Hetampur

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Hetampur | type = city | latd = 23.8 | longd = 87.38
locator_position = right | state_name = West Bengal
district = Birbhum
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area_telephone = 91 3462
postal_code = 731124
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Hetampur ( _bn. হেতমপুর) is a town in Birbhum District in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is situated near Dubrajpur . It is famous for the Rajbari, which has historical value. [cite web | url = http://birbhum.gov.in/birtour2.htm | title = Hetampur| accessdate = 2007-08-24 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = Birbhum district administration]

Etymology

The earlier name of the place was Raghabpur, named after Raghab Roy, who was a jaigardar of the place under the 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 jaigirdar of this place and it was renamed Hatempur. With the passage of time it became Hetampur.Mukhopadhyay Aditya, "Birbhumer Mela", "Paschim Banga ", Birbhum Special Issue, February 2006, Bn icon, pp. 203-214, Information & Cultural Department, Government of West Bengal.]

History

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 zamindar of Birbhum district.Gupta, Dr. Ranjan Kumar, "The Economic Life of a Bengal District: Birbhum 1770 – 1857", pp. 95 – 101, The University of Burdwan, 1984.]

Muralidhar Chakravarty, an ancestor of the Hetampur Raj family, emigrated from Bankura district to Birbhum in the late seventeenth century. He worked in a menial job under the Muslim zamindar of Rajnagar. His son, Chaitanya Charan, was brought to Hetampur by Hafeez Khan, the fouzdar of Hetampur fort, some fifteen miles south-east of Rajnagar. He died leaving the family in penury.

His son, Radhanath, was founder of Hetampur Raj family with his 'dash, zeal, and cunning'. He worked with the Roy family of Hetampur, who were then gomasta and ijaradar (lease holder) of Birbhum Raj. With the decline of Birbhum Raj, the Roy family eclipsed and Radhanath’s fortunes began to rise. Between 1781 and 1799 he undertook ijara of 19 mouzas of Birbhum Raj, some of them benami (under fraudulent names). He purchased several mahals when they were put up for auction. During the period he had a tiff with the Rajnagar Raj. 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, Bipracharan, was the most successful zamindar of the Hetampur Raj family. 'Unscrupulous to the bone, he surpassed his father in ambition, enterprise and ingenuity'. Within seven years of his father’s death, he made his zamindari, the largest in Birbhum. He lent Rs. 50,000 to Bibi Rajibunissa of Rajnagar Raj family and in return secured more tenancies. He had extensive zamindaries in Santhal Parganas and was a contributory factor to the Santhal rebellion of 1855-56.

In 1875, Northbrook conferred on Ramranjan, grandson of Bipracharan, the title of "Raja ". 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.

Education

Schools - Hetampur Raj High School, Hetampur Girls’ High School
College - Krishna Chandra College
Other - Hetampur Rajbati Primary Teachers Training Institute. [cite web | url = http://www.hetampurrajbatiptti.org/aboutus.html
title = Hetampur Rajbati Primary Teachers Training Institute| accessdate = 2007-09-16 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = Hetampur Rajbati PTTI]

Culture

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 Ray, Mrinal Sen, Tarun Majumdar, Raja Sen, Dilip Roy, Sandip Ray, and others in many Bengali films – Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne, Abhijan, Mrigaya, and Ganadebata. [cite web | url = http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=23&id=171683&usrsess=1
title = Where history speaks in whispers | accessdate = 2007-09-16 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Statesman", 20 January 2007]

Temple

A portrait of Queen Victoria, European nuns and priests form the theme of decoration on a 19th century temple in Hetampur. [cite web | url = http://www.chitralekha.org/terracottas1.htm
title = Mukul Dey Archives| accessdate = 2007-09-16 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = Chitralekha]

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 Dutt 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.

Personality

Srikumar Bandopadhyay, educationist and literary critic, hailed from Kushmor village in Birbhum district. He completed his First Arts (FA) from Hetampur College before moving to Kolkata.cite web | url = http://search.com.bd/banglapedia/HT/B_0108.htm | title = Bandyopadhyay, Srikumar | accessdate = 2007-09-16 | last = | first = | work = Banglapedia| publisher = Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]

References

ee also