History of Bagree Rajya: Garhbeta (An Old Book)

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The present volume is a thoroughly revised edition of the "History of Bagree-Rajya" originally published in 1976. Only after that publication, actual location of "BAGRI (as one of the five Provinces of the Kingdom of Vallalasenal was authentically proved before the scholars who had always differed amongst themselves about its location or even existence.
With the help of some most authentic ancient records photostate copies of the original deeds, inscriptions, temples maps, and Images, the author has definitely established in the book that present GARHBETA REGION" was actually the "OLD BAGDI" or "BAGREE"
Now, it occupies a unique place, at present, in analysing (through an additional Chapter in the Second Edition) the modernism at the "Garhbeta Region" in the background of the history of modern Midnapore which gives a survey on its Land and People". viz. situation of the land-geology and soil condition: general condition of the people and their problems: agriculture, industry and trade: language religion and village customs, advent of the middle class and growth of political consclousness of the people: popular movements as also struggle for freedom-in the region of Garhbeta. Thus, the present volume actually covers the complete history of a "so-called Insignificant" but historically important locality in North Midnapore.
Above all, this book deals with two-fold major significance of the place-first. herein the British had to face strong resistance (for the first time in India) at the foundation of their hold since Seventeen Sixties from the peace-loving tribal peasants and their chieftains due to encroachments into their landed interests, and, secondly at the start of the first Freedom-Struggle also (during the SWADESHI/REVOLUTIONARY ERA) the active participation was felt from the common people and the landed gentry" (then turned into Anti-British from Pro-British) of this region as they had become enlightened enough by the "Ideals of Nationalism" preached by different leaders during last three decades of 19th Century, and it continued throughout the whole course of India's Freedom Struggle.

Dr. Gouripada Chatterjee, (b. 1928) obfained his M.A. and LL.B. degrees from the Calcutta University and later Ph D. degree from the Rabindra Bharati University is 1978. He began his career as Lecturer in 1955 and became the Head of History Department at Garhbeta College in 1965; besides, from 1968 to 1985, he served his College in different capacities viz, as Professor-in- Charge and also as Principal (Offg).
Dr. Chatterjee is the author of (1) Midnapore, the Forerunner of India's Freedom Struggle, (1) History of the South-West Bengal. He is now seriously engaged in writing out two more Text-Books for the said Course viz: (1) History of Ancient Greece (499-404 B.C.) and (ii) History of Modern Asia (East Asia and West Asia) as deputed by the Vidyasagar University.
Dr. Chatterjee obtained the Senior Research Fellowship of the U.G C. in 1983 and completed his Post-Doctoral Research Project-Origin. Growth and Achievements of the Bengal Ryot Sabhas till 1947" to be published soon.

As I had been rather compelled to complete the first edition of this book within a very short time and get it printed at a local press due to the urge felt by Acharya Dr. R.C. Majumdar at his very ripe age, it was found that it had been published in a very haphazard way and with a number of glaring printing mistakes.
Of course it received high appreciation from the Acharyadeva himself as also from many other scholars/ researchers. The last advice of the Acharyadeva was to get the second revised and rearranged edition of the book published at the earliest opportunity, but that could not be possible during his life-time, due to heavy pressure of work directly relating to the administration of the college in the capacity of the Principal (offg.) of Garhbeta College and afterwards, in the process of completion of my Post-Doctoral Research Project as the Senior Research Fellow under the University Grants Commission.
However, we are glad to get it so published under the kind auspices of Messrs Mittal Publications, Delhi for which I offer my deep sense of gratitude to them. This volume is thoroughly rearranged and revised one, with the inclusion of a new Chapter on "Modernism at Bagree-Garhbeta Region"-in the background of a short history of the Midnapore district. I hope this would be helpful to the research scholars as well as to the students of history in their studies for the higher classes.

This book deals with the history of a small locality in the district of Midnapore. When I wrote the 'History of Ancient Bengal', I felt the need of authoritative historical account of important localities in different parts of the province. This book is a very good illustration of the great importance of such local histories and the author is to be congratulated upon his authentic historical account of ancient Bagdi, now known as Garhbeta.
According to a very well-known tradition the great King Ballalasena had divided his kingdom into five different provinces, namely, Mithila, Radha, Varendra, Vanga and Bagdi. The first four of these are very well-known, corresponding, respec- tively, to North Bihar, West Bengal, North Bengal and East Bengal. But the name of the fifth, Bagdi, had passed into oblivion and scholars have expressed different views about its location. Most of the scholars located it in the Sundarbans and derived the name Bagdi from Vyaghratati. I disagreed and suggested that it probably represented the Mahal Bagri mentioned by Abul Fazl in the Ain-i-Akbari in North Midnapore and shown in Rennel's Atlas. To the great credit of the author of this book it must be said that by hard labour he has collected very valuable data from old records which leave no doubt that the Garhbeta region was actually known as Bagdi even in the British period. The location of ancient Bagdi is now definitely settled and this is a very valuable con- tribution to the ancient history of Bengal.