Majumdar Rajiv Lochan Das

Majumdar Rajiv Lochan Das was one of the earliest patriarchs of the extended Munshi family of Kadirpara-Chougachi.^[2][3] He was the father of Hariram Das, Ramram Das and Munshi Balaram Das, and was the first individual of the Das family (later known as the Munshis) to settle in Kadirpara (present day Kadirpara Union, Sreepur Upazila, Magura District, Bangladesh).^[2]

When, following a dispute with Ballal Sen of Sena dynasty, Tilak Karkat and Jatadhar Nag belonging to Barendra Kayastha clan established a separate state in the Sahilkupa region of what was then part of Jessore, members of the Barendra Kulin line - specifically the Das, Nandy and Chaki families - joined them and settled there. According to Satish Chandra Mitra, the eponymous progenitor of the Das Kulin was Nardas of the Atri lineage; some sources refer to him as Narahari or Naradev Das (often mentioned as Mahatma Naradev Das). His descendants moved through various places due to conflict and changing circumstances, eventually settling in the Devtala area of Shailkupa. In time, the Nawab administration granted them the title of Majumdar. At Shailkupa, the Dases built a shrine dedicated to the deities of Rama and Gopal (Krishna) once served by an ascetic, while Krishnananda (also referred to as Bhabananda) of the Das family assumed the responsibilities to serve the deities.^[2]

Due to persistent joint raids by Arakanese and Portuguese pirates, Krishnananda's 8th descendant Rajiv Lochan relocated from Shailkupa to Dariapur, and later to Kadirpara after acquiring property there. He is consequently regarded as the founder of the Kadirpara Munshi family.^[2]

Rajiv Lochan was married to Shivani Thakurani. The couple had three sons named Hariram, Ramram and Durgaram (later known as Munshi Balaram Das). All three siblings were known for their intellect and formidable presence, qualities that drew the attention of Raja Sitaram Ray.^[2] According to both Satish Chandra Mitra and Jadunath Bhattacharya, Balaram and his elder brother Ramram once repelled a group of fearsome robbers with remarkable courage. Impressed by their bravery, Raja Sitaram Ray granted them the tax-exempt village of Bilpakuria. Subsequently, Ramram assumed the power of administration of the Bilpakuria taluq. On the other hand, the Raja eventually appointed Balaram as a Munshi in his court, and his descendants have since continued to bear the hereditary title of Munshi. Ramram and Balaram's rise in status enabled him to accumulate substantial wealth in Kadirpara, eventually contributing to the formation of the Kadirpara Estate. The ancestors of Rajiv Lochan used to carry the titles Rai, Rai-Raiyan and sarkar.^[4][5][6]

Rajiv Lochan was active in religious and philanthropic endeavours in Kadirpara. He and his descendants founded temples dedicated to Shri Shri Radhakanta, Shiva lingam, Dasabhuja, and Shri Shri Lakshmi-Narayan, and instituted the observance of traditional annual festivals (the Baro maase tero parbon). According to a 2017 report in the Dhaka Tribune, the Radhakanta Lakshmi Narayan Jiu and Shitala temples in Sreepur Upazila, belonging to the Debuttar Estate, were subjected to acts of vandalism.^[7][8] His household maintained a strong tradition of hospitality. The estate included several inner courts and a council hall, and was served by six nearby reservoirs-known locally as Pachhpukura, Kaliyatala and Dighi Pushkarini among others. His wife, Shivani Thakurani, commissioned a large reservoir on the north-eastern side of the residence, south of the Bil field; this waterbody became known as Bilpukur.^[7]

He was proficient in the Persian language. As Persian held significant prestige at the time, he appointed two instructors to advance his studies. These instructors were two Muslim scholars, Sayyid Aftab and Mahatab.^[7]

Rajiv Lochan also commissioned and installed the clay idol of Shri Shri Siddheshwari Kali at Dariapur. For the purpose of its regular worship, he endowed approximately forty bighas of tax-free debottur land within Dariapur and adjoining mouzas, listed under Jessore Collectorate Touji No. 4968, and appointed a dedicated sevait. The first sevait was Raicharan, succeeded by Haran Chandra Chakraborty. After the death of Haran Chandra, the service was taken up successively by Lokenath Mishra of Utkal, his nephew Paramananda Mishra, and later Gobindachandra Poti. The temple has suffered multiple attacks by local Muslim mobs in the past.^[9] Most recently, in 2022, the shrine experienced an incident of theft.^[10]

Rajiv Lochan endowed numerous religious and service-related grants. He donated portions of his property as debottar, brahmottar and bhogottar lands for temple use and to support resident priests; he also assigned a mahatran (hereditary allotment) of house property to Ramchandra Roy, a Singha-lineage Barendra Kayastha, for the performance of daily and memorial rites. At or soon after his lifetime, his family donated approximately forty bighas of tax-exempt land from the Kadirpara taluq to fund the annual worship of the temple deity (dedicated to Shiva). Patiram Banik of Radhanagar was appointed as the hereditary sebayet (temple attendant), and Uddhav Chandra Ghosh of Nakol received forty bighas to supply dairy and festival provisions (curd, milk, chhana, ghee, butter, etc.). The village of Radhanagar was established in the name of the family deity, Radhakanta Jiu; Rajiv Lochan's descendants later developed market, school and post office in that village.^[11]

Rajiv Lochan's life has been mentioned in the Bengali book Jessore-Khulnar Itihas (History of Jessore-Khulna) by Satish Chandra Mitra.^[2] His detailed life and works have been published in the Bengali book Munshianay Chollish Purush edited by Santanu Ghosh, which was later reviewed by Anandabazar Patrika.^[12][13]

• Mitra, Satish Chandra (1922). Jashor Khulnar Itihash (যশোর–খুল্নার ইতিহাস). Dey's Publishing. p. 637. Retrieved from Wikisource (Bangla)