The travels of Bengalis in the past
Sumana Dam
(Continued from the last part)
The next destination on the Jalangi river route is Krishnanagar. Krishnanagar is named after the zamindar Krishna Chandra Roy, the last zamindar of the 18th century, who left behind some valuable legacies through his expenditures. He was educated and valued education and virtues. In his court, Bharat Chandra Raygunakar (the author of the *Bidyasundar* epic) was a court poet. The author notes that Krishna Chandra's palace is now in a dilapidated state. The author also visited the Kali Temple near the royal palace, where Bharat Chandra used to stay.
The author's next journey began on August 23, 1846. Traveling through the Nadia region, the author arrived in Agradwip. According to 18th century cartographer James Rennell’s map (the first map of Bengal), the ancient place of Agradwip was on the left bank of the Ganges, but now it is on the right. A grand annual fair takes place in Agradwip in April, where thousands gather to see the Gopinath idol and the Shraddh (ritual of remembrance) of Gobinda Ghosh which is said to be performed by God Gopinath himself). The author comments that, like Agra or Agravan in Vrindavan, Agradwip is a significant location in Nadia.
Katwa is identified with the ancient Greek historian Arrian's mention of 'Katadupa.' Katwa was once a military base for Murshidabad. Nawab Murshid Quli Khan had established guards for the convenience of travelers here. If a thief was caught, their body was cut in half and hung on a tree by the roadside. From the early part of the 18th century, Katwa faced Maratha invasions, causing people to flee the city and villages, resulting in the area turning into a jungle. Travel through this area became very difficult due to attacks by tigers and wild boars. Katwa holds great significance for Vaishnavas as Chaitanya Dev left his home and took sanyas at the house of Keshav Bharti in Katwa. Before the Battle of Plassey, Robert Clive stayed here in 1756, and it is said he meditated in a secluded mango grove in Katwa. The commercial center of Katwa is located at the confluence of the Ajay and Bhagirathi rivers, with shops and warehouses. Here, one can find good quality cotton and silk fabrics. The majority of people here are Vaishnavas. Ali Vardi Khan's fort, from where he defeated the Marathas, was here. This earthen fort had a half-mile perimeter with 14 cannons embedded in its walls. The English destroyed this fort during the Battle of Plassey.
Plassey is located 16 miles from Katwa. The battlefield is no longer there and has submerged under the Ganges.
The author took a boat ride on the Ajay River. This river is hilly and experiences flash floods when it rains in the mountains. The tremendous current can carry away everything in its path with a great noise. The name Ajay means "one that cannot be lost." Many Hindu mothers used to bathe their children in the Ajay River to make them invincible. This might be why the district is called Birbhum. It was once also known as Mallabhoomi, meaning "land of the Mallas." The Greek tourist Megasthenes, who visited India in 288 BCE, referred to the Ajay River as 'Amystis.' The beauty of the Ajay River's banks is immense, with undulating land, beautiful clean villages, mango orchards, and picturesque ponds.
The next stop was Vishramtula, a holy place under the shade of an ancient banyan tree. It is said that Chaitanya Dev once rested here.
Next, a railway bridge was constructed over the Ajay River near Supur (the author surely included this before publishing the book as railways first arrived in Bengal in 1854. The bridge was probably constructed in 1850). Supur was once a famous city. According to an old proverb, King Surath established this city. The author was shown the remnants of his palace. The author also visited the Kali Temple of Supur, where King Surath is said to have offered thousands of goats. Supur has many brick-built houses. The main commercial products here are rice, sugar, and silk. Many Santals have come here for work. The author saw a wanderer who had visited many pilgrimage sites, including Hinglaj (in present-day Pakistan), Setubandh (Rameswaram), Chandranath (in present-day Bangladesh), and many others.
The author then proceeded to Kenduli via Surul. On the way, he saw the abandoned silk factory of the East India Company. Kenduli is the birthplace of the poet Jayadeva. Jayadeva, a disciple of the saint Ramananda, was not only a poet but also a social reformer. The glory of the *Geet Govind* spread across the country from a small village in Bengal.
