Raja Patni Mal of Benares
Raja Patni Mal was an eminent Hindu personality of Benares who contributed a lot to society through erecting temples, tanks and other public utility structures, like the bridge across the Karamnasa River. Information about his antecedents is far and few but relentless search across varied repositories resulted in some interesting nuggets about this benevolent individual.
An important disclaimer here is that there seem to be more than one person with the name Patni Mal in a period spanning from 1770, when the name appears in the records of the region, to 1844, when the Patni Mal of this article died, and these names appear in records pertaining to regions from Patna to Mathura to Patiala. Found one miser money lender from the Marwari community by that name.[1] Another one named Patni Mal Kayastha residing in the Gurhat mohalla (now Gurhatta per Google Maps) of Patna in the 1770s. This Patni Mal was a scribe from the Kayastha community.[2] There is a Rai Patni Mal mentioned in the records of the EIC dating back to 1769. These are the Treasury accounts of the Subah of Bihar dated from 9th February to 9th March 1769 where it is mentioned that Patni Mal held a Jaghir Sircar which brought in revenue of over Rs 5000.[3] In the Consultation records it is mentioned he was a Mutsuddie[4] of Jaghir Sircar.[5] In an address, in the year 1788, by the inhabitants of Patna to the authorities in London favouring Warren Hastings’s tenure as Governor General of India, one Patni Mal was a signatory under the category of Merchants and Bankers (listed at no. 595). The address dispelled the accusations made against Warren Hastings as being a tyrant and oppressive towards the people of India.[6] Further, the name Patni Mal appears in the documents related to Anglo Maratha conflict. One Patni Mal was the Dewan of Mr Mercer, the Chief of Police at Mathura in early years of 1800. This was during the siege of Bharatpur by the British.[7]
However, the chances are high that the Patni Mal who signed in favour of Hastings in 1788 and the Dewan in Mathura could be our Patni Mal. The one who was the Mutsuddie of Jaghir Sircar could also be our Patni Mal but only if he lived to be a hundred years old or near abouts, and with the information available it seems he did.
The above-mentioned inferences are based on the facts and an assumption. The facts being his involvement in erecting and renovating buildings across a large geographical area, as is described further in the article. And the assumption being that he had a very long life of at least a century since his second son, who fathered four sons, predeceased him and the most convincing fact is that a son of this deceased son, that is Patni Mal’s grandson, Rai Kesho Ram died in 1854, after fathering two sons. Patni Mal passed away in 1844. The gap between the death of the grandfather Patni Mal and his grandson, who already was a father of two sons, is just 10 years.
Some of Patni Mal’s benefactions are listed below:
In 1802, he rebuilt the temple of Dhirgha Vishnu at Manoharpur area of Mathura[8] at the cost of Rs 70,000. [9]
Image Source: F. S. Growse, Mathura: A District Memoir, 3rd Edition (NWP and O Press, 1883)
In the same year, he began construction of a stone tank called Shiv Tal at Mathura[10] which was completed in 1807[11]. It cost him Rs 3 Lakhs.[12] A plaque was placed in one of the walls which had inscriptions in Sanskrit and Persian. Below are the inscriptions with their translations:[13]
“In the holy circuit of Mathura, reverenced by the gods, pure home of the votaries of Siva, is a sacred place, whose virtues are told in the Varaha Purana, inaccessible by men save through the efficacy of virtuous deeds performed in a previous state of existence; chief of all sacred places, giver of special graces: a pellucid lake, whose praises no length of time would suffice fully to tell. After a careful survey and employing the best of architects, who adorned it with tracery of varied design, the ceremony of its donation was performed by Raja Patni Mal through the Brahmans, causing gladness like that which arises from the touch of the foot of Vishnu, rejoicing even gods. In the year of the (4) oceans, the (6) members, the (8) elephants, and the (solitary) moon (that is, Sambat 1864) on Friday, the 10th of the light fortnight of the month Jeth.”
The inscription in Persian and its translation:
“He is the one who is asked for help and who is constantly worshipped. The famous remains of this ancient shrine in the neighbourhood of Mathura, the place of pilgrimage from all six quarters, have now been renewed. When the old buildings of the Siva Tal were restored by that generous and benevolent founder, the goal of good deeds, the bestower of benefits on all the people of the world, the centre of public gratitude, Raja Patni Mal, Bahadur, fountain of excellent virtue; then the year of its construction – for the remembrance of all the world was found to be 1222. Thought (or the poet Zaka) suggested the following tarikh according to the abjad reckoning [illegible] water of life.”
The two maps of Mathura below have Shiv tal marked as Siva Tal in the first and as Patni Mal’s Tank in the second one.
