Dhalbhum & Jamboni

Raja Jagat Dev, the second son of Raja Bhoj Dev II of Dhar (1283 AD) migrated from from Jagner near Dholpur and established the Parmar rule in the Khatra region of Bengal around 1300’s after winning over the local ruler of Supur Raj, Chintamani Dhoba. Raja Jagat Dev was a devotee of Lord Shiva and later assumed the title of ‘Dhabal Dev’ (Dhabal - Pure White a synonym for Lord Shiva) and ruled as Raja Jaganath Dhabal Dev I. In memory of his homeland Dhar, Raja Jagantah Deo Dhabal Dev I renamed one of the hills in Dhalbhum as Dharagiri and being a devout devotee of lord shiv, consecrated the temple of Neel Kantheshwar Shivling atop the Dharagiri hill (near Ghatshila town in east singhbhum district of Jharkhand). Dhalbhum Raj was spread over a much wider area, across the Khatra region of Bankura District, western part of adjoining present day Midnapore district and the eastern and south-eastern parts of Singhbhum district in present-day Jharkhand. Supur Raj, as it was previously called, was divided in consequence of a disputed succession. One of the successors continued at Dhalbhum and the other shifted to neighboring Ambikanagar.

The rulers of Dhalbhum Raj were forerunners in India’s freedom struggle. In 1769-74 Raja of Dhalbhum rebelled against East India Company which is called Dhalbhum Uprising followed by the Chuar Rebellion in 1799 . Raja of Dhalbhum with a force of 1500 soldiers along with the Raja of Jhargram rebelled against East India Company whose forces were led by Lieutenant Fergusson who assaulted the forts of Dhalbhum and Jhargram. Raja of Dhalbhum was replaced by his nephew Raja Jaganath Dhabal Dev VI who along with is brother Nimu fought the east Indian company eventually forcing the East India Company to reinstate Raja Jaganath Dhabal Dev VI as ruler in 1774 with annual tax of Rs. 4,267/-.

Ghatshila was the administrative capital of Dhalbhum Raj. In the 1910 Bengal District Gazetteer for Singhbhum, Seraikela and Kharswan, Mr. Lewis Sydney Steward O’Malley records that Dhalbhum Raj was rich in minerals and is famous for its copper mines which were first reported by one Mr.Jones in 1833 and later in 1854 by Colonel J.G. Haughton, Principal Assistant posted in Chaibasa and gave a full account of Copper in the region in The Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Eminent geologist Mr. M.Emil Stoehr was engaged and mining of copper started in 1857 by two Calcutta based businessmen who leased the mines from the then Raja of Dhalbhum. In 1862 a second company was founded called Hindustan Copper Company with a paid up capital of Pound Stg 1,20,000 in 24000 shares. Besides copper the region is rich with iron ore deposits and in 1904 Bengal Iron and Steel Company operated four iron ore mines in Turamdhi, Talsa, Kudaha, and Hakgara which yielded iron worth rupees one lac per annum. Later around 1907 Manganese, Soapstone, limestone, chromite and Mica was discovered which were also mined in abundance by Messers Martin & Company which had license for Iron Ore, Manganeese and Chromite and Messers Sutna Stone and Lime Company were given license to mine Limestone. In 1937 uranium deposit were discovered in Jaduguda mines near Ghatshila and Rakha Mines in Jaduguda, Narwapahar, Turmadih , Bagjata and Mosaboni are still in operation and provide enriched uranium for the country. Dhalbhum Raj were granted rights to maintain own Police Force.

