Present Head
Raja SHIVENDRA BIJOY MALLA DEB, 18th Raja Saheb of Jhargram since the 22nd February 2000. (Jhargram Palace, District Jhargram, West Bengal, India) born in Calcutta, educated at Rajkumar College, Raipur, Chattisgarh and St.Xaviers College, Calcutta; apart from managing family business he is in active politics, presently Chairman of Jhargram Municipal Board and District President of Trinamul Congress; Charter President of Rotary International of Jhargram; he is also an eminent social worker attached with various educational and charitable institutions in West Bengal; married in 1981 to Rani Jyoti Devi, daughter of Raja Prabodh Chandra Dhir Deb Birbar and Rani Jogmaya Devi of Balarampur, Orissa, and has issue, one son.
- Yuvraj Vikramaditya Malladeb, born , educated at The Scindia School, Gwalior and European Institute of Design, Milan, Italy; married in 2021 to Yuvrani Monika Devi, daughter of Rajkumar Mahesh Chandra Deo and Kunwarani Kamlesh Deo, granddaughter of Raja Girish Chandra Deo and Rani Sharada Rajya Lakshmi Devi of Rairakhol State.
History
Jhargram Raj was founded around 1592 AD by Sarveshwar Singh who along with his elder brother were Generals under Raja Man Singh I of Amer and came to conquer Bengal when Emperor Akbar granted Subehdari of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa to Raja Man Singh. Sarveshwar Singh belonged to the Chauhan clan of Rajputs from Fatehpur Sikri.He defeated and vanquished the local Mal tribal kings who were ruling the region known as Junglekhand. As a reward, Raja Man Singh I of Amer, granted mansabdari of the entire region of Junglekhand to his victorious generals Sarveshwar Singh Chauhan and his elder brother, under suzerainty and subordination as a tributary vassal state to the Mughal Emperor Akbar. He named his capital Jhargram which means a village surrounded by deep forests, hence the rulers of Jhargram assumed the title ‘Malla Deb’. The Raja of the State was popularly known as Ugal Sanda (the lord within the fort walls of the city of Jhargram) by the local natives and the appellation was continued by all kings up to Raja Narasingha Malla Ugal Sanda Deb.
Between 1742-47, the rulers of Jhargram fought three successful wars against the Maratha invasion alongside the Raja of Bishnupur and the Nawab of Bengal. In 1799, the ruler of Jhargram, revolted against the East India Company along with rulers of Bishnupur and others and the revolt was termed as Chuar Mutiny. The ruler was forced to surrender and the status Jhargram kingdom made to a Zamindari estate under the British authority. The kingdom had 8 sardars under the system and one Sub Zamindar of Beliaberah.Later the Vice-Roy of India agreed to recognize Jhargram as Princely State after the Second World War but the proposal taken back as the British had decided to give independence to India.
The kingdom had its golden era during the reign of Raja Narasingha Malla Deb, under the guidance of his mentor and Dewan Rai Bahadur Debendra Mohan Bhattacharya, he developed Jhargram town into a modern planned township and commissioned the new Palace in 1931 which is one of the finest example of Indo Sarcenic architecture in Eastern India and spread over 30 acres.
Genealogy
- Raja SARVESHWAR MALLA UGAL SANDA DEB, 1st Raja of Jhargram, founder of Royal Family of Jhargram; He fortified the new capital with a canal-ed fort known as ‘Ugal’ in local language, and respectfully the title of ‘Ugal Sanda’ (Lord of thee Fort) became part of the name and style of the rulers of Jhargram; married and had issue.
- Raja Vikram Malla Ugal Sanda Deb (qv)
- Raja VIKRAM MALLA UGAL SANDA DEB, Raja of Jhargram
- Raja BHIM MALLA UGAL SANDA DEB, Raja of Jhargram
- Raja PRITHVI MALLA UGAL SANDA DEB, Raja of Jhargram
- Raja SANSAR MALLA UGAL SANDA DEB, Raja of Jhargram
- Raja CHAKKU MALLA UGAL SANDA DEB, Raja of Jhargram
- Raja GADADHAR MALLA UGAL SANDA DEB, Raja of Jhargram
- Raja SHATRUGHNA MALLA UGAL SANDA DEB, Raja of Jhargram
- Raja ANANDA MALLA UGAL SANDA DEB, Raja of Jhargram, he introduced a number of administrative changes during his regain a new land revenue system was introduced which initiated the growth of agriculture and forestry. Several Hindu festivals like Indra puja, Dol purnima, Rath yatra and Gajan were celebrated with great pomp and splendor.
