PRESENT RULER: Maharaja PRASANTA RAY, 8th and present Zamindar of Kasimbazar since 1952.

married Maharani Suparna Ray fl.1995

PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: One of the biggest zamindaris of Bengal, also known as Cossimbazar or Qasim Bazar. Estate holders were....

• Shri Dewan KRISHNAKANTHA NANDY, 1st Zamindar of Kasimbazar 1772/1778, founder of the Kasimbazar Raj, he was more commonly known as Kanta Babu, originally a grocer, then a trader of multiple commodities like silk, salt and cotton and finally a banian to Warren Hastings, Kanta Babu began his landed career with the acquisition of the Baharbund pargana (now mainly Gaibandha and Kurigram districts), married and had issue. He died in 1794 (or 1778).

  • Maharaja Lokenath Rai Bahadur (qv)

• Maharaja LOKENATH Rai Bahadur, 2nd Zamindar of Kasimbazar 1778/1804, extended the zamindari to many other parts of Bengal, he was granted the title of Maharaja by the Nawab Nazim of Murshidabad in 1792; married and had issue. He died in 1804 (1818).

  • Raja Harinath Rai Bahadur (qv)

COURT OF WARDS 1804/1820

• Raja HARINATH Rai Bahadur, 3rd Zamindar of Kasimbazar 1804/1832, he was granted the title of Raja Bahadur by Lord Amherst in 1825; married Rani Harasundari, and had issue. He died 1832 (1835).

  • Raja Krishnanath Rai Bahadur (qv)

  • Rajkumari Gobinda Sundari, married Sri (name unknown), died 1872, and had issue. She died 1862.

    • Sri (name unknown), died 1873.

    • Maharaja Sir Manindra Chandra Nandy (qv)

COURT OF WARDS 1832/1840

• Raja KRISHNANATH Rai Bahadur, 4th Zamindar of Kasimbazar 1832/1844, born 1822, the zamindari was managed by the Court of Wards from 1833 to 1841, he was educated privately by English and Indian tutors, and became fluent in the English language; he purchased a printing press in 1838 and on the 10th May 1840, the first Bengali newspaper outside Calcutta, appeared under his patronage; Member of the Landholders’ Society; he was granted the title of Raja Bahadur in 1841, married 1838, Rani Swarnamoyi [aka Saran Mai](qv), and had issue, two daughters. He either died spm on 1st November 1844 or committed suicide on 31st October 1848 while in a state of temporary insanity.

  • Kumari Lakshmi Devi

  • Kumari Saraswati Devi

COURT OF WARDS 1844/1847

• Maharani Swarnamoyi Devi C.I., 5th Zamindarani of Kasimbazar 1844/1897, born 1827 in Batakul village, Burdwan District, she was a philanthropist having donated many sums of money for important construction projects, including the the Swarnamoyee Waterworks, the Calcutta Chandni Hospital in 1871, and the Native Hospital in 1872, as well as for a hostel to provide accommodation for female medical students at Calcutta Medical College, she donated to various other schools, colleges and institutions as well as donating 30 bighas of land for the construction of Berhampore College in 1851 and donating all of the land for Shibpur Bengal Engineering College; she was granted the title of Maharani as a personal distinction on 11th August 1871 ^(#1), awarded the Order of the Crown of India on 14th August 1878 in recognition of her charitable work, married and had issue, two daughters. She died 25th August 1897.

