page_title: Nagvanshis of Chotanagpur
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Nagvanshis of Chotanagpur / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Map of Lower Bengal in 1870. Source data: Survey of India 1:253k (Perry-Castenada Map Library, Univ of Texas), India 1:1M, Imperial Gazetteer of India 1:4M (Digital South Asia Library, Univ of Chicago).
context_page_description: The Nagvanshis of Chotanagpur, was an Indian dynasty which ruled the Chota Nagpur plateau region. Chotanagpur Zamindari was one of many Zamindari estate in the era of the British Raj, in former Bihar Province from 1817 to 1947. Lal Chintamani Sharan Nath Shahdeo was last ruling king of the dynasty, until the estate was merged to the Republic of India.
context_section_description: According to "Nagvanshavali", Phani Mukut Rai was founder of Nagvanshi dynasty in 1st century. However the story mostly considered to be a myth.
  In 12th century, Raja Bhim Karn was ruling from Khukhragarh. There are several ancient palaces, temples, coins and pottery remains found in these places. The remains of the idol of the Sun Temple have been found near Pithoria in Ranchi district and they have been dated to the 12th Century AD. Sometime between 1098-1113, the Nagvanshis began ruling from Khukhragarh and Mirza Nathan refers to the region as Khokhradesh. In 1585, There was mughal invasion during reign of Raja Madhu Singh. He became a tributary to the Mughals.   Raja Durjan Sal was taken to Prison in Agra for withdrawal of his relationship with Mughals, later he was released for identifying real diamonds. He built palaces, temples and ponds in Navratangarh. Raja Raghunath Shah(1665-1706) was a tributary to the Mughals. During his reign, Raghunath Shah built several temples, including Madan Mohan temple in Boera and Jagannath temple. He was succeeded by his son Yadunath Shah (1706 - 1724).
  In 1719, during the reign of Emperor Muhammad Shah, Sarbuland Khan was appointed as the Subedar of Bihar Province. He first settled the Pargana of Sher and Sherghati under Irja Agoury. They proceeded towards the hills. Raja Yadunath Shah, to whom the ghatwal of Palamu, Ramgarh and Badam were subjects, sent Bedman Das Thakur as his agent and agreed to pay Rs. One Lakh as Nazrana. After this Mughal invasion, Yadunath Shah shifted the capital from Navratangarh to Palkot upon realising the weakness of the capital from a defensibility point of view. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Shivnath Shah(1724-1733). Due to non-payment of tribute, Fakhr-ud-daula invaded Khokhra in 1731. He faced considerable resistance from the Raja of Khokhra but both parties reached a compromise. The Subedar received Rs 12,000 from Ghatwal of Ramgarh on the account of Nagvanshi raja and Rs 5000 from Ghatwal of Palamu. When Fakhr-ud-daula was removed from the post of Subedar of Bihar Suba in 1733, the Khokhra chief discontinued payment of tribute to Mughals. Nagvanshi were independent during weak Mughal rule.
  After the Battle of Buxar, the East India Company got the right to collect revenue from Bihar, Bengal and Odisha. In 1772, Nagvanshi became a vassal of British rule. 
  Between 1795 to 1800, Maratha invaded Chotanagpur and looted and collected revenue forcefully. The British stationed military forces at Chotanagpur to check the incursions of Marathas. Due to rebellion, refusal of payment of revenue by subordinate Jagirdar and Zamindar under Nagvanshi king, Chotanagpur was brought under direct control by British East India company in 1817 and  they reduced Nagvanshi rulers to Zamindars. The Nagvanshi rulers shifted their capital from Palkot to Ratu in 1870.
  The last ruler of Nagvanshi dynasty was Lal Chintamani Sharan Nath Shahdeo(1931 – 2014). Zamindari was abolished after independence of India in 1952.
caption: Chotanagpur in the map of Lower Bengal in 1870
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