Panchkote

Origin and Foundation

The Zamindari Raj of Panchkot, historically known as Chakla Panchkot or Panchet Raj, was an ancient sovereign estate situated on the western frontier of Bengal (comprising modern-day Purulia district in West Bengal and parts of neighboring Jharkhand). According to regional chronicles and dynastic records, the state was founded around 81 AD by Maharajadhiraj Sri Damodar Sekhar Deo. He was a scion of the Parmar Rajput clan, descended from Maharaja Dhiraj Udayji Singh Deo of Dhonagarh in the North-West Provinces.

Legend holds that during a pilgrimage to Jagannath Puri, the queen of the Dhar state gave birth to Damodar Sekhar in the dense forests of the region. Believing the newborn to have been lost or abandoned, the royal entourage proceeded. The child was subsequently rescued and raised by the local indigenous communities. He was eventually acknowledged as their ruler, unifying five local chieftains (known as the Panch Khunt or five clans), which gave the kingdom its name—Panchkot (Five Forts). The rulers of Panchkot adopted the title of "Sekhar Deo" or "Singh Deo" and claimed their lineage from the illustrious Parmar dynasty of Central India.

The Medieval Era and Mughal Relations

For centuries, the rulers of Panchkot reigned from their fortified capital at the foot of the Panchkot Hill (Garh Panchkot). Due to its strategic location amidst rugged hills and dense forests, the kingdom acted as a buffer state between the Hindu kingdoms of Odisha, Jharkhand, and the Muslim-ruled Bengal Sultanate. The ruins of temples, security gates, and moats at Garh Panchkot bear testimony to the architectural grandeur of this era, characterized by a unique blend of terracotta art and stone craftsmanship.

During the Mughal period, the region was referred to as "Panchet" in administrative texts like the Ain-i-Akbari and the Akbarnama. While the Mughals exercised nominal suzerainty over the region, the Rajas of Panchkot enjoyed considerable autonomy, paying a yearly tribute (peshkash) to the Mughal Subahdar of Bengal. The kingdom was renowned for its fierce resistance to external interventions, utilizing the difficult terrain to repel imperial advances on multiple occasions.

Maratha Invasions and the Shift of Capital

The mid-18^th century brought severe devastation to Panchkot during the Maratha invasions of Bengal (popularly known as the Bargi Hungama). Led by Bhaskar Pandit, the Maratha cavalry repeatedly raided the western frontiers of Bengal. Around the 1740s, the Marathas attacked and plundered the capital city of Garh Panchkot, destroying its magnificent palaces and murdering many of its inhabitants.

Following this catastrophe, the royal family abandoned the fortified settlement at the foot of Panchkot Hill. They temporarily relocated to different defensive positions before establishing a new administrative capital at Kashipur (now in the Purulia district) in the early 19^th century. The Kashipur Palace, built in the later years, became the seat of the dynasty's modern history.

The British Raj and the Zamindari Period

With the grant of the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha to the British East India Company in 1765, the political status of Panchkot underwent a drastic transformation. The British reduced the sovereign rulers of Panchkot to the status of zamindars, demanding high land revenues. This transition was met with intense local resistance, culminating in the Chuar Rebellion (or Bhumij revolt), where the local peasantry and militia, loyal to the Panchkot Raj, rose against the exploitative revenue policies of the British.

The introduction of the Permanent Settlement of 1793 severely impacted the estate's finances. Unable to meet the exorbitant revenue demands, large portions of the Panchkot estate were put up for auction by the East India Company. However, through strategic negotiations, court battles, and the deep-seated loyalty of the local populace who refused to accept external buyers, the ruling family managed to retain control over most of their ancestral lands.

Post-Independence and Modern Legacy

Following India's independence in 1947, the princely states and zamindaris were integrated into the Indian Union. With the passage of the West Bengal Estates Acquisition Act of 1953, the formal zamindari rights of the Panchkot Raj were abolished, and the estate's vast forestlands and agrarian holdings were acquired by the state government.

Today, the historical legacy of the Panchkot Raj is preserved through the ruins of Garh Panchkot, which has been recognized as a significant archaeological and heritage tourism site in West Bengal. The Pancharatna temple, the Jor-Bangla temple, and the crumbling fortification walls stand as silent witnesses to the glorious past of the Parmar Rajput rulers on the eastern frontiers of India. The royal descendants still maintain the Kashipur Palace, celebrating traditional festivals like Durga Puja and Raj Rajeshwari Puja with historical fervor.