- Raja MAN GOVIND MALLA UGAL SANDA DEB, Raja of Jhargram (1741-1772), succeeded to the gaddi and ruled his dominions from his capital in Jhargram. He unified all Rajput kingdoms in Bengal against the campaign of Marathas. Between 1741-1751, he fought three successful battles against the Maratha invasion alongside the Raja of Bishnupur and the Nawab of Bengal and consolidated control over the kingdom making himself a dominant king in the western part of Bengal.
- Raja VIKRAMJIT MALLA UGAL SANDA DEB, Raja of Jhargram (1772-1806). He was a pious and charitable king and served for the welfare of his subjects. He realized that the British were a new kind of threat to his kingdom so worked on to check the advances of the British by allying with the Raja of Dhalbhum and the Nawab of Bengal. He defeated Colonel Fergusson at Dudhkundi near Kharagpur in 1791 when the East India Company tried to enter Jhargram. Fergusson’s forces, consisting of 100 Europeans, 300 cavalry, 1400 sepoys and 10 field pieces, was the standard size of the colonial armies. But the second time the joint forces were defeated at Radhanagar by the British army in 1793, ending thereby the last hurdle to the colonial conquest of Bengal, hence the treaty of Midnapore confirmed the surrender of Jhargram to the British. But soon the British Governor of Bengal endorsed his stature and recognized Jhargram as a Zamindari estate as a permanent settlement.
- Raja SHYAM SUNDAR MALLA UGAL SANDA DEB, Raja of Jhargram (1806-1832).
- Raja VIKRAMADITYA MALLA UGAL SANDA DEB, Raja of Jhargram, married Rani Atar Kumari Devi, daughter of Raja Balbhadra Sundar Narayan Deo of Shyamsundarpur Raj and had issue, one daughter and a son.
- Rajkumari (name unknown), married Raja Gauri Prasad Sundar Narayan Deo of Shyamsundarpur.
- Yuvraj Narayan Malla Ugal Sanda Deb, married and had issues, 2 sons and a daughter.
- Raja Raghunath Malla Ugal Sanda Deb (qv)
- Rajkumar Jadunath Malla Deb, married and had issues, 3 sons.
- Raja RAGHUNATH MALLA UGAL SANDA DEB, Raja of Jhargram 1855-1912 (died ), born , died was a benevolent and a progressive king, throughout his reign he was genuinely focused towards the welfare of his subjects. He was portrayed as great in wisdom and also an extra ordinary wrestler, one can witness many of his wrestling instruments kept in the Palace and Calcutta museum. He commenced western education at Scottish Church College in Midnapore, and was the first degree holder from the region and also established an English primary school in the Palace on 5th October 1899 so that the young generation could be exposed to Western education in Jhargram. Raja Saheb welcomed industrialization and encouraged several British and Indian businessmen to setup industries in his kingdom.With the help of the British he introduced effective forestry and setup timber trading business and also built the Jhargram Railway Station for the Bengal Nagpur Railways which made Jhargram well connected to Calcutta and Bombay. Married 1stly to Rani Siromani Devi from Shyamsundarpur, 2ndly to Rani Raj Lakshmi Debi of Silda and 3rdly to Rani Brahmamayee Devi from Shyamsundarpur Raj and had issues, 4 sons and 5 daughters.
- Rajkumari Kali Kumari Devi (from1st Rani), married Raja of Manbazaar, Bengal and had no issues.
- Rajkumari Bhava Kumari Devi (from 1st Rani), married and had issue, one son.
- Yuvraj Chandi Charan Malla Deb (qv) (from 1st Rani)
- Rajkumar Baidyanath Malla Deb (from 2nd Rani), married and has issues, 2 sons.
- Rajkumar Ganga Charan Malla Deb (from 3rd Rani), married and had issues, 3 sons and 2 daughters.
- Rajkumar Kali Charan Malla Deb (from 3rd Rani), married and had issues, 2 sons and 5 daughters.
