== Gallery ==
== Gallery ==
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:Rani Rashmoni’s sword.jpg|Rani Rashmoni Sword
File:Rani Rashmoni’s sword.jpg|Rani Rashmoni Sword
File:Sculpture of Rani Rashmoni at her palace.jpg|Rani Rashmoni’s statue
File:Sculpture of Rani Rashmoni at her palace.jpg|Rani Rashmoni’s statue
File:Souvenir Silver Coins of Rani Rashmoni.jpg|Rani Rashmoni silver coin
File:Souvenir Silver Coins of Rani Rashmoni.jpg|Rani Rashmoni silver coin
The Janbazar Raj or the Marh family, has been one of the leading families of Kolkata, West Bengal, India, and is regarded as one of the key influencers during the Bengali Renaissance. Their meteoric rise from humble beginnings to Royal glory stands as a testament to merchantile brilliance and a fight against orthodoxy. The most prominent figures of this family include Babu Preetoram Marh, one of the leading merchants of 18th century Calcutta, his son Rajchandra Das, one of the most influential Zamindars of Bengal and finally Rani Rashmoni, herself.[1][2]
| Janbazar Raj
Marh Family of Zanbazar (Ranni Rashmoni House) |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Country | India |
| Current region | Janbazar, Kolkata |
| Place of origin | Howrah |
| Founder | Preetoram Marh |
Family History
The family rose from a very ordinary economic circumstances to the level of landlordism. The earliest known ancestor of the family was Bijoyram Koley, Kantoram Marh’s father and Rajchandra’s great-great-grandfather. He is said to be a resident of Sonatikhali village, under the Raja of Burdwan.[3] His descendants are said to have migrated further south to Howrah. Rajchandra’s great-grandfather Kantaram was a bamboo trader by profession and therefore, he received the title Marh.[4] His son was Krishnaram and in turn, Krishnaram’s son was Preetoram Marh. Preetoram worked in the customs house. He also brought many Zamindaris and started an export business, becoming one of the premier merchants and one of the foremost Zamindars of Calcutta.They originally lived in Khosalpur village in Howrah. Krishnaram’s sister Bindubala Dasi was married to Akrur Manna of the landlord Manna family of Janbazar, Kolkata. After his aunt’s marriage and his mother’s untimely demise, Preetoram along with his father Krishna Ram and his two brothers, Rantanu and Kalicharan, came to live in his aunt’s house to learn trade and to receive a formal education. Seeing his merit and keen acumen in business, he was inducted as the Dewan of the Natore Raj. He eventually, brought large tracts of land in that province, eventually surpassing the Zamindars themselves. In Natore, during his working days, he made a large amount of wealth and later returned to Kolkata again. Preetoram married Jogmaya Debi, the daughter of the Jugal Kishore Manna, the younger brother of Akrur Manna. In that marriage in 1777, he received a dowry of several houses in Janbazar and 16 bighas of land.[5][6]
Zamindaris
After marriage, Pritiram began doing business with the British alongside his small and large enterprises, and within a short period, his financial prosperity started to grow rapidly. As a result of his remarkable business success, he and his descendants established small and large zamindari estates in various regions of Bengal such as Kolkata, Nadia, 24 Parganas, Dhaka, and Pabna.
In 1841, because of issues to pay taxes to the British, Raja Girish Chandra of Krishnanagar had a vast area of Nabadwip in the Nadia district put up for auction. It was purchased by Madhusudan Sanyal, a small zamindar from Kolkata. However, as he too failed to manage the estate for long, it eventually came under the ownership of the Marh family of Janbazar. Later, the property became known as Rani Rashmoni’s ‘Kachari Bari’.[7]
In 1800, Pritiram Marh purchased the Makimpur Zamindari from the Natore estate for 19,000 rupees. Later, the estate became known as the Gopalganj Zamindari, named after Nabagopal, a descendant of Rani Rashmoni’s daughter Padmamani.[8][9]
Janbazar Palace
In 1813, Rajchandra completed the construction of the palace started by Pritiram in 1780 on six bighas of land. This palace of three hundred rooms has six courtyards, a lake. Seven mahals, Thakurdalan, Natmandir, Dewankhana, Kachari Ghar, Guest house, Goyal Ghar, armory, and rooms for the guards and dewans. This palace, adjacent to the Janbazar palace, was built at a cost of twenty-five lakh Mohurs.
