Pratapaditya

Among the Bengal zamindars, Maharaj Pratapaditya was the first to send his envoy to the Mughal subahdar Islam Khan to win the favour of the Mughals. He sent his envoy Shaykh Badi and his youngest son Sangramaditya with a large gift to the Subahdar in 1608. The prince was left behind as a hostage on the agreement that Pratapaditya would personally attend on the subahdar at Alaipur. Accordingly, Pratapaditya met the Subahdar in 1609 on the bank of the Atrai and tendered personal submission.[2]

Pratapaditya agreed that immediately after his return to his kingdom, he should send 400 war-boats with his youngest son Sangramaditya to join the imperial fleet under Ihtimam Khan, and that he himself should proceed along the river Arial Khan with 20,000 paiks, 1000 cavalry, and 100 war-boats, to attack Musa Khan's possessions in Sripur[9] and Vikramapura, a pledge that he did not keep. To punish Pratapaditya for his disloyalty as a vassal and to subjugate his territory Islam Khan made preparation for an expedition. Having realized an impending attack Pratapaditya hastened to make amends for his folly and sent his son Sangramaditya with 80 war-boats to Islam Khan. But Islam Khan took up a stern attitude and decided to punish him by conquering his kingdom. He ordered the war-boats sent by the Raja to be destroyed.[2]

A large Mughal contingent consisting of 1,000 cavalry, 5,000 matchlock men and a number of tried and experienced officers, such as Mirza Makki, son of Iftikhar Khan, Mirza Saifuddin, Shaikh Ismail Fathpuri, Shah Beg Khaksar and Lachhmi Rajput, and a fleet consisting of 300 men-of-war, besides the war boats of new vassals like Musa Khan and Bahadur Ghazi, was selected for the war. The Mughal forces were under the command of Islam Khan's brother Ghiyas Khan or Inayat Khan, while the fleet and artillery were under Mirza Nathan, son of Ihtimam Khan. Another force was sent against his son in law Raja Ramchandra of Bakla at the same time so that he might not come to the assistance of Jessore. By December 1611 the Mughal forces had been consolidated and they were proceeding towards Jessore along the Ichhamati and the Bhairab. They soon reached a place named Salka near the confluence of the river Jamuna and the Ichhamati.[2]

Pratapaditya meanwhile equipped a strong army and fleet and placed them under expert officers including Afghan dissidents (angered at loss of privilege to the foreign Mughals) and Portuguese (mostly mercenaries) and prepared to personally defend the fortified capital at Dhumghat. He deputed Udayaditya to defend the fort at Salka, strategically located having natural barriers on three sides. Udayaditya was assisted by Jamal Khan an Afghan, who commanded the cavalry and the elephants and Khwaja Kamal another Afghan tributary of Pratap who commanded the fleet of 500 war boats.

As the imperial fleet proceeded towards Salka, Udayaditya suddenly launched a vigorous attack and broke into the enemy rank, leaving Jamal Khan in charge of the garrison at the fort, and Khwaja Kamal backing up with a strong contingent of powerful war boats and ghurabs. With its overwhelming numbers, the Jessore fleet managed to force the Mughals into backfoot, but steady artillery support from both the banks of Ichhamati and Mirza Nathan's breaching the enemy ranks at the back led to the capitulation of the Jessore fleet. Udayaditya managed to escape while Khwaja Kamal was killed. Jamal Khan followed Udayaditya with all the elephants. They then pushed back the Mughal forces causing them to retreat. Pratapaditya had scored a major victory against the Mughals and thus he sent them a letter telling them to recognize him as the rightful ruler of Bengal. The Mughals, however, attacked his army again.[2]

Pratapaditya prepared himself to fight a second time from a new base near the confluence of Kagarghat canal and the Jamuna. He made a big fort at a strategic point and gathered all his available forces there. The Mughals began the battle by an attack on the Jessore fleet (Jan 1612) and compelled it to seek shelter beneath the fort. But their further advance was checked by the heavy cannonade of the Jessore artillery. A sudden attack of the Mughals completely defeated the Jessore fleet and they fell upon the fort with the elephants in front, thereby compelling Pratapaditya to evacuate the fort and retreat.[2] His valiant army strategist Rudraditya has forced an exile after being captured during this war. This major defeat sealed the fate of Pratapaditya. After his defeat, Raja Man Singh requested Lakshmikanta to ascend the throne, but he refused.[6] Instead, Bhavanand Majumdar, who had been in the service of Maharaj Pratapaditya as a Brahmin boy, was given the throne, and he subsequently became the founder of the Nadiya Raj family.[10]

Maharaj Pratapaditya's kingdom included a greater part of the undivided districts of 24 Parganas, Jessore and Khulna. It also included parts of present districts of Kushtia, Barisal and Bhola.[11] Pratapaditya's capital was at Dhumghat, a city situated at the confluence of Jamuna and Ichhamati.

