History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c41.347.1

v2.c41.347.1

We must now go back to 1787 in order to narrate the events connected with Raghunāth Pikerā, zamindar of Kalar and Barajit, another *parganah* like Nayabasan on the borders of Bengal and Orissa. It appears from these records that Rājārām Mukund was still the *Subāhdār* of Orissa in 1782. Peiarce, the Collector of Medinipur, writing on the 29th May, 1787, states that Raghunāth Pikerā (spelt Pykaran, also Raghunath Chooyan) of Kelar, a zamindar in Maratha territory, had started depredations in the British parganahs Gaganeśwar and Narangachor and representation had been received from the zamindars of these places. Raghunāth was also a zamindar in British territory like Rājā Dāmodar Bhañja of Mayurbhañja, and Peiarce complained that he sent a parwanah with a Harkarāh to which Raghunāth did not pay any heed and therefore a Hāvildār and twelve Sepoys were placed as a Thānāh on the border. The letter from the Collector encloses an application from Rājballabh Chaudhurī of Gaganeśwar in Chāklāh Jaleśwar in which it is stated that property and cattle belonging to the tenants of Lakshmīpur, Seypoorah and six other villages were carried away. Moreover, when the Harkarāh went with the Collector's Parwanah, Raghunāth refused to meet him and a Tahṣīldār on the part of Rājārām Pandit said that the lands of Rājballabh Chaudhurī belonged to the Marathas. A similar petition was received about the depredations committed by Raghunāth in the Parganah of Narangachor.