A Liberal Hindu Aristocrat Maharajadhiraja Rameshwara Singh of Darbhanga (1860-1929): (Correspondence, Speeches and other Documents - Vol.1)

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Soon after creating the Trust (Maharajadhiraja Kameshwar Singh Kalyani Foundation) in 1988, Maharaniadhirani Kam Sundari Saheba (the surviving wife of the late Kameshwar Singh - the last Maharajadhiraja of Darbhanga) donated the entire collection of books, records, photographs, etc., which she had brought to her new house (Kalyani Niwas) from her Nargona Palace, to the Foundation. In the bundles of these records I found out a number of letters, copies of speeches and some other documents relating to the activities of Rameshwara Singh, the eighteenth Maharaja in line of succession to the gaddi of Darbhanga raj (Khandavala dynasty of Mithila). The Board of Trustees (of the Foundation), then, decided that all such important records should be brought to light in Kameshwar Singh Bihar Heritage Series. The records of Darbhanga raj were preserved and maintained by the Raj Archives (at Darbhanga), which, later, came under the possession of State Archives, Government of Bihar. Some of the records, considered important by Kameshwar Singh, had, however, been kept in his office in Nargona Palace, which were brought to Kalyani Niwas by his wife after the Palace was taken over by the L.N.M.University. The papers preserved in the State Archives (Darbhanga) concerning Rameshwara Singh also deserve to be published. However, considering the constraint of resources it was decided to publish them, if possible, later in the second volume. This (first) volume contains only those records which are preserved in the library of the Foundation.

Why should such documents concerning the activities of a great zamindar of Bihar in the colonial period be published today? One may argue that the publication of these documents can help in the preparation of the biography of Maharajadhiraja Rameshwara Singh. But, history based on the biographies of 'great' men lost its plausibility long time back. However, the approach in favour of exploring and analysing the knowledge of and about the ignored, "the overlooked, the discouraged and the prohibited" in history seems to be quite visible today. It is not only the "domain of thought and initiative" of the subaltern classes or groups, that remained ignored in Indian history, but the contributions and views of some of those who belonged to the elite category in the colonial period were also overlooked and ignored.

Rameshwara Singh besides being the owner of the largest zamindari in the country held very important positions in the social, political and economic affairs of India until his death in 1929 and made significant contributions to different sectors of society without, of course, having any formal connection with the Congress Party. But, all the efforts and activities of this Bihari noble were either undermined or completely ignored after independence. In the nationalist historiography, the activities and contributions of eminent and charismatic leaders of the Congress party were chiefly narrated. Though his generous grants to various institutions were appreciated by the Congress, it (Congress) considered him to be simply very orthodox always remaining concerned with (Hindu) religious issues and Zamindari interests. This image of Rameshwara Singh, it seems, was widely projected and, consequently, perhaps, historians found it of little interest to explore and examine what he did and what he stood for.

Therefore, it seems necessary to bring to light the records regarding the role of this man of Bihar in early twentieth century India, the significance of which had been widely recognized in those days at the national level, in order to secure more space to Bihar that it (Bihar) very well deserves particularly in the social history of modern India. Here, it will not be out of place to discuss in brief the cultural situation in Mithila and the socio-economic conditions of Bihar zamindars in the nineteenth century, which, probably, influenced one way or another his mindset. In Bihar, the ryots of large estates, which had been existing since Mughal and/or later Mughal days, were observed to be very much attached to their Zamindars in early nineteenth century and, therefore, the British could not ignore them in the course of making Permanent Settlement of their Zamindaris. This relationship with ryots depended not only on the economic consideration but on the legitimacy of their traditional benevolent practice of undertaking projects for public benefit and giving in gift revenue- free lands to religious institutions and personages. However, it was because of the continuity of this practice after Permanent Settlement in at least some measure and/or because of their lack of competence in managing the affairs of their Zamindaris under colonial governance, most of the Zamindars (particularly of large estates) were in the soup by the mid-nineteenth century.