Kedar Ray

Maharaja Kedar Dev Ray Maharaja Kedar Dev Ray of Bikrampur
Maharaja of Bikrampur
Born	1561 Bikrampur, Bengal, Indian subcontinent (present-day Bangladesh)
Died	1616
Issue	Chand Deb Ray Sôrnomoyi Debi
Father	Jadob Deb Ray

Kedar Dev Ray (Template:Lang-bn) (1561–1616 CE) was the Maharaja of Bikrampur, and among the most prominent of the Baro-Bhuyan in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, who fought against the Mughal Empire. He is notable for his military resistance against the expansionism of the Mughal Empire and was known for his participation in more than six massive battles with Mughals and their Rajput slaves. He ruled over a vast area in Eastern Bengal, which, at its zenith encompassed the districts of Dhaka, Mymensingh, Noakhali, Comila, Syhlet and lower Assam.

Early life

File:বিক্রমপুরে কেদার রায়ের প্রাচীন ভিটের ধ্বংসাবশেষ.jpg

Ruins of the Palace of Moharaja Kedar Deb Ray in Bikrampur

Kedar Dev was born to a Ghritakaushik gotriya Bangaj Moulik Kayastha family in the legendary Deva dynasty of Bengal. He was the King of Bikrampur and one of the renowned Baro-Bhuyans of Bengal. He was the son of Jadob Dev. His capital was at Shripur on the banks of the Kaliganga River.

Battles against Conquistadors

In the later half of the 15th century, the rich fertile soil of Bengal faced invasions from 4 major world powers, Mogol, Pathans, Portuguese Conquistadors who were at the peak of their piracy spree and the Arakanese invaders.

Little do people know about that the Portuguese, who plundered the whole world, were not just defeated in Bay of Bengal, as a result of successful night-time raids to their Armada (was called Harmad by local Bengali villagers). They also fought as mercenaries. Dreaded Portuguese leader Antonio Carvalho, Domingo Carvalho are some of them.

1st battle against Mogol-Rajputs

There is an island Called Sandwip which was in the midst of two front battle because it had salt in abundance.

In a battle with Mogols in that Island, Mogols lay siege but were beaten back by Kedar Ray.

Battles against Arakanese

Following another battle in which the Arakanese Sultan Salim Shah sent 150 Ships but they too were defeated by Kedar Ray and 140 of their Ships were captured intact.

But the 3rd battle was gigantic, in which 1000 ships were sent, badly outnumbered by the enemies, Kedar Ray used his Portuguese reinforcements. With these reinforcements and Kedar Ray's skillful handling of the situation alongside Domingo Carvalho, the Arakanese Sultan Salim Shah faced a massive defeat.

This naval battle was the biggest and bloodiest in the history of Bengal and definitely one of the biggest in the history of India in terms of number of soldiers, ships & amount of ammunitions.

2nd battle against Mogol-Rajputs

After their defeat near Sandwip Island, Mirza Man Singh invaded Shripur again with a vast army. A battle took place near Kalindi River in which the Mogol army lay crushed and Man Singh retreaded with the survivors.

Heros of that battle were Senapoti Kalidas Dhali and Roghunôndon Das.

3rd battle against Mogol-Rajputs

In the next battle, Mirza Man Singh assembled an army under Mirza Kilmaq Khan and threw them to battle but the result was same as the two previous battles, disastrous defeat of Mogols.

Kilmaq Khan was captured in that battle & executed.

4th battle against Mogol-Rajputs

Facing 3 straight humiliating defeats, Mirza Man Singh resorted to trickery. He struck an alliance with the ruler of Sushunga Kingdom, Roghunath Singho and invaded Shripur again with fresh reinforcements from central command. While it seemed Mogols again would fail to achieve any breakthrough, Roghunath Singho attacked Kedar Ray's flank. Battle raged for 9 days as both sides suffered losses.

War of Words

War of words between Maharaja Kedar Dev Ray and Mirza Man Singh Kachhawa before the battles for Bikrampur began.

Man Singh, the commander of Mughal forces in late 16th century, sent a letter to Kedar Ray demanding that he either flee or pledge vassalage to the Mughals, otherwise he'd invade Bikrampur like a lion.

त्रिपुरा मग बंगाली, काक कुली चकाली

सभी पुरुषमेतत भागी जाओ पलाई

हय-गज-नर-नॉका कम्पिता बंगभूमि

बिषम समर सिंहो मानसिंहश्चयाति ।।

To which Kedar Ray responded by saying "A king, who works as a mercenary for another king, can't be a lion even if he's an animal".

भिनति नित्यं करिराज कुंभं

विभृति बेगं पबनातिरेकं

करोति वासं गिरिराज शृंगे

तथापि सिंह: पशुरेब नान्य: ।।

Even though his kingdom was being invaded by the Arakanese raiders again and again, he challenged Mughals to fight him on the battle field.

Mughals were defeated thrice. Two of the frontline Mughal commanders Manda Rai & Kilmaq Khan was killed and Man Singh was forced to flee from Sandip Island.

Relationship with other Baro-Bhuiyans

Kedar Ray maintained friendly relations with Isa Khan Masnad-i-Ala and fought against the Mogols in alliance with him. Ralph Fitch, an Elizabethan envoy to Akbar's court, mentions that when he visited the city of Sripur (1586) the king was in rebellion against Akbar. Kedar Ray allied himself with the Afghan chiefs of the family of Qutlu Khan Lohani who had carved out a state in Orissa. He in cooperation with Khwaja Sulaiman Khan Lohani captured the Bhusona Fortress (1593) from its imperial commandant and kept it under his control till at least 1596 when an imperial force under Mirja Durjan Singh invaded the fort. A sudden gunpowder burst inside the fort during the siege killed Sulaiman Lohani and wounded Kedar Ray who fled and took shelter with Isa Khan at Sonargaon (June 1596).

Good relationship with Arakanese

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Ruins of Fatehjangpur Fort, Shariyatpur, Bangladesh

In 1602, the imperial General Mirza Man Singh sent a detachment against Kedar Ray who was, however, induced to promise loyalty to Emperor Akbar. In 1603, a large fleet of the Môghs of Arakan invaded the Dhaka waters, and launched a severe attack on the Mogol fortress at Trimohoni. But they were chased by a Mogol force with heavy casualties. Kedar Ray now joined the Môghs with his own fleet and attacked the Mughal outpost of Srinagar.

Kedar Dey vs Isa Khan

So called alliance between Kedar Ray and Isa Khan turned into animosity as Isa Khan abducted Kedar's widow niece Swornomoyee. Rattled by this, Kedar Ray invaded Isha khan's capital, tearing down the Kalagachhia Fortress and other forts one after another up until his death in 1599. Frightened by Kedar Ray's attack, Isa Khan soon fled to Medinipur. Kedar Ray continued to occupy the zamindari of Isa Khan. In Medinipur again Isa Khan was attacked by Pratapaditya and fled to Orissa. Finally He died there.

Legacy

The ancestral home of the family of Kedar Ray at Ara Phulbaria can still be located at an elevated landmass known as Kedar Bari. There still exists a dighi excavated by Kedar Ray, and another dighi of the time of his elder brother Chand Ray known as 'Keshab Mayer Dighi' named after a maiden of Chand Ray. The most outstanding relic of the Sripur Raj is the lofty Rajbari Math, a prominent landmark for miles around on the left bank of the river Padma, situated at a short distance from where the city of Sripur formerly began.