History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c41.345

v2.c41.345

Dowdeswell wrote on the 30th April, 1793, stating that an advertisement was issued directing Rājā Dāmodar Bhañja to deliver himself up in person but that he had failed to do so. It was rather impertinent even for Cornwallis to order a semi-independent Chief under a separate independent king to deliver himself in person simply because he happened to be a land-holder also under the British. Such an order is equivalent to asking a Khugiani chief to appear in person and stand trial in a British court at Peshawar simply because he possessed a house in that city. The Collector's letter was forwarded by the Board on the 8th May, 1793, and the latter ordered that the zamindari of Rājā Dāmodar Bhañja might continue to be under attachment. In the meanwhile, Dāmodar Bhañja employed an attorney named Ledlie to write to Dowdeswell. The latter wrote to the Board of Revenue on the 20th February, 1794, enclosing copies of the correspondence. Ledlie was instructed to apply to Dowdeswell for some elephants, horses, jewels and cloths which were forcibly taken away by some British troops from the Rājā's house at Barikooshy near Medinipur (letter dated 28th January, 1794). The Governor-General in Council decided that Mr. Ledlie was not entitled to interfere in this matter (letter dated 28th February, 1794). John Stonehouse, Collector of Medinipur, informed the Board of Revenue on the 23rd November, 1795, that a report had been sent from the Tahṣīldār of Jānpur or Jahānpur regarding disturbances caused by mutinous Sepoys and the troops of Dāmodar Bhañja. Benoderām Sen, *Tahṣildār* of Jahānpur, reported that on the 27th Kārtik of the *Fasli* year 1203 the mutineers from the British army had joined Rājā Dāmodar Bhañja and were at Oania with Pikera Booma (? Bhuiyan *i.e.*, Raghunath Pikera), zamindar of Fort Kelar. Dāmodar Bhañja had collected *pāiks* and *Chuāḍs* and posted them at different places at the frontier. The houses of Uchchhav Pariyāri and Sāgar Buniya had been plundered and one Dhīr Singh of *parganah* Barajit wounded while defending his house. His brother's wife was struck with a hatchet and Dhīr Singh died of his wounds. The *Tahṣildār* had distributed *pāiks* for the defence of the tenants. On the 27th November the Board of Revenue directed these communications to be laid before the Governor-General in Council. After a long and stormy career Dāmodar Bhañja died and his favourite concubine also died about the same time. The intelligence of the death of this turbulent chief was received from a Musalman police officer named Mir Muḥammad Saiyad and transmitted by Stonehouse, Collector of Medinipur, in his letter dated 7th April, 1796, to Calcutta.