Hetampur
Encyclopedia
Hetampur is a town in Suri Sadar subdivision
of Birbhum District
in the India
n state
of West Bengal
. It is situated near Dubrajpur
. It is famous for the Rajbari, which has historical value.
of the place under the Royal Kings of Rajnagar
. Murshid Quli Khan
, Nawab of Bengal
, came, on the request of the Rajnagar kings, to tame the rebellious Raghab Roy. The latter was defeated and he fled. Thereafter, Hatem Khan became Zamindar, of this place and it was renamed Hatempur. With the passage of time it became Hetampur.
It is said that Hafeez Khan, a soldier, had an affair with a royal princess of Delhi. He fled from Delhi along with the princess and was provided refuge by Hatem Khan. He followed the latter as jaigirdar of Hetampur.
and later Zamindar
i of Birbhum district.
Muralidhar Chakravarty, an ancestor of the Hetampur Raj family, emigrated from Bankura
district to Birbhum in the late seventeenth century. He first worked in a menial job under the Muslim Zamindar of Rajnagar. His son, Chaitanya Charan Chakravarty, was brought to Hetampur by Hafeez Khan, the Fouzdar (Military Commandar) of Hetampur fort, some fifteen miles south-east of Rajnagar. He died leaving the family in penury.
His son, Maharaja Radhanath Chakravarty, was founder of Hetampur Raj family with his 'dash, zeal, and intelligence'. He subdued the Roy family of Hetampur, who were then Gomasta (Secretary) and Ijaradar (Lease Holder) of Birbhum Raj
. With the decline of Rajnagar, the Roy family eclipsed and Radhanath’s fortunes began to rise. Between 1781 and 1799 he undertook Lease of 19 Mouzas of Birbhum Raj and captured some in battles with them. He purchased several Mahals (Zamindari Area) from Murshidabad Nawab when they were put up for auction but never paid taxes and declared freedom from Muslim rule. During the period he had a decisive war with Rajnagar
and became independent Bengali King of Birbhum and nearby areas. In the end, he brought the Roy family on his pay roll. When he died in 1838, the net income from his property was Rs. 20,000.
Radhanath’s son, Raja Bipracharan Chakravarty, was the most successful ruler of the Hetampur Raj family. He surpassed his father in ambition, enterprise and ingenuity. Within seven years of his father’s death, he made his Kingdom, the largest in Birbhum. He lent Rs. 50,000 to Bibi Rajibunissa of Rajnagar Raj family and in return secured more lands. He also ruled over extensive areas in Santhal Parganas
.
In 1875, Northbrook
conferred on Ramranjan Chakravarty, grandson of Bipracharan, the title of Raja though he was then reduced to a mere Zamindar
only and accepted suzerainty of the British India. Two years later he was raised to the position of Raja Bahadur by Lord Lytton
. In 1912, he was elevated to the rank of Maharaja , a great honour and distinction for a Zamindar then.
College - Krishna Chandra College
Other - Hetampur Rajbati Primary Teachers Training Institute.
, Mrinal Sen
, Tarun Majumdar
, Raja Sen, Dilip Roy, Sandip Ray
, and others in many Bengali films – Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne
, Abhijan
, Mrigaya, and Ganadebata.
conducted detailed photographic survey of Birbhum-Barddhaman group of terracotta temples. He visited Hetampur and photo recorded the Gol-Mandir, the Chandranath Shiva temple and the Dewanji temples here. Chandranatha Siva Mandir in Hetampur of Dubrajpur, Birbhum built in 1847 is Octagonal pinnacled - Naba Ratna type with terracotta on three sides. Dewanji Mandir nearby is tightly ridged Rekha type with small terracotta facade of 19th century Birbhum-Barddhaman style having rich terracotta on two sides. Out of these three temples, the Gol-Mandir temple is no longer in existence at Hetampur. Its memory survives only in the photographs by Mukul Dey
. A portrait of Queen Victoria
, European nuns and priests form the theme of decoration on a 19th century temple in Hetampur.
had once presented raibeshe bratachari during the fair. Many renowned personalities were invited to attend the fair and some of them came. Hetampur Royal Theatre and Ranjan Opera had their inaugural shows at the fair.
Suri Sadar subdivision
Suri Sadar subdivision is a subdivision of the Birbhum district in the state of West Bengal, India. It consists of three municipalities and seven community development blocs: Suri — I, Suri — II, Saithiya, Dubrajpur, Khayrashol, Rajnagar and Mahammad Bazar. The seven blocks contain one...
of Birbhum District
Birbhum District
Birbhum district is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the northernmost district of Burdwan division—one of the three administrative divisions of West Bengal. The district headquarters is located at Suri...
