Mallabhum (The country originally known as Mallabhoom or Mallabani or Bishnupur kingdom) was the kingdom ruled by the Malla kings of Bishnupur, primarily in the present Bankura district in Indian state of West Bengal.

History

Territory of the Mallabhum Mallabhum was a territory which included Bankura, a part of Burdwan, Birbhum, Santhal Parganas, Midnapur and also a part of Purulia. The Malla Rajas ruled over the vast territory in the south-western part of present West Bengal and a part of southeastern Jharkhand.

Extent

From around 7th century CE until the advent of British rule, the history of Bankura district is identical with the rise and fall of the Hindu Rajas of Bishnupur.

Administration Mahals According to Bhattacharjee, Tarun Dev (1982) During the Malla period, society was primarily organised around the village. The tax collectors were known as Gumasta, with their assistants called Aat Pahari or Paik. The village headman, responsible for overseeing the community, was referred to as the Mukhiya or Mandal, and was considered the protector of the village. The Malla kings maintained several service groups, and due to a shortage of money, they often compensated these groups with land rather than salaries. This land was of two types: Panchaki jamin, which had a small tax, and Bepanchaki jamin, which was exempt from tax. The lands were named based on the services provided, such as.

1. Senapati Mahal: Land for the head of the soldiers.

2. Mahalbera Mahal: Land for the sentries.

3. Chharidar Mahal: Land for the bodyguards.

4. Jungle Mahal According to LSS O’Malley:

The Bishnupur Raj maintained a distinct Jungle Mahal, which consisted solely of forested areas, where forest resources were regularly harvested and sold.

5. Ghatwals Mahal The ghatwals were a ‘quasi military body of men employed by the Rajas of Bishnupur’ who were posted as guards at various strategic Ghats or passes in hills and uplands. They also did police duties and acted as peacekeepers. Rent-free lands given to the ghatwals by the Rajas from time to time came to be known as Ghatwali lands. Though at the time of the Permanent Settlement (between 1791 and 1802) the area of lands held by ghatwals was not known later surveys of 1854-56 and 1879-1887 estimated the area of the ghatwali land in the Bishnupur Estate to be about 170,000 acres

Bishnupur and His Alliance with the Mughals

In the late 16th century, Bir Hambir, the ruler of Bishnupur, allied with Mughal general Man Singh during Akbar's campaign against Qutlu Khan Lohani, the Afghan ruler of North Orissa. Despite being ignored by Jagat Singh, Man Singh's son, Bir Hambir bravely rescued him from an Afghan ambush, solidifying his alliance with the Mughals. This act highlighted Bir Hambir's courage, strategic brilliance, and enduring legacy as a wise leader.

Decline Under British Rule

Great Bishnupur famine of 1770

Around 1770–71, as the "great famine" swept through the region, the South Western Highlands of Bengal had transformed into a land of the dead. According to W.W. Hunter, the situation was summed up in his famous Annals of Rural Bengal:

The greatest threat to the company was depopulation, which, despite the famine, led them to continually pressure the local rulers—the now-weakened Rajas of Bishnupur (referred to as Bishenpore by Hunter). In Bishnupur, hundreds of villages were completely abandoned, and even in the larger towns, fewer than one-fourth of the houses remained occupied. Purnia and Bishnupur were the two districts in Bengal that suffered the most from the famine. In 1772, Warren Hastings estimated that by that time, one-third of the population had perished.

Rebellion at Bishnupur (1788-1809)

Between 1788 and 1809, the Chuars and Paiks of the Bishnupur and Midnapore parganas revolted against the British East India Company under the leadership of Madhav Singha Dev.

List of Malla kings Malla's started their own calendar that is Malla era (Mallabda). It is told that Malla era started from Indra Dwadasi day in the year 102 Bengali calendar of the month Bhadro (August- September).

Sl. No.Name of the kingGregorian calendar (in CE) Bengali calendarMalla calendarReign (year)1Adi Malla6941021162Jay Malla71011716103Benu Malla72012726134Kinu Malla7331403995Indra Malla74214948156Kanu Malla7571646377Dha Malla (Jhau)76417170118Shur Malla77518281209Kanak Malla7952021011210Kandarpa Malla8072141132111Sanatan Malla8282351341312Kharga Malla8412481472113Durjan Malla (Durjay)8622691684414Yadav Malla9063132121315Jagannath Malla9193262251216Birat Malla9313382371517Mahadev Malla9463532523118Durgadas Malla9773842831719Jagat Malla994 4013001320Ananta Malla1007414313821Rup Malla10154223211422Sundar Malla10294363352423Kumud Malla10534603592124Krishna Malla10744813801025Rup Malla II (Jhap) 10844913901326Prakash Malla1097504403527Pratap Malla11025094081128Sindur Malla11135204191629Sukhomoy Malla (Shuk)11295364351330Banamali Malla11425494481431Yadu/Jadu Malla11565634621132Jiban Malla11675744731333Ram Malla11855924912434Gobinda Malla12096165153135Bhim Malla12406475462336Katar Malla (Kattar/Khattar) 12636705693237Prithwi Malla1295 7026012438Tapa Malla13197266251539Dinabandhu Malla1334 7416401140Kinu/Kanu II Malla13457526511341Shur Malla II13587656641242Shiv Singh Malla13707776763743Madan Malla14078147131344Durjan Malla II (Durjay) 14208277261745Uday Malla14378447432346Chandra Malla14608677664147Bir Malla15019088075348Dhari Malla15549618601149Hambir Malla Dev (Bir Hambir)15659728715550Dhari Hambir Malla Dev16201027926651Raghunath Singha Dev162610339323052Bir Singha Dev165610639622653Durjan Singha Dev168210899882054Raghunath Singha Dev II1702110910081055Gopal Singha Dev I1712111910183656Chaitanya Singha Dev1748115510545357Madhav Singha Dev180112081107858Gopal Singha Dev II1809121611156759Ramkrishna Singha Dev1876128311829Dwhaja Moni Devi188512921191460Nilmoni Singha Dev18891296119514Churamoni Devi (Regency)1903131012091461Kalipada Singha Thakur1930–19831337 – 13901236–128953

Temples

According to Dr. Bloch, Superintendent of the Archaeological Survey of India, Eastern Circle, the twelve date temples range in chronological order as follows: Malla CalendarGregorian CalendarTempleBuilt By9281622MalleswarBir Singha Dev9491643Syam RaiRaghunath Singha Dev9611655Jor Bangla9621656Kala Chand9641658LaljiBir Singha Dev9711665Madan GopalChuramoni(Siromoni Devi), wife of Bir Singha9711665Murali Mohan10001694Madan MohanDurjan Singha Dev10321726Jor MandirGopal Singha Dev I10351729Radha GobindKrishna Singha, son of Gopal Singha Dev I10431737Radha MadhabChuramoni, wife of Gopal Singha Dev I10641758Radha SyamChaitanya Singha Dev

In popular culture

Film Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, Kolkata, brings you the Fourth Documentary from 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹. The video is a presentation on the dhrupad gharana of Bishnupur kingdom.

Gallery

See also Bir Hambir Bishnupur Raghunath Singha Dev History of Bankura district History of Bengal Jungle Mahals List of rulers of Bengal Related to Bishnupur Bishnupur gharana Dashavatari Ganjifa Baluchari sari

References

Sources

Further reading

External links