Image Source: F. S. Growse, Mathura: A District Memoir, 3rd Edition (NWP and O Press, 1883)
Image Source: Alexander Cunningham, Archaeological Survey of India: Report for the Year 1871-72, Vol 3 (Calcutta, 1873)
Outside the Shiv Tal tank, there is a small temple which too was built by Patni Mal. It was called Achalesvar.[14] Raja Patni Mal had a house in the Nakarchi tila which he donated to start a school for training female teachers. Patni Mal also built a small temple of Vira-bhadra near the Holi gate in the city of Mathura. Patni Mal had the ambition to rebuild the ancient temple of Kesava Deva for which he had gradually acquired large parcel of land at the site. However, Muslims living in the area for the last two hundred years refused to sell their land for the purpose. Patni Mal had taken the case to the courts as well but lost the case there and consequently he gave up the idea of rebuilding the Kesava Deva Temple. [15]
In 1803, he rebuilt the temple and well of Bharbadeswar (Bharvadeswar?) for Rs 10,000.[16] The temple could not be identified.
In 1804, he constructed a baoli (stepwell) at Jwalamukhi for pilgrims who suffered scarcity of water during their pilgrimage. It took two years to build this baoli and cost Patni Mal Rs 90,000.[17] This temple is located in Himachal Pradesh which means that Patni Mal’s benevolence spread far and wide.
In 1805, he constructed three ghats at Kurukshetra and Lakshmikund near Patiala at an expense of Rs 35,000.[18] This Lakshmikund could be the tank in the Kali Mata temple premises in Patiala. The design looks quite similar to Shiv Tal in Mathura.
In 1806, he spent Rs 90,000 in building several ghats and temples in Haridwar.[19]
In 1809, He built a sarai or Katra of stone near the temple of Radha Ram Thakur in Vrindavan at the cost of Rs 60,000.[20]
In 1810, he spent Rs 50,000 in embellishing the temple of Kalkaji in Delhi.[21]
In 1821, he donated Rs 7,000, for the repair of several religious places in Gaya.[22]
In 1831, the bridge over Karamnasa River was opened to traffic[23] and for the construction of this bridge Patni Mal contributed over Rs 1,00,000.[24] For his selfless contribution to the construction of a much-needed bridge over the Karamnasa River, he was conferred the title of ‘Raja’ by Governor General William Bentinck.[25] The Bridge was designed by James Prinsep[26] and Patni Mal’s son Rai Ram Kishen acted as the superintendent during the construction of this bridge.[27]
A brief description of the construction of bridge is given below:
Coming to his ancestry and descendants, Patni Mal was born into a rich influential family belonging to Bihar. A government publication, states that Patni Mal was a banker based in Benares and was the grandson of Raja Khajaliram, a Subadar and Governor of Patna.[29] In another source, the grandfather’s name is mentioned as Raja Khiyali Ram who was the “Zamindar of Saidabad, Dupera,[30] and other real estates in the Sarun and Tirhoot districts.”[31] The now obscured ward Patni Tola in Varanasi is named after him. [32]
“In 1829, Patni Mal, a wealthy inhabitant of Benares, famous in India for the temples and ghats he built, undertook to complete at his expense the work of Nana Farnavis; he had the sands of the river removed, which covered the old works. We found a general foundation mass 60 feet wide, going from one bank to the other; it is in the form of a kothis 15 feet in dimension, descending through the sand to a clay bank, to a depth of 20 feet. The sands that were in the wells were draqued (drained?), and masonry filling massages (passages?) were encountered at various heights. They were completed with concrete. The building was then built without difficulty, according to a project by Mr. James Princep [sic]: 3 semi-circular arches, 53 feet wide; stacks 13 feet thick; track widths, 25 feet.” [28] Detailed description of the bridge is here.
A family tree of Patni Mal is given below. The names and whatever little details given in the chart are gleaned from several primary and secondary sources.
