Bijni Raj Estate
The Bijni Kingdom, situated between 25° 53' and 26° 32' N. and 90° 85' and 91° 85' E, was the estate in possession of the Bijni family, descended from the Koch general Chilarai, of the Koch dynasty from 1534 to 1584. After the division of the Koch kingdom in 1584 into Koch Bihar and Koch Hajo Raghudev established his capital at Barnagar in the Barpeta (now a district in Assam), and received as his share the Koch territories lying to the east of Sankosh River.
After the death of Nara Narayan in 1584, Raghu Rai declared independence. The eastern kingdom ruled by Raghu Rai came to be called Koch Hajo and the western Koch Bihar. Soon after the declaration of independence, the two kingdoms started displaying hostilities against each other. Raghu Rai was succeeded by his son Parikshit Narayan and was defeated in 1602 by the army of Nawab of Dhaka (governor for the Mughals) who was moved by Lakshmi Narayan (ruler of Koch Bihar). Parikshit was defeated at Dhubri (now a district in Assam) and sued for peace. But soon, he continued with the hostilities and in 1614 was driven up to Pandu, now in Guwahati. There, Parikshit surrendered and agreed to become a vassal of the Mughal Empire. But before he could take up this assignment he died. The Mughals then appointed Kabisekhar as the kanungo and instructed Sheikh Ibrahim Karori to set up a Mughal system of administration. Parikshit's son Bijit Narayan, was confirmed by the Mughals as 'jamindar' of the area between the river Manas and the Sankosh, and from him the Bijni family descended. The name "Bijni", now a sub-division of Chirang district of Bodoland Territorial Area in Assam, comes from the name of the king Bijit Narayan.
Under the Mughal rule, the Bijni king Bijit Narayan paid a tribute of Rs. 5,998 which was afterward commuted to an annual delivery of 68 elephants. During the last two decades of the 17th century, the Mughals lost their influence on Assam while the East India Company gradually started strengthening their foothold in different parts of India including Bengal.
The East India Company was awarded the 'diwani' or overlordship of Bengal by the empire following the Battle of Buxar in 1764 and the company came to an agreement (known as Permanent Settlement) with Bengali landlords in 1793 to fix revenues to be raised from land. With the Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826, the East India Company finally took control of both Eastern Assam and Western Assam. However, it was doubtful whether Goalpara was ever included in the Permanent Settlement. According to The Imperial Gazetteer of India (Volume 8), a small assessment from the Bijni kingdom was always accepted in lieu of land revenue, though it has sometimes been argued it was nothing more than a tribute. The Imperial Gazetteer of India, which was published in 1902, states that the Bijni family paid a revenue of Rs. 1,500 and cesses amounting to nearly Rs. 19,000 for an estate which covered an area of 950 square miles (2,500 km2) with an estimated rent-roll of Rs. 2 lakh.
On the conclusion of the Bhutan war (or Duar War) fought between British India and Bhutan in 1864–1865, the Bijni family put forward claims to hold a large tract of land in the Eastern Duir which they alleged that they were in possession under the Bhutan government. The claim was admitted and in 1870 a settlement was effected with the Court of Wards on behalf of the minor Bijni Raja. The present extent of the estate to which they were entitled was still a matter of uncertainty, but in 1882 it was ruled by the government of India that the Raja should receive 130,000 acres (530 km2) of land. These estates generally remained under the direct management of the government, who allowed the Raja 7.5 percent of the collections as his share of profits.
Rulers of Bijni kingdom
- Bijit Narayan (alias Chandra Narayan)
- Joy Narayan
- Shiv Narayan
- Bijoy Narayan
- Mukunda Narayan
- Haridev Narayan
- Indra Narayan
- Amrit Narayan
- Kumud Narayan
- Abhayeswari Devi
- Jogendra Narayan
- Bhairabendra Narayan
Archaeological Monuments
Ram Rajar Garh near Deohati village is a man-made historical pond which was excavated by Ramsingh I of Ambar the Kingdom of Rajasthan. Ram Singh had the pond excavated during the Mughal campaign (Battle of Saraighat) against the Ahom kingdom.
The Lalmati-Duramari Ganesh Temple near Abhayapuri, is one of the oldest temples in Assam. The historical authenticity of the images is yet to be ascertained. Based on the study of the stone carvings and modes related to the carved idols, some archaeologists have opined that the temple and images belong to the 8th to 10th centuries AD. The existence of ruins in the Lalmati-Durgamari area along with temples was brought to the notice of the Historical & Antiquarian Department of the Govt. of Assam in 1974. The department undertook excavation work which resulted in the discovery of the temples, images, and idols of Gods and Goddesses.
The Lungai Pahar Shiva Temple is located 10 km away from the main town of Abhayapuri. Visitors need to climb the 227 stairs to reach the temple inside which there are stone carvings of Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha, and Goddess Kali.
People and Culture
Since time immemorial, Koch-Rajbonshies (belong to Indo-Mongoloid ethnic group of people) have been living in this area now known as Abhayapuri. These people are the original sons of the soil and their existence can be traced back to the "Kiratees" of the pre-Vedic epic age (Mahabharata). These Kiratas of dim past are also mentioned in Kalika-Purana and Yogini Tantra and also in histories written both by native and foreign scholars.
Yogis, Kalitas, Kayasthas, and older Muslims are also indigenous who settled in this part of land prior to the advent of Britishers in the North East Region. Some of them settled in the area centuries before the advent of Britishers. In a much later period, people from different parts of Assam migrated to Abhayapuri.
Major festivals such as Diwali, Holi, Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja, Lakshmi Puja, Kalipuja, and Shivaratri are celebrated by the Hindus of Abhayapuri. Those of the Islamic faith celebrate Idd and Muharram. Besides the religious festivals, Bihu, the agricultural festival of Assam is celebrated by all Assamese, irrespective of caste, creed, or religion.
The people of Abhayapuri have long been known for their interest in culture and education. The 44th conference of The Asam Sahitya Sabha was held in Abhayapuri in 1977 under the presidency of Syed Abdul Malik, a big name in the history of modern Assamese literature. The area where the conference was held is still known as Sahitya Sabha Path (Road).
Notes
References
- Barman, Santa (1989). A Study of the Zamindary System in Goalpara during British Regime (PhD). Gauhati University. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- Das, R (2018). Bijni Raj Estate A Socio Economic Study of the Zamindary and Its People (PhD). Bodoland University. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
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