PRESENT RULER: Raja DEVASISH ROY, 51st Chakma Raja since 1971.

born 1959, he was installed as Chakma Raja, after his father opted to remain in Pakistan in 1971, with his uncle as Regent till 1977; he is a lawyer by profession and has served as a Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh with the rank and status of a State Minister during the 2006-2008 Bangladesh political crisis, he was in charge of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs and the Ministry of Forest and Environment; he served in the interim caretaker government in 2008; as per constitutional norms and practices of the country, at the end of each term, an interim neutral caretaker government takes over to oversee free and fair elections to hand-over power to the next elected politicians; married Rani Tatu Roy, born 1963/1964, died 1998, and has issue.

• Rajkumar Tribhuvan Aryadev Roy, born 1990, declared Crown Prince in 2003.

• Rajkumari Ayetri Aradhan Roy, born 1994.

PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: Founded in the 11th century. Scholars differ on the origin and history of Chakma. One popular view among the Chakma is that their ancestors once lived in Champoknagar, although opinions differ as to its location. According to oral history the Chakma left Champoknagar for Arakan in Burma where they lived for about 100 years. They had to leave Arakan for Bangladesh in or around the sixteenth century, when Bangladesh was governed by Muslim rulers, before the arrival of the British. On their arrival in Bangladesh the Chakma chiefs made a business contract with the Muslim rulers, promising to pay revenue or tax in cotton. In return they were allowed to live in the hill region and engage in trade with the larger society. By the late eighteenth century, British authorities had established themselves in the southeastern districts of Bangladesh. The British formally recognized a definite territory of the Chakma raja (the paramount chief). In 1776, Sherdoulat Khan became the Chakma raja. He fought unsuccessfully against the British. Further fighting between the Chakma and the British took place between 1783 and 1785. In 1787, Raja Janbux Khan, son of Sherdoulat Khan, made a peace treaty with the British government, promising to pay the latter 500 maunds of cotton. The British recognized the office of Chakma raja throughout the rest of their rule. Different Chakma rajas maintained good relations with the authorities of central administration and the Chakma increasingly came in contact with the Bengali people and culture. Chakma was incorporated into East Pakistan on 15th August 1947. Rulers were....

• Raja CHAMAN KHAN, Chakma Raja 1650/1700

• Raja JALOL KHAN, Chakma Raja 1700/1715

• Raja FATEH KHAN, Chakma Raja 1715/1737, married and had issue.

  • Raja Shermust Khan (qv)

• Raja SHERMUST KHAN, Chakma Raja 1737/1757

• Raja SUKHDEV ROY, Chakma Raja 1757/1776, married and had issue.

  • Generation

    • Raja Sher Dowlat Khan (qv)

• Raja SHERDOULAT KHAN, Chakma Raja 1776/1782, married and had issue. He was assasinated in 1782.

  • Raja Janbux Khan (qv)

• Raja JANBUX KHAN, Chakma Raja 1782/1800, married and had issue.

  • Raja Tabbar Khan (qv)

  • Raja Jabbar Khan (qv)

• Raja TABBAR KHAN, Chakma Raja 1800/1801

• Raja JABBAR KHAN, Chakma Raja 1801/1812

• Raja DHARAM BUX KHAN, Chakma Raja 1812/1832, he was confirmed in his title of Raja by the British Government; married Rani Kalindi (qv), died 1874. He died 1832.

• Shuklal Dewan, appointed Manager in 1832, but was deposed later the same year.

• Rani Kalindi, Chakma Rani 1832/1874, a great ruler, she was considered perhaps the greatest Chakma queen ^(#1), married Raja Dharam Bux Khan. She died 1874.

• Raja HARISH CHANDRA Roy Bahadur, Chakma Raja 1874/1885; born 1841, he transferred his capital from Raja Nagar of Rangunia to Rangamati in 1874; he was granted the title of Roy Bahadur by the British; married and had issue. He died 1885.

  • Raja Bhuvan Mohan Roy (qv)

COURT OF WARDS 1885/1897

• Raja BHUVAN MOHAN ROY, Chakma Raja 1885/1934, born 1876, died 1934.

• Raja NALINAKSHA ROY, Chakma Raja 1934/1952, born 1902, married Rani Benita Roy (née Sen), Minister of Land Administration and Land Reforms 1975/1976; Minister of Relief and Rehabilitation 1976/1978; daughter of Dr. Saral Chandra Sen (see Sen family), and his wife, Nirmala Devi Sen, and had issue. He died 7th October 1951.

  • Rajkumari Amiti Roy, born 11th January 1932, married and has issue, two sons and two daughters.

  • Raja Tridiv Roy (qv)

  • Rajkumar Samit Roy, born 24th August 1942/1943, Regent of the Chakma Kingdom for his nephew 1971/1977, married and had issue, one son and two daughters. He died 2008.

  • Rajkumari Moitri Roy, born 10th April 1945, married and has issue, one daughter.

  • Rajkumari Rajashree Roy [Rakhi], born 31st August 1949, married 6th September 1977 at Rangamati, Maharajkumar Shri Jayasinhji Mayurdhwajsinhji Jhala [Jawahir Dev Sahib] of Dhrangadhra, and has issue, two daughters.

  • Rajkumar Nandit Roy, born 1st September 1951, married and has issue. (Wangza House, Rajbari Road, Rangamati)

    • Dr. Lumbini Roy

    • Vaskar Roy

• His Excellency Major (Hon.) Raja TRIDIV ROY, Chakma Raja 1952/1971, born 14th May 1933, installed as Chakma Raja on 2nd March 1953; he left Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) about a month before (November) the Indo-Pakistan war broke out (3rd December) and Bangladesh became independent on 16th December 1971; in his absence, his younger brother Rajkumar Samit Roy was appointed Regent and later on his son Rajkumar Devasish Roy took over as Raja with his blessings; he served as a Federal Minister in the Government of Pakistan; he served as Ambassador to Argentina and several neighbouring countries; he was conferred the emblems of the Sri Lankan Ranjana National Award; leader of the All Pakistan Buddhist Association; author of 'The Departed Melody', a book on the history and culture of the people of the Hill Tracts and the Chakma Rajas; married 1953, Rani Arati Roy, and has issue, three sons and two daughters.

  • Rajkumari Chandra Kalindi Roy, born 23rd November 1956, married John Bernard Henricksen, and has issue, a daughter.

  • Raja Devasish Roy (qv)

  • Rajkumar Sivasish Roy, born 20th September 1961, married Monalisa Roy, and has issue, two daughters.

  • Rajkumar Indrasish Roy, born 18th July 1963, unmarried.

  • Rajkumari Triveni Roy, born 25th February 1966, married to Pavel Khisa, and has issue, two sons.

• Raja DEVASISH ROY (see above)