CHAPTER IV.
Raghab Rai Chaudhuri and the Bansberia House.
Jayananda left five sons of whom Ragbab was the eldest, and as the other sons died leaving no issue, Raghab like his father, ultimately became the sole owner of the entire family property. Raghab was equally fortunate with Jayananda and like him succeeded in gaining the favour of the Emperor, Shah Jehan, who by a Sanad dated the 12th Rubi 1066 H. E. (1649 A.D.) conferred upon him the title of "Chaudhuri" and in the year following that of "Mazumdar." The bestowal of these titular distinctions was not unaccompanied by grants of a substantial character, for, as a matter of fact, Raghab got Vast Lakhraj or rent-free lands as absolute gifts and the Zamindari right of the following twenty-one Parganas[1], namely, Arsha, Haldaha, Mamdanipur, Panjnaur, Boro, Shahapur, Jehanabad, Shaistanagore, Shahanagore, Raipur Kotwali, Paonan, Khosalpore, Moiat, Buxbunder, Havilishahar, Paikan, Mozzaferpore, Hathikanda, Selimpur, Amirabad, and Janglipur. As the greater part of these estates lay in Sarkar Satgaon, Raghab for the better management of these large additions to his ancestral property, was obliged to put up near Satgaon or rather Buxbunder Hooghly, the then capital of Lower Bengal, and he, accordingly, built a large house at a village two miles to the east on the right bank of the river Hooghly, to which he gave the name of Bangshabati, commonly known as Bansberia, and began to spend most part of the year there, paying occasional visits to his ancestral house at Patuli, especially at the time of the Durga Puja. At this time Bansberia was a small insignificant village with a sparse population, consisting mostly, of the dregs and scum of society. It was largely covered with thick jungles in which the denizens of the forest held their solitary sway. Raghab reclaimed the jungles, and, in the place of the savages of the wood whom he had killed or cast out, settled human beings of different orders by making them grants of rent-free lands and helping them in various other ways. Thus, what was a little obscure village, partly tenanted by savage beasts and partly by equally savage men, became in a few short years something like a town with a large sprinkling of peaceful citizens of all castes and creeds.
Raghab was a remarkable man. Not only did he raise the Patuli family in honor, he also added much to its affluence. The Zamindari left by his father was considerably augmented by the addition of one and twenty Parganas. Some of these Parganas were very large and rich. The gross collections of the biggest and richest of them all namely, Arsha in Sarkar Satgaon amounted to upwards of two lakhs. Indeed, the net profits after paying the Government revenue in respect of that single Pargana were sufficient to entitle a man to be called a big Zamindar. Thus, Raghab had become one of the greatest men and was deservedly held in high esteem by the neighbouring Zamindars. He lived like a prince and died full of years and honours.
- ↑ Of these Parganas Arsha, Boro, Jehanabad, Khosalpore, Buxbunder, Mozzaferpore, Hathikanda, Selimpur, and Paonan, are in Hooghly; Mamdanipur, Shahapur, Raipur Kotwali, Shahanagore, Havilishahar, Paikan and Amirabad in 24-Parganas; and Haldaha and Panjnaur in Nadia; Shaistanagore, Moiat and Janglipur cannot be identified.