Rai Bal Govind and Rai Bakshi Ram were sons of Raja Khajaliram[33]or Khiyali Ram.[34] Bal Govind in the early years of the 19th Century filed a suit against Bakshi Ram for division of property left by their father. In 1809, the court divided the property between the two brothers. However, two properties could not be divided – Saidabad and Lawapoor-Narayan, as partitioning these were impossible. The brothers were given joint custody and the revenue collected from these two lands were to be divided equally between the two brothers. In 1810-1811, Bal Govind died. Bakshi Ram died in 1825-26. [35]
Patni Mull died on 17th September 1844, and his elder son Rai Shri Kishan died in 1848. Second son Rai Ram Kishan died in 1842, during his father Patni Mal’s lifetime. Rai Ram Kishen had four sons- Rai Kesho Ram who died in 1854 had two sons Rai Bul Bhudder Dass (Bal Bahadur Dass?) and Rai Baij Nath Dass. Second son Rai Sita Ram, third son Rai Pursotum Dass (who died in 1866 had two sons Rai Murari Dass and Rai Sundar Dass) and Fourth son Rai Bishen Chund. [36]
Patni Mal’s Estate
A banking and trading firm was established by Patni Mal in Benares. He named it after his sons – “Rai Shri Kishan and Rai Ram Kishen.”[37] This firm was no mean banking and trading company as its clients included local chiefs and Rajas to whom hefty loans were given. His clients included Raja of Bettiah, Maharaja of Balrampur, one Raja Koor Singh, Rani of Tikari, Hushmut-un-nissa Begum.[38]
In the early years of the 19th century, Patni Mal bought Jelalpur (could be Jalalpur Maidan near Chunar) village for Rs 5700 from one Bundoo Khan who was given the same village as a reward for his services by the British in the siege of Ramnagar and the fall of the fort of Pateeta.[39] The source which was written in 1877, says that the descendants of Patni Mal continued to own the village. Judiciary records state that Patni Mal owned the taluka of Jelalpur and not just the village. He also owned the taluka of Mahgaon. Patni Mull was given rent free land in Allahabad by Nawab Asif-ud-Daula in the 1789-90.[40] As mentioned before he had a large house in Mathura which he gave away to start a teacher training school for females. In the district of Agra and the city of Agra, too, he possessed large land parcels.[41] He owned a dharmshala at Rajghat in Varanasi, bungalow at Khajuri, villages of Madaon, Baripur and houses at Resham, Katra, Jogyasala and Mohala Chorighaut.[42] Patni Mal also collected revenue from Shahi Pargana, lying north of Bareilly .[43] Rai Ram Kishen and Rai Sir Kishen purchased Lahartara in Benares in a government auction for Rs 31,000 in 1826. [44]
Patni Mal also inherited, apart from many other estates and properties, the rent-free Mauza of Maghawan in Pargana Chamul from his grandfather after successfully proving his ownership in courts against the Collector of Allahabad who had taken possession of the said mauza which was granted to Patni Mal’s grandfather Khiyali Ram in 1767 by Emperor Shah Alam. [45]
Internecine Conflicts
Three generations of Patni Mal’s family had disputes with their siblings for inheritance of land, properties and wealth. Beginning with Bal Govind, Patni Mal’s father, who had a dispute with his brother Bakshi Ram for equitable distribution of family properties which was amicably settled, to the grandchildren getting into long drawn-out litigation for family possessions which began in 1862 with the partition of gold, silver, cash, and houses etc. Patni Mal did not have any problems with his brother Bansi Dhar, but Patni Mal’s sons went on to file a case against Hari Kishen, son of Bansi Dhar for recovery of loan given to Bansi Dhar several years ago. Bansi Dhar was based in Patna[46] while, as already mentioned, Patni Mal set up his base in Benares. In fact, it is recorded that the seed of dissension between the families of the two sons of Patni Mal was laid when a large expense was incurred on the firm’s account for the tonsuring ceremony of Lakshmi Chand, son of Sita Ram, grandson of Rai Ram Kishen in the month of June of 1845.
Later his grandsons, Rai Narsingh Das and Rai Narain Das, sons of Shri Kishen filed cases against each other in the 1870s.[47]
[1] See Charles Raikes, Notes on North Western Provinces of India (London: Chapman and Hall, 1852)
[2] J. F. Blumhardt, Catalogue of the Hindi, Panjabi and Hindustani Manuscripts in the Library of the British Museum (London, 1899)
[3] British Library IOR/G/28/2A
[4] Mutsuddie was a clerk (account-keeper) as mentioned in The Works of the Right Honorable Edmund Burke, Fifth Edition, Volume XII (Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1877)
[5] British Library IOR/G/28/2A.
[6] Minutes of the evidence taken at the trial of Warren Hastings esquire, late governor general of Bengal, at the bar of the House of lords, in Westminster Hall, upon an impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors by the knights, citizens, and burgesses, in Parliament assembled, in the name of themselves, and of all the commons of Great Britain, 1788, Volume 4,
[7] The British Indian Military Repository, January 1824, Volume III, no. V (Calcutta: 1824)
[8] F. S. Growse, Mathura: A District Memoir, 3rd Edition (NWP and O Press, 1883)
[9] Gleanings in Science, October 1831, Volume III, January to December 1831
[10] Ibid.
[11] F. S. Growse, Mathura: A District Memoir, 3rd Edition (Government Press, 1883)
[12] Gleanings in Science, October 1831, Volume III, January to December 1831
[13] F. S. Growse, Mathura: A District Memoir, 3rd Edition (Government Press, 1883)
[14] Ibid.
