History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c44.133

Language: English

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After the engagement entered into with Messrs. Harcourt and Melville in 1803-04, the next engagement entered into was a Sanad granted by Lord Elgin on the 28th October 1898. For some reasons not known as yet the *Sanad* to Keunjhar was not granted in 1894 when similar *Sanads* were granted to the rest of the Garhjat Chiefs. There was great trouble after the death of Gadadhar Narayan Bhanja of Keunjhar on the 22nd March 1861. Raja Gadadhar died at Triveni near Chinsura in Bengal, leaving a widow and two illegitimate children. One of these, Dhanurjay, was placed on the *gadi* by the Diwan, on the 3rd April. But six days later, Raja Jadunath Bhanja of Mayurbhanj represented that his grandson Brindavan had been adopted by Raja Gadadhar Narayan of Keunjhar and that he was going to instal this boy. Raja Jadunath Bhanja was directed by the Superintendent of Orissa Feudatory States not to take any active part in the affair, but inspite of this warning Jadunath sent Brindavan to Keunjhar, where he was secretly installed by the Rani and some of the principal nobles. Later on the story of the adoption was proved to be false. The claims of Dhanurjay and Brindavan were investigated by the Superintendent and that of Dhanurjay upheld according to Regulation XI of 1816. Raja Jadunath Bhanja appealed on behalf of Brindavan to the High Court at Calcutta and finally to the Privy Council. After the decision of the Superintendent, Dhanurjay was recognised as the Raja.

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In January 1867 Ravenshaw informed the Bengal Government that the Raja would attain his majority in September, but the Rani petitioned that installation should be postponed till the decision of the Privy Council was obtained. The Raja was escorted by 700 or 800 heads of villages from Katak, where he was studying, to Anandapur in Keunjhar; but it became evident in November that the Rani was raising the hill tribes against Rājā Dhanurjay and she threatened to leave Keuñjhar if the young Rājā entered the palace. A large deputation of hill-men proceeded to Calcutta on deputation to the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, who assured them that Dhanurjay would be placed on the *gadi* unless Brindāvan’s appeal was admitted by the Privy Council. In December 1863, Dhanurjay was formally installed by Ravenshaw, but the former’s condition was very helpless and therefore 40 armed constables had to be left to protect him. In January 1868 the old Rāṇī moved out of Keuñjhar and there was a rising of Bhuiyās and Juāngs. Ravenshaw persuaded her to return on the 13th February and she was present at the installation of Rājā Dhanurjay by the Bhuiyās according to ancient customs. She received a pension of Rs. 600 per month and by the end of February 20 constables were removed from Keuñjhar. The Bhuiyās suddenly broke out into open rebellion in April under Ratnā Nāyak and Nandā Nāyak.

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They plundered Keuñjhar, carried off the Diwān with about a hundred people, disarmed the British Sepoys, (only 20 in number), and dismounted the Rājā’s guns. Dr. Hayes, Deputy Commissioner of Singhbhum, started for Keuñjhar with armed police and a body of Kols and reached that place on the 7th May. He released the Rājā from the siege. In the meanwhile more police and troops were sent by the Bengal Government and Colonel Dalton, Commissioner of Chhota Nagpur was placed in charge of the affairs of Keuñjhar and Ravenshaw ordered to send in supplies from Katak. Dalton arrived at the end of June, but on the 27th May a party of police coming from Ānandapur were attacked and lost their baggage while retiring. Another party of police and large re-enforcements were sent from Chhota Nagpur and *via* Dhenkānāl. In June Dr. Hayes was in complete possession of the plains, but he was too weak to attack the hill tribes. Dalton arrived at the end of June and Ravenshaw in July. They insisted upon an unqualified surrender of the ring-leaders of the rebellion and delivery of the prisoners. Then it was learnt that the unfortunate *Diwān* had been murdered a few days after his capture. The neighbouring Rājās sent troops to quell the rebellion according to their engagements. Troops were received from the Rājās of Mayurbhañj, Dhenkānāl, Bonāi, Pāl Laharā and Udaypur. On the 1st August, 25 Bhuiyā leaders submitted and the same number of Juāng leaders surrendered to the Rājā of Udaypur.

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On the 15th of the same month Ratnā Nāyak and Nandā Nāyak were captured. After the trials six leaders were sentenced to death and the 100 others to different terms of imprisonment.¹ Two interesting documents have been printed regarding the Keuñjhar rebellion of 1868 in the reprint of Sir Richard Temple's Report on the Administration of the Central Provinces. The first of these is a report from Ravenshaw dated the 24th June 1870. We learn from the second paragraph of this report that on account of the rebellion, the State was taken under Government management and Captain Johnstone posted at Keuñjhar to assist the Rājā in the management of the State. At the end of the disturbances Ravenshaw found that Rs. 1,30,327-3-2½ was due from the Keuñjhar State as the cost of quelling the rebellion and this amount was constantly increasing. As the Rājā of Mayurbhañj was directly implicated in supporting the claims of Brindāban and therefore in the Bhuinyā and Juāng rebellions, Ravenshaw proposed to realise half of this amount, Rs. 65,163-10-0, from him. Mahārāja Jadunāth Bhañja of Mayurbhañj had died in 1863 and had been succeeded by Rājā Śrināth Bhañja. Śrināth died in 1868, during the rebellion, and was succeeded by Kṛṣṇachandra Bhañja and this chief was ruling over Mayurbhañj in 1870 when Ravenshaw’s proposals for inflicting this sum on that State were sent in.

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Ravenshaw’s actual proposal was to obtain this fine from the revenues of Bāmanghāṭi which was then under Government management. Ravenshaw further proposed to realise half of the cost of the army of occupation and the salary of Captain Johnstone and his establishment from the Keuñjhar State and proposed to pay the other half from the British revenues. He was extremely liberal towards the Keuñjhar State, because he proposed that the Government should bear half of the cost of quelling the rebellion of the hill-tribes in that case and that the other half only should be realised from Keuñjhar. The amount thus proposed to be realised from the State was Rs. 32,581-14-0 or Rs. 33,000 and this Ravenshaw proposed to obtain by increasing the tribute by Rs. 1320 with interest on the capital at 4 per cent.¹ Captain Johnstone in his report made certain interesting revelations. The Rājā was a well-disposed boy and possessed some capacity but he was devoid of gratitude and had disgusted the few men who were formerly interested in him. In 1870 he had not a single sincere friend. There was a strong party in the State against him who were determined to get rid of the Rājā at any cost. There was a strong impression in the State that there would be another rebellion as soon as Government supervision ceased.¹