Jessore / by L.S.S. O'Malley.

  • Lewis Sydney Steward O'Malley
Date:
1912
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Jessore / by L.S.S. O'Malley. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    JF.S80RE. Purusliottara Datta of the story of king Adisur, and at th« begin- ning of the eighteenth century they dwelt at Bally (Bali) near Howrah. To escape ths Maratha incursions, they first retreated to a village celled Clmura, near Murshidabad, and afterwards, when Madan Gopal was head of the lamily, to Narail Madan Gopal had amassed some wealth in the Nawab’s service, with which he established a mercantile business. His grandson, Riipram Datta, beoame agent at the Nawab’s Court for the R&ja of Nator, from whom he obtained in 1791 a lease of land in Jessore, for which he paid rent of Rs. 148 a year. Riipram died in 1802, leaving two sons Kallsankar and Rammdbi. Kallsankar, a man of great energy and force of character, commenced life with an estate of a few hundred highas near Narail, and when he died, left a large property. Through his father’s connection with the Nator family, he beoame farmer, under the Raja of Nator, of the Bhushna zamindari Soon after the time of the Permanent Settlement, the Raja’s estates of Telihati, Binodpur, Rupapat, Kalia, and Poktani were sold for default of payment of revenue, a result apparently brought about by Kallsankar, who in 1795 and 1799 bought them up in the names of obscure individuals, his dependants. In 1800 he was imprisoned for arrears on his Bhushna farm, but though able to pay revenue for his betiami property, he preferred to remain four years in jail rather than make good his debt on account of Bhushna. He was afterwards released on a compromise, by which a portion of the arrears were remitted. He then lived with his son, Ram Narayan and Jay Narayan in Narail, and retired in 1820 to Benares, where he continued to amass landed property up to his death in 1834, both of his sons having died before him. Kallsankar received the title of Rai from the Nawab of Murshidabad, and the family now use it as a surname in place of their patronymic of Datta. When Kallsankar died, he left as his heirs the son of Ram Narayan and the sons of Jay Narayan, who henceforth formed two branches of the family. After his death, Gurudas, Jay Narayan’s son, instituted a law suit, claiming a half share of the whole of the family possessions, against the elder branch of the family, represented by Ram Ratan, the eldest son of Kara Narayan. Ram Ratan on his side produced a will, and contended that the larger share of the estates had been given to the elder branch. In the lower court Gurudas lost his suit, but the decision was reversed in the High Court. After this the case was carried on appeal to the Privy Council, and was decided, in 1876, in Gurudas’s favour. He had, however, died two years previously, and before the result of the appeal to the Privy
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