- Raja CHANDI CHARAN MALLA DEB, Raja of Jhargram 1912/1916, born , died in , married Rani Kumud Kumari Devi (died ), daughter of Raja Ishwar Chandra Dhabal Deb of Dhalbhum & Jamboni estate, Bengal and had issues, one son and a daughter.
- Yuvraj Narsingha Malla Deb (qv)
- Rajkumari Bishnupriya Devi, born , died , married in 1925 to Kumar Hemanta Kr. Singh Roy and had issue, one daughter.
COURT OF WARDS 1916/1929
- Raja Sir NARASINGHA MALLA UGAL SANDA DEB, OBE, KBE, Raja of Jhargram 1929-1976 (born , died ), educated at Midnapore Collegiate School and Presidency College in Calcutta; conferred with O.B.E.(Order of British Empire) and K.B.E (Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire); He served as Member of Legislative Council of West Bengal and Member of Parliament.Donated wealth and land towards welfare causes of his subjects and poor farmers, making him the single largest land donor in West Bengal, he also worked towards rehabilitation of refugees during the partition of India. Post independence he owned properties and business in Calcutta and Life Member of Royal Photographic Society, London was a skilled photographer and won many international awards. married 1stly in 1929 to Rani Binode Manjari Devi (born , died ), daughter of Lalsaheb Girish Chandra Bhanj Deo of Mayurbhanj, married 2ndly in 1946 to Rani Rupamanjari Devi (born , died in Kolkata) of Rai Gobindpur, and had issue, one son and three daughters. He died in Calcutta.
- Raja Birendra Bijoy Malla Deb (by Rani Binod Manjari Devi) (qv)
- Rajkumari Savitri Devi (by Rani Binod Manjuri Devi), born , married in 1966 to Raja Uday Narayan Deb of Sana Khemudi in Orissa, has issues, 2 sons.
- Rajkumari Gayatri Devi (by Rani Rupa Manjuri Devi), born , married in 1970 to Rajkumar Visheshwar Singh of Shakarpura in Bihar, has issues, 2 sons.
- Rajkumari Jayashree Devi (by Rani Rupa Manjuri Devi), born , married in 1970 to Rajkumar Shailaja Shanker Singh Deo of Dhenkanal in Orissa, and has issue, two daughters.
- Raja BIRENDRA BIJOY MALLA DEB, Raja of Jhargram 1976/2000, born , educated at the University of Calcutta (M.A. in History), elected two times Member of Legislative Assembly of West Bengal; a talented cricketer who captained the school and university cricket teams; he was twice the winner of the Best Legislator award in the West Bengal legislative assembly; District President Indian National Congress Party and Founder President of Rotary Club of Jhargram. Life member of Cricket Association of Bengal. He owned businesses in Calcutta and Midnapore and was the first Raja in eastern India to convert his Palace into a heritage hotel. Married in 1953 to Rani Indira Devi (died ), daughter of HH Maharaja Shri Sudhanshu Shekhar Singh Deo of Sonepur, she was considered to be the guiding light of the Jhargram Royal Family, a clear-sighted, kind and humble Rani, she was involved with a number of charitable institutions; he had issue, two sons and two daughters. He died .
- Rajkumari Radharani Malla Debi, born , married in 1976 and has issues, 2 daughters
- Yuvraj Shivendra Bijoy Malla Deb (qv)
- Rajkumar Joydeep Malla Deb, born , educated at the University of Calcutta (B.Com. and LL.B.), is a business man and a social worker based both in Calcutta and Jhargram. He is also the charter president of Lions International in Jhargram and has won several international awards for his dedicated service. Married in 1990 to Rajkumari Priti Devi, daughter of Rao Saheb Shankareshwar Pratap Singh and Rao Rani Alaka Singh of Rampur Naikin in Rewah, Madhya Pradesh, and has issue, one son and a daughter.
- Rajkumari Rajnandini Malla Deb, born , presently (2016) studying at Modern High School for girls in Calcutta.
- Rajkumar Harshvardhan Malla Deb, born , presently (2016) studying at Don Bosco School in Calcutta.
- Rajkumari Rajshree Malla Deb, born , married in 1996 and has issues, one son and a daughter.
- Raja SHIVENDRA BIJOY MALLA DEB (see above)
