Kingdom and Raja Pratapaditya
Born: 1561 |
Kingdom and Raja Pratapaditya Roy Heritage of jessore
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Birthplace: Gaur, West Bengal, India
Died: 1611 (aged 50)
Place of death: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Wife: Sharat Kumari
Issue: Udayaditya, Sangramaditya and Bindumati
Father: Srihari
Religious beliefs: Hinduism
Maharaja Pratap-Aditya Roy(1561–1611 CE) was the Hindu King of Jessore and the most prominent of the Baro-Bhuyan of Bengal, who declared independence from the Mughals and established an independent Hindu state in Bengal. His kingdom at its zenith encompassed the districts of Nadia, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas in West Bengal, as well as extending into modern-day Bangladesh from Kushtia district in north, Barisal in east and Sundarbans and Bay of Bengal to south.
Pratapaditya's love for the Motherland, fierce spirit of Hindu independence from Muslim yoke, and epic battles against the Mughal imperialists made him the most famous legendary hero for the Hindus in Bengal. His bravery and heroism became the subject of many ballads, none grander than Annadamangal, the magnum opus of Bharat Chandra the greatest medieval poet of Bengal. In the final of the three-part epic, Bharat Chandra introduces Pratapaditya as excerpted below:
Pratapaditya Roy has been recognized as a national hero in several narratives of Hindu Nationalism where he has been placed alongside Shivaji and Guru Govind Singh for his immortal deeds.
His father Srihari (or Sridhar), was an influential officer in the service of Daud Khan Karrani, the last independent Sultanate of Bengal. The latter had bestowed upon Srihari the title of 'Vikramaditya' and the zamindari of one Chand Khan, (referred to as Chandecan by the Portuguese) who had deceased without leaving any heir. On the fall of Daud Khan in 1576, Srihari declared independence and assumed the title of "Maharaja". Pratapaditya was born to Srihari in 1561. Srihari divided his kingdom – 5/8th to Pratapaditya and 3/8th to his brother Basanta Ray.
At a very young age, as the Crown Prince of Jessore he fought many naval battles against Portuguese and Magh (Portuguese of Arakan) pirates to protect his land and his people. He also fought and defeated his neighboring Muslim Kings & Zamindars who were hostile to his dynasty and kingdom.
Contemporary sources like the Baharistan-i-Ghaybi, travelogues of Abdul Latif and other Europeans testify to the personal ability of Pratapaditya, his political pre-eminence, material resources and martial strength.