Follow
This project has been initiated to research the family history of the Sarkar (Bandyopadhyay, Banerjee) Family of Baghra, Munshiganj, Bangladesh. This family acquired the surname “Sarkar” as a title (“Sarkar Roiroan”, Similar to ‘Sir’ in the UK) bestowed upon one of the family members by the Mughal Emperor Ahmad Shah. This title then became hereditary. The primary surname of this family is Bandyopadhyay (Banerjee). If you belong to this family or know anything about this family please join in.
The oldest known member of this family is Dashu (? Dasharathi/Dasarath) Sarma (YOB c1515) and Abhiram Sarma (YOB c1545). This family is a Bengali Brahmin family of Rarhi Class and Shandilya Gotra. Abhiram Sarma was one of the Founders of the Baghra Village along with Bhattacharyya, the Acharyas and the Chakravarthies of Dighirpar. I don’t have the exact date when Baghra was established but it should be somewhere between 1565 – 1600 AD.
After Abhiram Sarma, I only managed to get the names of my ancestors until Ramdhan Sarkar (Bandyopadhyay)(DOB c1730). They are as follows –
Abhiram Sarma
Mahadeb Sarma
Basudeb Sarma
Atmaram Sarma
Ananataram Sarma
Ramdhan Sarma (Sarkar, Bandyopadhyay).
I don’t know any more details about the first 6 ancestors but they possibly started working in Mughal and Bengal Government set up and familiarized themselves with the bureaucracy and politics.
During the fiscal settlement (Malzamini)of Nawab Murshid Kuli Khan (Reign 1717-1727AD), Sonargaon, Vikrampure, Chandrapratap and the other bordering provinces were named Sarkar Bajuha (District), with Jahangirnagar, the present city of Dacca, as the headquarters.
Ramdhan Sarma became one of the Chief Rent collectors (Amil) of Sarkar Bajuha. As an Amil he became politically extremely influential and received the title of “Sarkar Rairoan” from the Mughal emperor Ahmad Shah at the recommendation of Murshidkuli Khan (then Nawab of Bengal). I personally believe that the Nawab of Bengal who recommended Ramdhan Sarkar was probably Alivardi Khan (আলীবর্দী খাঁ, reign 1740-1756) and not Murshidkuli Khan (Reign 1717-1727 AD). The reign of Alivardi Khan and Ahmad Shah (26 April 1748- 2 June 1754) matches with each other and it also makes Year of birth of Ramdhan Sarkar (c1730) justified.
Due to his political influence, Ramdhan managed to acquire a lot of Tehsils or Taluks for himself and his family. Ramdhan's brothers Panchanan Sarkar and Gopinath Sarkar both were heavily involved in politics and bureaucracy and acquired Taluks/Tehsils as well. Panchanan Sarkar was an official in the administration of Maulavi Barkatulla Khan, who was a Zamindar in Sarkar Bajuha. These taluks were officially approved by Maharajadhiraj Ramkrishna Bahadur of Natore, Nawab Siraj Ud Doulah and other Nawabs of Murshidabad. His estates (Taluks) were acknowledged in the Panchasana Settlement ( system of five-yearly inspections and temporary tax farmers) of Warren Hastings and later in the Permanent settlement (1790 - 1800) of Lord Cornwallis during the early British colonial period.
I received a handwritten document preserved in my family with some details of my ancestry. It was written about 100 years back. According to this document, Ramdhan Sarkar donated the decorative golden mundamala of Goddes kali of the Kalighat, Kolkata.
Ramdhan Sarkar lived in Baghra and his house was on the south bank of the Kamdev deghee. He died at the age of 90 years.
Ramdhan had 3 son -Bhola Nath, Boida Nath and Sambhu Nath or Banuram. Bholanath was a scholar and proficient in the Persian language (the official language of Muslim court). He, for a brief period, worked in the Agartala raj estate as Rent Collector.