Contributions
Construction of Babughat
The then rich people of Calcutta used to build bathing ghats as a mark of wealth. On the other side of the Hooghly River to establish his status Raj Chandra started building a ghat on the other side of the Ganges in competition with them. After obtaining the permission of the company, he first built a ghat on the other side of the river. He built a ghat with thirty-six pillars. A covering over the pillars. Separate arrangements for men and women for bathing. Lord Bentinck‘s proclamation named it ‘Rajchandra Das’s Ghat’. It is still popularly known as ‘Babu Ghat’.[10]
Construction of Ahiritalaghat
Rajchandra focused on doing philanthropic and public welfare work. After Babughat, he built a huge bathing ghat in Aheritola. He built a huge pucca house on his own land for patients with internal bleeding who were on their way to death at Nimtala crematorium. Accommodation, food and medical facilities were arranged for the inmates. Doctors and attendants were appointed to take care of the patients round the clock. All these news of Rajchandra’s charitable deeds spread quickly. Rajchandra’s fame was published in the newspapers. Rajchandra’s public welfare work was recorded in the India Gazette. In 1817, Rajchandra’s father Preetoram died. His mother died that same year. With the generosity of money, he performed a grand Shraddha ceremony for his parents. Rajchandra, who was without parents, lived with his wife and daughters in a palace-like residence at 71 Free School Street.
Eden Gardens
Rajchandra Das gifted one of his biggest gardens, Mar Bagan, besides the river Hooghly, to Lord Auckland and his sister Emily Eden in gratitude for their help in saving his third daughter from a fatal disease. The garden was then renamed to the Eden Gardens.[11]
See also
Gallery
Reference
- ^ রায়চৌধুরী, অর্পিতা. “রানি রাসমণির সঙ্গে ওতপ্রোত ভাবে জড়িয়ে আছে বাবুঘাটের নাম, কেন জানেন?” (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2024-09-03. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ^ Madhavananda, Swami; Majumdar, Dr R. C. Eminent Indian Women: From the Vedic Age to the Present. Advaita Ashrama (A publication branch of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math).
- ^ Das, Dulal Krishna (2020). বাংলার নবরত্ন (in Bengali) (2nd ed.). Kolkata: Tuhina Publications (published 2022). pp. 80 to 82.
- ^ “The Real Rani — Rani Rashmoni’s husband taught her how to run a business”. Get Bengal. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ Senapati and Das, Uma and Dulal Krishna (2018). মাহিষ্য রত্নাবলী জীবনী শতক [Mahishya Ratnavali Biographical Century] (in Bengali) (2nd ed.). Kolkata: Tuhina Publications (published 2020). pp. 189 to 190. ISBN 9788194434641.
- ^ Dāsa, Amarendra (1976). Rājanārāẏaṇera Kalakāta (in Bengali). Barṇālī.
- ^ বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়, দেবাশিস. “ইতিহাস বুকে নিস্তব্ধ রানির কাছারি বাড়ি” (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2023-02-16. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ^ “রানি রাসমনির নাতির নামের সঙ্গে মিলিয়ে গোপালগঞ্জ”. Bangla Tribune (in Bengali). Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ^ Ghosha, Lokanātha (1879). The modern history of the Indian chiefs, rajas, Zamindars, &c. Oxford University. Calcutta : J.N. Ghose. p. 72.
- ^ “In pictures: A short history of Kolkata’s many ghats”. Archived from the original on 2025-03-19. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ “রানি রাসমণির দেওয়া জমিতেই বাগান তৈরি করেছিলেন ব্রিটিশ বোনেরা, তাই আজকের ইডেন গার্ডেন্স”. anandabazar.
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