[15] F. S. Growse, Mathura: A District Memoir, 3rd Edition (NWP and O Press, 1883)
[16] Gleanings in Science, October 1831, Volume III, January to December 1831
[17] Ibid.
[18] Ibid.
[19] Ibid.
[20] Ibid.
[21] Ibid.
[22] Ibid.
[23] Ibid.
[24] Edward Thomas, ed., “Memoir of the Author,” Essays on Indian Antiquities, Historic, Numismatic and Palaeographic of the late James Prinsep, Volume I (London: John Murray, 1858)
[25] “The Grand Trunk Road: Its Localities,” The Calcutta Review, Volume XXI, no. XLI, July – December 1853
[26] William Taylor, Thirty Eight years in India: From Juganath to the Himalaya Mountains (London: W. H. Allen & Co, 1881)
[27] Gleanings in Science, October 1831, Volume III, January to December 1831
[28] Par M. CH. Laboulaye, Complement du Dictionnaire des Arts et Manufactures (Paris: De. E. Lacroix, 1861). Translated by google translator.
[29] F. H. Fisher and J. P. Hewett, Statistical, Descriptive and Historical Account of the North-Western Provinces of India, Volume XIV Part I, Benares (Allahabad: The North-Western and Oude Government Press, 1884)
[30] Saidabad seems to the Saidabad Kanpa in Bihar; Dupera is unidentified.
[31] J. C. C. Sutherland, Reports of Cases Determined in the Court of Sudder Dewanny Adawlut with Tables of the Names of Cases and Principal Matters Vol V (Calcutta: Sreenauth Banerjee and Brothers, 1871)
[32] F. H. Fisher and J. P. Hewett, Statistical, Descriptive and Historical Account of the North-Western Provinces of India, Volume XIV Part I, Benares (Allahabad: The North-Western and Oude Government Press, 1884)
[33] Ibid.
[34] J. C. C. Sutherland, Reports of Cases Determined in the Court of Sudder Dewanny Adawlut with Tables of the Names of Cases and Principal Matters Vol V (Calcutta: Sreenauth Banerjee and Brothers, 1871)
[35] Ibid.
[36] This Rai title has been found in H. J. Tarrant, N. -W. P High Court Reports: Reports of Cases Heard and Determined in the High Court, N.-W. Provinces in 1871 (Allahabad: N.-W. P Government Press, 1873)
[37] Baldev Ram Dave, comp., Privy Council Judgements in Cases Heard and Determined on Appeal from India which are not Reported in Indian Law Reports, 1876-1897 (Allahabad: Indian Press, 1897)
[38] H. J. Tarrant, N. -W. P High Court Reports: Reports of Cases Heard and Determined in the High Court, N.-W. Provinces in 1871 (Allahabad: N.-W. P Government Press, 1873)
[39] Wilton Oldham, Historical and Statistical Memoir of the Ghazeepoor District, Part II, History of Ghazeepoor and the Benares Province from 1781 to 1795 (Allahabad: North Western Provinces Government Press, 1877),
[40] William H. Morely, An Analytical Digest of all the Reported Cases Decided in the Supreme Courts of Judicature in India in the Courts of the Hon. East India Company, and on Appeal from India, By Her Majesty in Council, Together with an Introduction, Notes, Illustrative and Explanatory, and an Appendix. Vol 1 (London: Wm. H. Allen and Co., 1850)
[41] H. F. Evans, Report of the Settlement of the Agra District, North-Western Provinces (Allahabad: NWP and Oudh Press, 1880)
[42] H. J. Tarrant, Reports of Cases Heard and Determined in the High Court, N. -W. Provinces in 1871
[43] S. M. Moens, Report on the Settlement of the Bareilly District, North-Western Provinces (Allahabad: NWP Govt Press, 1874)
[44] Edmund F. Moore, Reports of Cases Heard and Determined by the Judicial Committee and the Lords of Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council on Appeal from the Supreme and Sudder Dewanny Courts in the East Indies, Vol V, 1849-1854 (London: V. & R. Stevens and G. S. Norton)
[45] W.H. Macnaghten, Reports of Cases Determined in the Court of the Sudder Dewanny Adawlut , New Edition, Vol 3, Containing Select cases from 1820 to 1824, Inclusive (Calcutta: Sreenauth Manerjee and Brothers, 1868)
[46] Edmund F. Moore, Reports of Cases Heard and Determined by the Judicial Committee and the Lords of Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council on Appeal from the Supreme and Sudder Dewanny Courts in the East Indies, Vol V, 1849-1854 (London: V. & R. Stevens and G. S. Norton)
[47] Baldev Ram Dave, comp., Privy Council Judgements in Cases Heard and Determined on Appeal from India which are not Reported in Indian Law Reports, 1876-1897 (Allahabad: Indian Press, 1897)
