Raja Ramnarain

Summary

Raiyazunnissa Begum’s study of Raja Ramnarain reconstructs the career of a remarkable eighteenth century official and poet who served the Nawab of Bihar during a period of political turbulence. Drawing on Persian chronicles letters and British records the article traces Ramnarain’s rise from a modest clerk to the powerful diwan and later governor of Bihar. Ramnarain was not only a capable administrator but also a gifted poet who wrote under the pen name Mauzun. The paper opens with an overview of his literary achievements noting that his Diwan and collections of letters display his mastery of Persian and his reputation among contemporaries as a man of learning. The focus then shifts to his political career. According to Ghulam Husain’s Seir Mutakherin Ramnarain owed his initial appointment to his father’s connections with Nawab Zainuddin Haibat Jang. Through diligence he became the peshkar accountant and gradually assumed greater responsibilities. The article narrates how Ramnarain governed Patna during the absence of the Nawab when Safdar Jang’s Oudh troops threatened the city in 1742 1743. Ramnarain’s correspondence with Haibat Jang reveals his efforts to mediate between imperial agents and local interests. He warned of the danger posed by marauding soldiers and emphasised the loyalty of the local populace. Later sections recount his fraught relations with the Bengal administration and the East India Company. After the battle of Plassey he initially fell from favour but eventually regained control of his estates. The author analyses letters and contemporary histories to show that accusations of treachery against Ramnarain were politically motivated. In fact he displayed loyalty to his patrons while skilfully negotiating with competing powers. The article also highlights his patronage of learning and his relationships with poets and scholars of Patna and Murshidabad. By examining literary administrative and historical sources the study offers a nuanced portrait of Raja Ramnarain as both an efficient revenue officer and a cultured man of letters. His life illustrates the complexities of provincial politics in eighteenth century India and the cultural symbiosis between administration and literature.