• Maharaja Sir MANINDRA CHANDRA NANDY Bahadur K.C.I.E., 6th Zamindar of Kasimbazar 1897/1929, a philanthropist and reformist in the period of the Bengal Renaissance; born 29th May 1860, he succeeded to the position of zamindar of Cossimbazar on 25th August 1897; Education: Hindu School. Chairman, Berhampur Municipality, 1900-1915; Chairman, Murshidabad District Board since 1922; Honorary Fellow of Calcutta University; President, All India Hindu Sabha; President, Bengal Landholders' Association, 1918/1920; President, British Indian Association, Calcutta, 1922, 1923 and 1929. President, Murshidabad Association, since 1897; President, All India Exhibitions, Calcutta, 1918 and 1922; Member, Indian Legislative Council, 1913-1921; Member, Council of State, since 1921; founder of a Chair in the Benares Hindu University and one of Science in Sir Jagadis Chandra Bose Laboratory in Calcutta; takes a keen interest in public and political affairs, and is a munificent patron of education, agriculture, literature, art, music, science and development of home industries; he contributed for the construction of The Calcutta Medical School and College of Physicians and Surgeons of Bengal in 1904, he donated money to the Daulatpur College and to Rangpur College and in 1914, he contributed to the Medical College and Hospital for Women and the Nurses Training Institute in New Delhi; Publications: Upasana; B.S. Panjika; The Indian Medicinal Plant; A History of Indian Philosophy; Great Baisnava Granthas; Part 10 of Sree Matbhagbat; Fundamental Unity of India; History of Indian Shipping and Indian Maritime Activity; he was granted the title of Maharaja on 30th May 1898 and was Knighted in 1915; K.C.I.E. [cr. 2.6.1915], married in 1877, Maharani Kashishwari of Jabagram, Burdwan, and had issue, three sons and two daughters. He died 12th November 1929.

  • Kumar Mohim Chandra Nandy, died in 1906.

  • The Hon. Maharaja Srish Chandra Nandy (qv)

  • Kumar Kirti Chandra Nandy.

• The Hon. Maharaja SRISH CHANDRA NANDY M.A., 7th Zamindar of Kasimbazar 1929/1952, born 1897 ^(#3), educated at Calcutta University (M.A., 1920), Minister, Government of Bengal in charge of Irrigation, Communications and Works, 1936-1941; had presided over several All-India Conferences; Member, Bengal Legislative Council since 1924 and Congress Assembly Party, West Bengal; Minister in the Cabinet of Aq Fazlul Huq 1937/1942; President, All India Music Conference, Calcutta University Institute (Fine Arts Section); President and Trustee, Bangiya Sanhitya Parishad; Trustee, Indian Museum; Life Member, Viswa Bharati; President, Giverning Body, Krishnath College, Berhampur and Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Calcutta; Patron Mohan Bagan Club; President, Bengal Lawn Tennis Asociation; President, Bengal Table Tennis Association; Vice-President, Calcutta South-Club; President, British Indian Association; President, Automobile Association of Bengal; President, Ramkrishna Sisumangal Pratisthan, Calcutta; Chairman, Board of Directors, Manindra Mills Ltd. and Cossimbazar Coal and Mineral Co. Ltd. etc.; Director, Bengal Potteries Ltd. and Rajgaon Stone Co. Ltd. etc.; Maharaja Cossimbazar China Clay Mines, Singhbhum and Maharaja Cossimbazar Stone Works, Nalhati etc.; author of Bengal Rivers and Our Economic Welfare, Flood and Its Remedy, Monopathy etc.; married 1917, Maharani Nilima Devi, second daughter of Raja Promoda Nath Roy, Zamindar of Dighapatia, and had issue. He died 1952.

  • Maharajkumar Somendra Chandra Nandy M.A., born 1928 ^(#2), educated at Calcutta University (M.A., 1950), President Governing Body, Krishnath College, Berhampur, Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Calcutta, Krishnath College School, Berhampur, Maharani Kasiswari Girls' School, Berhampur, Manindra Chandra Vidyapith, Saidabad, Maharaja Srischandra Girls' School, Saidabad; President, Central Calcutta Rifle Club; Member, British Indian Association; Director, Bengal Potteries Ltd., Rajgaon Stone Co. Ltd., C.B. Syndicate; Proprietor, Maharaja Cossimbazar China Clay Mines, Singhbhum, Maharaja Cossimbazar Stone Works, Nalhati. (Sreepur Palace,P.O. Cossimbazar Raj, Murshidabad, Bengal, India and Cossimbazar House, 302 Upper Circular Road, Calcutta 9, India)

• Maharaja PRASANTA RAY, 8th and present Zamindar of Kasimbazar (see above)

OTHER MEMBERS:

• Maharaja Ashutosh Nath Roy, ?Zamindar of Kasimbazar 1847/-, married and had issue.

  • Maharani Jyotirmoyi Devi, married Maharaja Kshaunish Chandra Ray Bahadur of Nadia.