Raja Shatrughan Deo Dhabal Dev inherited Dhalbhum Raj estate by law of primogeniture from his cousin uncle Raja Ramchandra Deo Dhabal Dev VIII in 1887. In 1900 He granted mining rights for gold, silver, copper lead, zinc, iron, mercury, mica sulfur, copper sulfate, coal, chalk, red-earth and certain precious stones to Sahebzade Mohammed Bakhtiyar Shah (son of HH Prince Mohammed Anwar Shah and great grand son HM Padshah Bahadur Tipu Sultan of Mysore). In 1907 Tata Iron and Steel Works Limited was founded by Mr. Jamshetji Tata who leased 22.5 miles around the village of Kalimati from Raja Shatrughan Deo Dhabal Dev. Kalimati which today is known as Tatanagar was renamed in 1919 by Viceroy of India H.E. Lord Chelmsford during his visit to Tata Steel Plant. . The Bengal-Nagpur Railway passed through the zamindari connecting important towns within the zamindari. He established Higher English medium Education school in Jamshedpur, a English medium school, an industrial school, a dispensary was set up in the town of Ghatshila and another five English medium schools throughout the estate. Constructed mettled roads within East Singhbhum District. Raja Shatrughan Deo Dhabal Dev died without any male issue and gifted Dhalbhum Raj estate to his cousin nephew Raja Jagadish Chandra Dhabal Dev of Jamboni Estate through will executed in 1905.

Raja Jagadish Chandra Dhabal Dev [1891-1957] succeeded as Raja of Jamboni and as the only heir of Raja Shatrughan Deo Dhabal Dev eventually inherited the zamindari of Dhalbhum Raj in 1926 after winning in the Privy Council and was declared the Raja of Dhalbhum. In 1903 at the age of 12 studied with Legendary freedom fighter Khudiram Bose in Midnapore Collegiate School in Midnapore. In 1911 Raja Jagadish Chandra Deo Dhabal Dev was invited to the Delhi Durbar. Raja Jagadish Chandra Deo Dhabal Dev was a noted scholar in music and arts. He was the first graduate in Midnapore District. A philanthropist, he founded Ishwar Chandra Institution in Chilkigarh, Jagadish Chandra High School in Ghatshila, Harihar Library in Chilkigarh, Jagadish Chandra School in Dumuria, donated land for Technical Institute in Kabgari, constructed the new temple for Devi Kanak Durga in Chilkigarh. In 1942 during WWII gave land to Allied Forces to construct an airbase in Chakulia and an airfield in Dhalbhumgarh. Established 4 free medical clinics for the subjects of his zamindari. Introduced irrigation facilities through out the dry areas of his zamindari.

Raja Narayan Chandra Deo Dhabal Dev [1918-1997] in 1957 invested in large business and founded manufacturing company called Dhalbhum Trades and Industries Limited with a share capital of Rs.15 Lacs which had state of art machines imported from USA which manufactured Venus brand Petromax, Mining Lamps, Gas Containers etc. founded another company called Ghatshila Building Syndicate which owned mines within the estate.

Jamboni Zamindari- Raja Gopinath Singh Matagaj was the last ruler of 110.63 km² Jamboni Estate and had 4 wives Rani Govindamani Devi, Rani Champani Devi, Rani Thakurmani Devi and Rani Durgamani Devi and only one daughter Rani Subarnamani Devi through Rani Champamani Devi (married to Raja Jaganath Deo Dhabal Dev VII of Dhalbhum). He died in 1765 AD without any male heir and along with him his two wives Rani Champamoni Devi and Rani Thakurmoni Devi commited Sati with their husband. The administration of the estate devolved upon his widow senior dowager Rani Govindamani Devi who died in 1818. In the year 1822 Midnapore District Court declared Raja Gopinath Singh Matgajs’s eldest grandson Rajkumar Kamalakanta Deo Dhabal Dev of Dhalbhum, through his only child as the legal heir to the gaddi of Jamboni estate and Rajkumar Kamalkanta Deo Dhabal Dev won the court case in Midnapore district court and was coronated as Raja of Jamboni in Chilkigarh, the capital of Jamboni estate. Raja Gopinath Singh Matagaja is credited to have consecrated the Gold Idol of Devi Kanak Durga in the jungles of Chilkigarh as per divine instruction. His wife Rani Govindamani Devi contributed her gold bangles towards the making of the golden idol of and hence the name Kanak Durga meaning Golden Durga. Dowager Rani Govindamani Devi is credited to have banned the ritual of human sacrifice at the Devi Kanak Durga Temple.