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
. It is situated near Dubrajpur
Dubrajpur
Dubrajpur is a town and a municipality in Suri Sadar subdivision of Birbhum District in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Geography:Dubrajpur is located at . It has an average elevation of 77 metres .-Demographics:...
. It is famous for the Rajbari, which has historical value.
Geography
Hetampur is located at 23.781936°N 87.403346°E.History
The earlier name of the place was Raghabpur, named after Raghab Roy, who was a ZamindarZamindar
A Zamindar or zemindar , was an aristocrat, typically hereditary, who held enormous tracts of land and ruled over and taxed the bhikaaris who lived on batavaslam. Over time, they took princely and royal titles such as Maharaja , Raja , Nawab , and Mirza , Chowdhury , among others...
of the place under the Royal Kings of Rajnagar
Rajnagar, Birbhum
Rajnagar is a town in Suri Sadar subdivision of Birbhum District in the Indian state of West Bengal. It was formerly the capital of Royal Kingdoms in the area. With the fading away of the kingdoms, the town lost much of its importance....
. Murshid Quli Khan
Murshid Quli Khan
Murshid Quli Khan was the first Nawab of Bengal. In fact circumstances resulted in his being the first independent ruler of Bengal post the death of Emperor Aurangzeb...
, Nawab of Bengal
Nawab of Bengal
The Nawabs of Bengal were the hereditary nazims or subadars of the subah of Bengal during the Mughal rule and the de-facto rulers of the province.-History:...
, came, on the request of the Rajnagar kings, to tame the rebellious Raghab Roy. The latter was defeated and he fled. Thereafter, Hatem Khan became Zamindar, of this place and it was renamed Hatempur. With the passage of time it became Hetampur.
It is said that Hafeez Khan, a soldier, had an affair with a royal princess of Delhi. He fled from Delhi along with the princess and was provided refuge by Hatem Khan. He followed the latter as jaigirdar of Hetampur.
Hetampur Raj
The House of Hetampur Raj rose from obscure origins to the status of the most powerful KingdomMonarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
and later Zamindar
Zamindar
A Zamindar or zemindar , was an aristocrat, typically hereditary, who held enormous tracts of land and ruled over and taxed the bhikaaris who lived on batavaslam. Over time, they took princely and royal titles such as Maharaja , Raja , Nawab , and Mirza , Chowdhury , among others...
i of Birbhum district.
Muralidhar Chakravarty, an ancestor of the Hetampur Raj family, emigrated from Bankura
Bankura
Bankura is a city and a municipality in Bankura District in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Bankura District.-Etymology:...
district to Birbhum in the late seventeenth century. He first worked in a menial job under the Muslim Zamindar of Rajnagar. His son, Chaitanya Charan Chakravarty, was brought to Hetampur by Hafeez Khan, the Fouzdar (Military Commandar) of Hetampur fort, some fifteen miles south-east of Rajnagar. He died leaving the family in penury.
His son, Maharaja Radhanath Chakravarty, was founder of Hetampur Raj family with his 'dash, zeal, and intelligence'. He subdued the Roy family of Hetampur, who were then Gomasta (Secretary) and Ijaradar (Lease Holder) of Birbhum Raj
Rajnagar, Birbhum
Rajnagar is a town in Suri Sadar subdivision of Birbhum District in the Indian state of West Bengal. It was formerly the capital of Royal Kingdoms in the area. With the fading away of the kingdoms, the town lost much of its importance....
. With the decline of Rajnagar, the Roy family eclipsed and Radhanath’s fortunes began to rise. Between 1781 and 1799 he undertook Lease of 19 Mouzas of Birbhum Raj and captured some in battles with them. He purchased several Mahals (Zamindari Area) from Murshidabad Nawab when they were put up for auction but never paid taxes and declared freedom from Muslim rule. During the period he had a decisive war with Rajnagar
Rajnagar, Birbhum
Rajnagar is a town in Suri Sadar subdivision of Birbhum District in the Indian state of West Bengal. It was formerly the capital of Royal Kingdoms in the area. With the fading away of the kingdoms, the town lost much of its importance....
and became independent Bengali King of Birbhum and nearby areas. In the end, he brought the Roy family on his pay roll. When he died in 1838, the net income from his property was Rs. 20,000.
Radhanath’s son, Raja Bipracharan Chakravarty, was the most successful ruler of the Hetampur Raj family. He surpassed his father in ambition, enterprise and ingenuity. Within seven years of his father’s death, he made his Kingdom, the largest in Birbhum. He lent Rs. 50,000 to Bibi Rajibunissa of Rajnagar Raj family and in return secured more lands. He also ruled over extensive areas in Santhal Parganas
Santhal Parganas
Santhal Pargana division constitutes one of the five administrative units known as the divisions of Jharkhand state in eastern India.-Origin of name:...
