Rajchandra Das

Babu Rai Raja Raj Chandra Das Bahadur (also spelt as Raj Chunder Dass or written as Rajchandra Marh; 1787 – June 9, 1836), was an Indian Zamindar, merchant, businessman and a Philanthropist. He was a scion of the famous Marh family of Janbazar. As a mark of charity and welfare of society, he built the Babu Ghat and the Nimtala Ghat.

Ancestry

He was born into an opulent Mahishya family to Babu Preetoram Marh and Jogmaya Devi. The members of the Janbazar Raj family. They rose from a very ordinary economic circumstances to the level of landlordism. The earliest known ancestor of the family was Bijoyram Koley, Kantoram Marh's father and Rajchandra's great-great-grandfather. He is said to be a resident of Sonatikhali village, under the Raja of Burdwan. They originally lived in Khosalpur village in Howrah. Krishnaram's sister Bindubala Dasi was married to Akrur Manna of the Manna family, the then landlords of Janbazar, Kolkata. After his aunt's marriage and his mother's untimely demise, Preetoram along with his father Krishna Ram and his two brothers, Rantanu and Kalicharan, came to live in his aunt's house to learn trade and to receive a formal education. Gradually, the Marh family's relationship with the Manna family became stronger. However, this distinguished Bengali of the 18th century is now known by his wife. Later, the title 'Rani' remained next to her name in her work records forever. After her husband's death, the wealth of the zamindari passed to Rashmoni. Over time, she rose from 'Zamidarginni' to the status of 'Rani' in the literal sense.

Business life Rajchandra became the representative of the English Kelvin Company. He got involved in the export business. He exported tasar, mriganavi, indigo, etc. to England. Through the British Kelvin Company, all those products were distributed in the English market. Along with export trade, Rajchandra got involved in the stock exchange business. He bought the Beleghata region with a large amount of cash. In the stockbroking business, he bought paddy, jute, rice, jaggery, moong, lentils, copper, etc. at low prices and sold them at high prices, making money like water. Rajchandra bought the entire area including today's Dharmatala, Free School Street, New Market, Rashmoni Square in Kolkata. He realised that the British East India Company would not leave India easily, they were settled in Kolkata. The far-sighted businessman Rajchandra was able to sense this and quickly bought all the land around the Maidan. He also started buying houses in the Sahebs' neighborhood. After buying the best lands in South Kolkata, Rajchandra became the largest landowner in Kolkata. He became the principal Zamindar of Kolkata.

Building of the Janbazar Palace

In 1813, Rajchandra completed the construction of the palace started by Pritiram on six bighas of land. This palace of three hundred rooms has six courtyards, a lake. Seven mahals, Thakurdalan, Natmandir, Dewankhana, Kachari Ghar, Guest house, Goyal Ghar, armory, and rooms for the guards and dewans. This palace, adjacent to the Janbazar palace, was built at a cost of twenty-five lakh Mohurs.

Contributions Construction of the Babu Ghat

The then rich people of Calcutta used to build bathing ghats as a mark of wealth. On the other side of the Hooghly River to establish his status Raj Chandra started building a ghat on the other side of the Ganges in competition with them. After obtaining the permission of the company, he first built a ghat on the other side of the river. He built a ghat with thirty-six pillars. A covering over the pillars. Separate arrangements for men and women for bathing. Lord Bentinck's proclamation named it 'Babu Rajchandra Das's Ghat'. It is still popularly known as 'Babu Ghat'.

Building of the Ahiritala Ghat

Rajchandra focused on doing philanthropic and public welfare work. After Babughat, he built a huge bathing ghat in Aheritola. He built a huge pucca house on his own land for patients with internal bleeding who were on their way to death at Nimtala crematorium. Accommodation, food and medical facilities were arranged for the inmates. Doctors and attendants were appointed to take care of the patients round the clock. All these news of Rajchandra's charitable deeds spread quickly. Rajchandra's fame was published in the newspapers. Rajchandra's public welfare work was recorded in the India Gazette. In 1817, Rajchandra's father Preetoram died. His mother died that same year. With the generosity of money, he performed a grand Shraddha ceremony for his parents. Rajchandra, who was without parents, lived with his wife and daughters in a palace-like residence at 71 Free School Street.

Towards Education

Rajchandra took up the task of showing his position to the intellectuals of Kolkata. To connect himself with the intellectual community, Rajchandra generously helped in the establishment of the Hindu College in Kolkata. He also donated a large amount of money to establish the Calcutta Medical College.

Eden Gardens

According to popular culture, Raj Chandra gifted one of his biggest gardens, Marh Bagan, besides the river Hooghly, to Lord Auckland and his sister Emily Eden in gratitude for their help in saving his third daughter from a fatal disease. The garden was then renamed to the Eden Gardens.

Gaining fame

Rajchandra's fame gradually spread everywhere through all these public welfare works. By involving himself in welfare works for the common people, against luxury and debauchery, Rajchandra established his clean and distinct image from the then company-minded businessmen and landlords. This strengthened Rajchandra's position among the so-called upper caste Hindu elite. He became one of the foremost members of the Bhadralok samaj of the Bengal Presidency. Raja Rammohan Roy, Prince Dwarkanath Tagore, Raja Kalikrishna Tagore, Raja Radhakanta Deb, Dewan Gangagobindo Singha, Prasanna Kumar Tagore. Along with gaining the same status as Kaliprasanna Singha, Ramdulal Sarkar and others, Rajchandra's name was placed in or even above their ranks. Rajchandra, who was of Mahishya descent, was recognized along with the other high caste kings, maharajas, and zamindars of the 19th century. He also received official recognition. He was awarded the prestigious title of Roy Bahadur by the Lord Amherst, the Governor-General of India himself. The British East India Company officially recognised the title of 'Raja' as he was already popularly called by the people. The company also appointed him as an honorary magistrate. Rajchandra also joined in preventing the practice of sati by Rammohan Roy. In 1829, the first bank was established in Calcutta, called the Bank of Calcutta. Rajchandra became the director of that bank and in the same year, he was among the handful of Indians elected to be the members of The Asiatic Society. The greats of Bengal, such as Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar regularly visited Rajchandra's house.

Family Rajchandra and Rashmoni had four daughters. Padmamani, Kumari, Karunamoyee, and Jagadamba. One son died after being born. The girls were all married to the same caste. Because marriage between different castes was unthinkable at that time. It was considered a religious sin. The eldest daughter was married to Ramchandra Ata, a member of another Mahishya Zamindar family. The second daughter was married to Pyarimohan Chowdhury, a resident of Sonabere village in Khulna district. The third daughter, Karunamoyee, was married to Mathuramohan Biswas. After the short-lived death of Karunamoyee, the third son-in-law, Mathuramohan, married off his fourth daughter, Jagadamba, and left his son-in-law at home.

Family tree

Death & Legacy On 9 June 1836, Rajchandra suffered a heart attack while traveling in a carriage, resulting in cerebral hemorrhage and paralysis, and died at the age of 53.