Kajlagarh or "Sujamutha" was a historic Kingdom ruled by the Mahishya Chowdhury family under the suzerainty of the powerful Hijli state. About nearly 400 hundred years ago the ruling house was founded by one Govardhan Ranajhamp, a local Mahishya chieftain, who was bestowed upon the honorific title Chowdhury, by the Nawab of Hijli, for the military and administrative services he rendered to him.[1] He was succeeded by his subsequent generations such as Madhab Chandra, Sri Narayan, Gopal Narayan, Gorachand et cetera. Mahendra Narayan, his 10th generation descendant is credited with the establishment of the "Nabaratna" and "Rajprasada" in Kajlagarh in 1769 AD. The next king, Debendra Narayan granted lands to many Brahmins and learned scholars, notable among them was Ramkanai Vachaspati. Unfortunately in 1860 AD, due to the absence of male heirs the kingdom was annexed by the Court of Wards,[2] and male heirs from cadet branches were not allowed to succeed, consequently the Zamindari purchased by the Queen Narayan Kumari Devi of Bardhaman Raj. However, the descendants of the royal family still live in the area. [1]
The illustrious poet and play right Dwijendralal Ray, was posted here as a revenue officer for the Court of Wards in the division in 1890. He is said to have penned many plays and poems while he worked here. He was enamoured by the beauty of the region.[2]
Geography
8km 5miles
Alangiri
H
Panchrol
H
Paikbheri
H
Haldi River
Kajlagarh
R
Ramchandrapur
R
Gangadharbar
R
Golara Nij
R
Palpara
R
Kismat Bajkul
R
Tethi Bari
R
Madhabpur
R
Pratapdighi
R
Bhagabanpur
R
Patashpur
R
Hincha Gerya
CT
Benudia
CT
Amarshi Kasba
CT
Egra
M
Cities and towns in Egra subdivision of Purba Medinipur district M: municipal city/ town, CT: census town, R: rural/ urban centre, H: historical/ religious centre. Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly
96.96% of the population of Egra subdivision live in the rural areas. Only 3.04% of the population live in the urban areas, and that is the lowest proportion of urban population amongst the four subdivisions in Purba Medinipur district.[3]
Civic administration
CD block HQ
The headquarters of Bhagabanpur I CD block are located at Kajlagarh.[4]
^McCutchion, David J., Late Mediaeval Temples of Bengal, first published 1972, reprinted 2017, pages 51. The Asiatic Society, Kolkata, ISBN978-93-81574-65-2