From Kenduli, they traveled to Dubrajpur. Along the way, they saw a small bald hill (perhaps the 'Mama Bhagne Hill'?); the town of Dubrajpur is situated in the shadow of hills. Primarily, the Santals reside here. The main commercial products are sugar and jaggery. Most areas of Dubrajpur are not cultivated and are covered with sal forests.
Continuing through dense sal forests and rice fields, they reached the beautiful green village of Bakreshwar. Bakreshwar hosts a fair every year during Shivratri, adorned with many temples and ponds. The author mentions the oppression of the pundas (priests) here. There are eight ponds, each named after different deities, with varying temperatures. The Sulfur content of these ponds is detectable by smell. The water of the Surya Kunda is the hottest, too hot to touch, where eggs can be boiled but rice cannot. The water from these ponds flows through a channel into a small river or stream named Shwetganga, which has both warm and cold sections with white-colored water. The author then visited the Bakreshwar Shiva Temple, where the interior is dark, and one has to rely on the dim light of lamps to see.
First, they traveled a long distance through deep sal tree forests and then ten miles along a paved road to reach Siuri. Siuri is a modern town with many brick buildings, surrounded by hills, and is a healthy place.
From Siuri, they went to Purandarpur, which has lost its former glory and is now a small village. (The author does not elaborate on why Purandarpur was famous in the past. Its history is not known from any sources. Perhaps the author inferred from the name Purandarpur that it was once a fort or city?) The author met an elderly woman who, when asked about her age, revealed that she was about 10 years old when rice was available at 30 seers per rupee. This refers to the great famine of Bengal (1770), during which John Shore’s (a Governor General of East India Company) letter indicates that 'five rupees per head was the price at which small children were sold. Parents were compelled to sell them, otherwise, they would be orphaned and fall into the jaws of jackals.' The Ganges valley was covered with suffering and death. Thousands of dead bodies floated in the Hooghly River every day. By 1946, the elderly woman was 86 years old.
The author then wrote about his 1858 visit to Birbhum. Twelve years later, he had the opportunity to visit Birbhum again. He first wrote about Sainthia. The northwest part of Sainthia had recently gained fame for the Santhal heroes such as Sadhu Majhi, Singra, Pachhu, and Sukul (the Santhal rebellion of 1855-1856, led by Sidhu and Kanu). Sainthia, nourished by the waters of the Mayurakshi River, is a picturesque place. Eastern Birbhum is geologically distinct from Western Birbhum. Eastern Birbhum has become almost flat, abandoning the hilly terrain of the plateau region. The pleasure of walking through miles of rice fields is uncomparable. In 1758, such beautiful scenery was not visible. Maratha plunder, followed by the Nawabi expulsion, epidemics, and pestilence had rendered one-third of southern Bengal’s land uncultivated. This changed with the Permanent Settlement of 1793. Before British rule, Bengal had never enjoyed such uninterrupted peace. Since the Battle of Plassey, no enemy has set foot in Bengal, no farmer has lost his crops, and no person has been harmed. Protected from foreign enemies, the population and agriculture have increased, and land values have risen 40 to 90 times throughout southern Bengal. The main crop of Birbhum is rice, followed by silk. The soil here is ideal for mulberry cultivation. It is not known whether silk cultivation in this country is indigenous or if it was brought from some other place like tea was brought from China. While silk is cultivated in Bengal, the best silk fabrics are made in Benares. Mughal Begum Nur Jahan popularized silk fabrics among the Mughal emperors. Nur Jahan initially resided in Burdwan, Bengal. The East India Company introduced Italian methods of silk production, and the locals abandoned their own methods. Due to a contract halting silk exports from Italy to England, the East India Company began exporting silk from Bengal to England.
(The English admirer Bholanath Chandra did not foresee that the people of India will soon realise that the British is the greatest cause of economic decline in India. The English would become the biggest foreign invader, and Indians would not forgive them for destroying domestic industries and forcing to cltivate indigo and silk. The detrimental effects of the Permanent Settlement will not remain unknown to the people of India for much longer).
(To be continued)
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