Diwan Mohanlal

Diwan Mohanlal of Purnia (Bengali: মোহনলাল) was a Hindu bureaucrat who served as the Diwan of Siraj ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal, at Murshidabad for a year from 1756 to 1757. His appointment was controversial due to his religion; The Nawab's decision of elevating Mohanlal to the prominent position of his supreme Diwan caused the Muslim nobility, and in particular Mir Jafar, to take great offense. Mir Jafar was then the head of the armed forces, second only to the Nawab, and the elevation of a Hindu to a post above him was taken almost as a personal insult. Mohan LAL was born in early eighteenth century in a Royal Yadav LAL family of Purnea. He became one of the powerful vassal king of Purnea, when Ali Vardi Khan took the chair of Deputy Governor of Bihar in1733.He was the close friend of Jainuddin Ahmed son-in-law of Ali Vardi Khan. Jainuddin Ahmed took the charge of Deputy Governor of Bihar in a 1741. 1748 Jainuddin Ahmed was killed in a Maratha attack. Sarajuddullah appointed Nayeb Nazim of Bihar and Raja Mohan LAL was appointed his adviser and trainer. In 1752 Ali Vardi Khan appointed Mohan LAL as one of the general and allotted a house at Kalandarbag, Murshidabad.

Memoirs of Diwan Mohanlal, Guptipara, Hooghly

Sirajuddullah took the chair of Nawab on 15 April 1756 and Raja Mohan LAL was appointed Peskar.[1]

Raja Mohanlal married Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah's younger sister Shahzadi Afseen Begum; they had two sons and a daughter: Raja Sreemant Lal, Hukka Lal and Galibunnessa. Raja Mohanlal was appointed "Peskar" by Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah on 16 April 1756 and conferred "Maharaja" after Manihari War on 16 October 1756.

On 23 June 1757 in the Battle of Plassey, Siraj ud-Daulah faced off against the British, apparently with overwhelming force, but at the critical time Mir Jafar's men stood watching passively while the soldiers of Siraj ud-Daulah were decimated by the smaller but much better armed British forces. In the said 'so called' battle Mohanlal and his fellow leader Mir Madan fought on the side of the Nawab's Army.[2] After the death of Mir Madan, he wanted to attack the British army rapidly and advised Siraj ud-Daulah that the decision of retreat may be fatal for the Nawab. But the Nawab was already misguided by Mir Jafar did not consider Mohanlal's opinion.

Mohanlal's son-in-law Bahadur Ali Khan was killed on 23 June 1757 in the battle of Plass.e .His elder son Raja Srimanta Lal of Purnea was killed by order of Miran, son of Nawab Mir Jafar.


Raja Srimanta Lal's great grandson Dharamchand Lal's son Raja Prithvi Chand Lal was the last Raja of Royal Yadav Lal family of Purnea who expired in 1953. He was well known for horse-racing and well known social worker close to mahatma Gandhi. He was proud as a Yadav and a descendant of Maharaja Mohan LAL and one of the main organizer of First All India Yadav Mahasabha meeting on 17to20th April 1924 in Purnea Bihar. MohanLal's younger son Hukka Lal took up refuge in Juranpur Kali Pith in the Nadia district of West Bengal. Hukka Lal's descendants are still living in Juranpur and adjacent area .

Mohanlal has been portrayed as a great patriot and the most trusted lieutenant of the nawab in the famous Bangladeshi movie Sirajud Daulah as well as in Indian movie Ami Sirajer Begum. Bengali poet Nabinchandra Sen also symbolized his heroic resistance in his poem Palashir Juddho and in the drama of Sachindranath Sengupta Sirajudullah.

Myth

It was stated that after the defeat of the battle of Plassey he fled to Mymensingh to save Siraj's child from the henchmen of Miran. Later he took shelter in different places of Bengal such as Juranpur village Kali temple, a Shakti Peetha of Nadia district and Brindabanchandra Mandir at Guptipara, Hooghly. Few sources referred that Guptipara is the birthplace of Diwan Mohanlal.[3]

References
  1. Ghosh, Swapankumar (2015). The Yadavs of India: A Precise and Concise History of Yadavs. Kolkata: Pandulipi. pp. 211, 213. ISBN 978-93-83895-39-7.
  2. Part I, Narayan Sanyal (1990). Rupmanjari (Bengali). Kolkata: Dey's Publishing. pp. 485, 489.
  3. Amalendu Dey (2012). Sirajer putro o bangsadharder Sandhane (Bengali). Kolkata: Parul Prakashani Pvt. Ltd. pp. 42, 49. ISBN 9789382300472.

Notes
  1. ^ "Riyazu-s-salatin", Ghulam Husain Salim - a reference to the appointment of Mohanlal can be found here
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