Pratapaditya built several forts. The principal fourteen of them were at Jessore, Dhumghat, Raigarh, Kamalpur, Vedkashi, Shibsha, Pratapnagar, Shalikha, Matla, Haidargarh, Araikaki, Mani, Raimangal and Chaksri. There were seven forts built by Pratapaditya in and around present-day Kolkata. They were at Matla, Raigarh, Tala, Behala, Salkia, Chitpur and Mulajor. Apart from these Pratapaditya had built a fort near present-day Jagatdal.

Pratapaditya's army was divided into six divisions – infantry, cavalry, artillery, archers and elephant division. The infantry consisted of the Dhali and Raibneshe soldiers, under the command of Kalidas Ray and Madan Malla. Madan Malla belonged to Bagdi caste (Barga Kshatriya). In fact, the Raibneshe soldiers of Pratapaditya's army were all Bagdi in origin. They were brought from Mallabhum by Pratapaditya to strengthen his army because at that time Bagdi was one of the most important and capable warrior castes of whole Bengal.[12] According to Bharatchandra, Maharaj Pratapadaitya had 52,000 Dhalis under his command. There were many Kuki soldiers in his army and the Kuki regiment was under the command of Raghu. A cavalry of 10,000 was commanded by Pratapsingha Dutta, assisted by Mahiuddin and Nurullah. The archers were led by Sundar and Dhulian Baig. There were 1,600 elephants trained for war. Apart from these Pratapaditya had a network of spies, under the command of Sukha.

The majority of Maharaj Pratapaditya's army are Bengali Kaysthas, Rajputs, Portuguese Sailors and Afghan Muslims. There was a sizable number of Kuki and Arakaneese soldiers in his army. Also, Patapaditya had several Afghan officers in his service, including Jamal Khan, the son of Katlu Khan and Khwaja Kamal. His chief of strategic warfare was a Brahmin called Rudraditya Upadhyaya. Rudraditya was married to Pratapaditya's niece Baisakhi Devi. The frontiers of the capital were managed by Rudraditya. He also employed many Portuguese officers during his battles against Mughals.

Being quite familiar with the terrain of his kingdom and the frequent raids by the Portuguese and Arakanese pirates along the coast of the Bay of Bengal, Pratapaditya could have ignored the need of a strong naval fleet only at his own peril. Most of the Bara Bhuiyans of the time were well equipped in naval warfare and Pratapaditya was no exception. Historian Radhakumud Mookerjee observed thus:

But by far the most important seat of Hindu maritime power of the times in Bengal was that established at Chandikhan or Saugor island by the constructive genius of Maharaj Pratapaditya, the redoubtable Kingof Jessore. Numbers of men-of-war were always to be found ready for battle and in a seaworthy condition at that naval station. There were also three other places where Maharaj Pratapaditya built his shipyards and dockyards: these were Dudhali, Jahajaghata, and Chakasri, where his ships were built repaired and kept.

These Man-of-wars were usually made of timber, abundant in the mangroves of Sundarbans. Some of these vessels had more than 64 oars and most of them were equipped with artillery. There were several classes of vessels in the fleet, namely, Piara, Mahalgiri, Ghurab, Pal, Machoya, Pashat, Dingi, Gachhadi, Balam, Palwar and Kocha. According to Abdul Latif's travelogue, the Jessore fleet consisted of hundreds of war boats. According to Dutch historian Jos Gommans, the Mughal fleet consisted of, at a maximum of about 500 boats, whereas the fleet of Maharaj Pratapaditya had twice as many.[13] The fleet was initially under the command of Bengali officers, but later Portuguese officers were entrusted with the duty.

