6 years).
Infrastructure
As per the District Census Handbook 2011, Rajnagar covered an area of 9.4773 km
2. It has 7 km roads and open drains. The major source of protected water supply is from bore well pumping. There are 1,923 domestic electric connections. Amongst the medical facilities it has are 3 medicine shops. Amongst the educational facilities it has are 7 primary schools, 1 secondary school and 1 senior secondary school. Amongst the recreational and cultural facilities it has 3 cinema theatres, 1 public library and 1 reading room. It has branches of 1 nationalised bank, 1 private commercial bank and 1 agricultural credit society. Amongst the commodities it produces are wooden furniture, lead industry and bamboo products.
Economy
Proximity to the supply centres of raw material, as well as the royal court and an aristocratic community, gave rise to certain centres of cottage industries for cotton and tasar silk in the Tantipara-Bhabanipur-Karidhya zone. The famine of 1770 left both agriculture and industry in a bad shape. Trade also suffered. People had sunk to a depth of poverty which the magistrate of Birbhum emphatically said he had not seen anywhere in India. The Maratha raids of 1742-45 had earlier laid waste not only the countryside but also Rajnagar itself.
Transport
Railway
The nearest railway station is
Siuri.
Road
The
State Highway 6 originates from Rajnagar. Buses are available in the town for larger cities like
Suri,
Bolpur
Bolpur is a city and a municipality in Birbhum district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Bolpur subdivision. Bolpur municipal area includes Santiniketan. The city is known as a cultural and educational hub of ...
etc.
Education
*
Rajnagar Mahavidyalaya
*
Rajnagar High School
*
Rajnagar Govt ITI
Culture
Places of interest
Kalidaha, a pond, is said to have been excavated by Hindu Rajas and dedicated to goddess
Kali
Kali (; , ), also called Kalika, is a major goddess in Hinduism, primarily associated with time, death and destruction. Kali is also connected with transcendental knowledge and is the first of the ten Mahavidyas, a group of goddesses who p ...
. There is an island in the middle of the pond. It is believed to have been connected with the palace through a tunnel. On three sides of Kalidaha tank there are the wings of the former palaces of Muslim Rajas. In front of the ruins of the Imambara stands a fine
Mosque
A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard.
Originally, mosques were si ...
in a state of good preservation, which is still used by local Muslims. A little to the south are the ruins of another old mosque called the Motichur Masjid which had 12 towers but some have fallen down. This mosque was built of
Terracotta
Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic OED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used for earthenware obj ...
and protected by
Government of West Bengal
The Government of West Bengal, also known as the West Bengal Government, is the Administrative division, principal administrative authority of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of West Bengal, created by the Constitution ...
. Other important sites to be mentioned are 'Nahabatkhana' of the Bir Rajas, and Fulbagan burial place of the Muslim Rajas.
Craft
The
National Institute of Fashion Technology
National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) is an autonomous institute offering courses in fashion, technology, and management. Its head office is located in New Delhi, India.
History
NIFT was established in 1986 under the Ministry of Tex ...
has trained almost 2000 artisans from various parts of Birbhum in handicraft and handloom as a part of its consolidated cluster development project undertaken in collaboration with the ministry of rural development and its counterpart in the state. Estimated at Rs. 15 crore this project is underway in five selected parts of the country. The main project in the eastern zone was implemented in
Bolpur
Bolpur is a city and a municipality in Birbhum district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Bolpur subdivision. Bolpur municipal area includes Santiniketan. The city is known as a cultural and educational hub of ...
,
Nalhati
Nalhati is a town in Rampurhat subdivision of Birbhum District in the Indian state of West Bengal near the West Bengal / Jharkhand border. This town is named after the '' Shakti peeth'' Nalhateshwari temple, which according to the mythologies ...
,
Ilambazar
Ilambazar is a census town, with a police station, in Ilambazar CD block in Bolpur subdivision of Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
History
Ilambazar developed as a trade centre because of its location at the junction of tho ...
and Rajnagar.
[ ]
References
{{Birbhum topics
Cities and towns in Birbhum district