Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India, A.D. 1000–1800 c20.s1.5

c20.s1.5

⁵ It gives a historical sketch and geneology of the family of Raja of Samudragarh, a place situated between Katwa and Bandel Railway stations. Since the writer Satya Krishna Biswas has descended from Gopi Mohan Biswas, the last Diwan of the ruling house (*op. cit.*, X, n. 52, p. 10), the narrative appears to be quite reliable. It says that after Bakhtiyar Khalji overran Bengal, it became a rule that if revenue was not deposited within the prescribed time, the defaulting landlord (*bhuswami*) had either to lose his land or become Musalman. This is also referred to in the *Banglar Itihasa* of Babu Raj Krishna (p. 7). *Banshasmriti* says that once Raja Ranjit Bhatt of Samudragarh went to deposit his land revenue, but at the Treasury he found that the Raja of Krishnanagar had not reached in time. He reflected that if the Raja of Krishnanagar became Muslim, much harm would be done because he was a bigger landlord. Therefore, "in the larger interest of Hinduism", Ranjit Bhatt deposited his money as revenue on behalf of the Raja of Krishnanagar and himself became a Muslim. But the most interesting part of the narrative is that on his return to his land the newly converted Raja started compelling others also to embrace Islam (because perhaps therein alone lay his security and defence). According to the author of the *Banshasmriti* the family still lives in Samudragarh, now only a small village. All the members are given two names—one Hindu and the other Muslim at the *namkaran* ceremony. The present Raja's (1926?) Muslim name is Ichamat Khan and Hindu name is Makhan Lal Thakur.