The island of Sandwip had gained strategic importance because of its salt production, and because it was the most important gateway of trade in the Bay of Bengal and to Chittagong port. At the turn of the 17th century, Sripur and Arakan had fought two battles over the control of Sandwip and both the times Kedar Ray, the king of Sripur had wrested control over Sandwip, with the help of his Portuguese naval officer Domingos Carvalho. Kedar Ray had awarded the island to his able office as a recognition of his service. But when the Arakanese successfully took control of the island in 1602, Carvalho fled to Jessore. It is said that Maharaj Pratapaditya arrested, tried and executed Carvalho and sent his severed head to the Arakan court at Mrauk U.

The Jesuits arrived at Jessore in 1599. They were received most cordially by the king and his Portuguese subjects, most of whom were in the naval services. The king granted them full permission to preach to his subjects and to baptise all those who wished to become Christians. The first Jesuit church in Bengal was opened in January 1600.

The priests Dominic de Sosa, Fernandez, and Melchior de Fonseca were invited to visit a place called Chandecan (Italian: Ciandecan) by its king, and Fernandez was granted letters patent from the king authorising them to continue their mission. 19th-century historian Henry Beveridge identified the "King of Chandecan" as Pratápáditya, and "Chandecan" with Dhumgát, which he places near Khaliganj in the 24 Pardanas. He notes that a man named Chand Khan Masandari had been proprietor of the land before Pratapaditya's father Bikramaditya. After Fernandez died in prison at Chittagong in November 1602, the other priests fled Arracan, first to Sandwip island then to Chandecan. To maintain relations with the king of Arracan, the king of Chandecan who was then at "Jasor" summoned the Portuguese captain Carvalho from Chandecan and had him killed. He then had the church destroyed and the priests expelled.[14]

The patron deity of Jessore was Jashoreshwari. According to popular legend, one morning a general of the king, discovered a ray of light emanating from a nearby forest. When he was informed, he went to investigate the source of the light rays. Deep inside the jungle he found an idol of Mother Kali, that was emitting the light. He at once realized that it was the idol of the patron deity, the protector of his kingdom and his people. So he brought the idol to his capital and constructed a temple so that she may be worshiped by the faithful.

Maharaj Pratapaditya built a bath at Bangshipur. It was six domed structure – two big and four small domes – called hammamkhana.

At that time the mangroves of the Sundarbans constituted a much larger area than what it is now. When Srihari's father Bhabananda founded Jessore, forest land had to be reclaimed for fortification and human settlement. But during Maharaj Pratapaditya forest land was successfully reclaimed for agriculture as well.[15] Indigenous communities like the Mundas and the Bawalis were settled in the Sunderbans.

He also invited eligible Brahmins, Kayasthas and Vaidyas to settle in Jessore. Shibnath Shastri's ancestors who hailed from South India were invited by the king to settle in the kingdom.[16]

Maharaj Pratapaditya was a patron of literature, music and fine arts. He patronized many artists, poets and learned men in his court.

The Dhali or 'shield dance' is a folk dance that originated and developed during the reign of Maharaj Pratapaditya. It is believed that after winning a grueling battle, the fatigued soldiers of the king's army began dancing with their swords in the spirit of contentment, and to prepare themselves for the next war.

• Annadamangal, a historical epic by Raygunakar Bharatchandra.[3]
• Pratapaditya Charita, a historical romance novel by Ramram Basu, published in 1801.[3]
• Bangadhip Parajay, a historical romance novel by Pratap Chandra Ghosh, published in two volumes in 1869 and 1884.[3]
• Bou Thakuranir Hat, a historical novel by Rabindranath Tagore, published in 1883.[3]
• Banger Pratapaditya, a historical romance play by Kshirod Prasad Vidyavinod, published in 1903.[3]
• Vangiva Pratapa, a historical romance play in Sanskrit by Haridas Bhattacharya Siddhantabagisha, published in 1946.

• Pratapaditya, based on Kshirod Prasad Vidyavinod's Pratapaditya, staged by Star Theatre on 16 August 1903.
• Pratapaditya, based on Haran Rakshit's Banger Sesh Bir, staged by Classic on 29 August 1903.
• Pratapaditya, based on Kshirod Prasad Vidyavinod's Banger Pratapaditya, staged by Natyamandir between 1926 and 1930.

• Bou Thakuranir Haat, a Bengali film, based on Rabindranath Tagore's Bou Thakuranir Hat, directed by Naresh Mitra. Pratapaditya was played by Nitish Mukherjee.