.
In 1875, Northbrook
Thomas Baring, 1st Earl of Northbrook
Thomas George Baring, 1st Earl of Northbrook PC, GCSI, FRS , was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
conferred on Ramranjan Chakravarty, grandson of Bipracharan, the title of Raja though he was then reduced to a mere Zamindar
Zamindar
A Zamindar or zemindar , was an aristocrat, typically hereditary, who held enormous tracts of land and ruled over and taxed the bhikaaris who lived on batavaslam. Over time, they took princely and royal titles such as Maharaja , Raja , Nawab , and Mirza , Chowdhury , among others...
only and accepted suzerainty of the British India. Two years later he was raised to the position of Raja Bahadur by Lord Lytton
Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton
Edward Robert Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton, GCB, GCSI, GCIE, PC was an English statesman and poet...
. In 1912, he was elevated to the rank of Maharaja , a great honour and distinction for a Zamindar then.
Education
Schools - Hetampur Raj High School, Hetampur Girls’ High SchoolCollege - Krishna Chandra College
Other - Hetampur Rajbati Primary Teachers Training Institute.
Rajbari
The Rajbari was built in the shape of a castle with 999 doors which has given it the name Hetampur HajarDuari. (hajar is one thousand in Bengali, duari means doored). Hetampur Rajbari has been used by film directors such as Satyajit RaySatyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Kolkata into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature...
, Mrinal Sen
Mrinal Sen
Mrinal Sen is a Bengali Indian filmmaker. He was born on 14 May 1923, in the town of Faridpur, now in Bangladesh in a Hindu family. After finishing his high school there, he left home to come to Calcutta as a student and studied physics at the well-known Scottish Church College and at the...
, Tarun Majumdar
Tarun Majumdar
Tarun Majumdar is a renowned Bengali Indian film director who makes films in Bengali and is notable for his depiction of Bengali culture and society. Many of his films are literature-based...
, Raja Sen, Dilip Roy, Sandip Ray
Sandip Ray
Sandip Ray is a film director living in the city of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. He is the only son of the noted Bengali director Satyajit Ray, and Bijoya Ray.-Career:...
, and others in many Bengali films – Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne
Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne
Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne , directed by the late Satyajit Ray and based on a story by his grandfather Upendra Kishore Ray, is a popular Bengali children's film. It is sometimes released in the English-speaking world as The Adventures Of Goopy And Bagha...
, Abhijan
Abhijan
Abhijan is a 1962 Bengali film directed by the Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray.-Introduction:The filming of Abhijan began by the first half of 1961 when Bijoy Chatterjee asked Satyajit Ray to write a script on a popular Bengali novel of the same name by Tarashankar Bandopadhyay...
, Mrigaya, and Ganadebata.
Temples
Hetampur has many interesting terracotta temples in various styles of architecture. During late 1940s till about 1952 Indian artist Mukul DeyMukul Dey
Mukul Chandra Dey was a student of Rabindranath Tagore's Santiniketan. He is considered as a pioneer of drypoint-etching in India....
conducted detailed photographic survey of Birbhum-Barddhaman group of terracotta temples. He visited Hetampur and photo recorded the Gol-Mandir, the Chandranath Shiva temple and the Dewanji temples here. Chandranatha Siva Mandir in Hetampur of Dubrajpur, Birbhum built in 1847 is Octagonal pinnacled - Naba Ratna type with terracotta on three sides. Dewanji Mandir nearby is tightly ridged Rekha type with small terracotta facade of 19th century Birbhum-Barddhaman style having rich terracotta on two sides. Out of these three temples, the Gol-Mandir temple is no longer in existence at Hetampur. Its memory survives only in the photographs by Mukul Dey
Mukul Dey
Mukul Chandra Dey was a student of Rabindranath Tagore's Santiniketan. He is considered as a pioneer of drypoint-etching in India....
. A portrait of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
, European nuns and priests form the theme of decoration on a 19th century temple in Hetampur.
Fair
Bipracharan Chakravarty of the Hetampur Raj family started a Saraswati Puja at Hetampur. His grandson, Ramranjan, started a 3-days fair on the occasion. The fair continues on the grounds of the Hetampur Rajbari. Gurusaday DuttGurusaday Dutt
Gurusaday Dutt was a civil servant, politician, folklorist, and writer.-Early Life and education:He was the son of the Ramkrishna Dutt Chaudhuri and Anandamayee Debi...
had once presented raibeshe bratachari during the fair. Many renowned personalities were invited to attend the fair and some of them came. Hetampur Royal Theatre and Ranjan Opera had their inaugural shows at the fair.