Mallabhum

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Mallabhum (Hindi: मल्लभूम, Bengali: মল্লভূম)) (Mallabhoom was the kingdom ruled by the Malla kings of Bishnupur, primarily in the present Bankura district in West Bengal.

Jat clan

• Malla

History

It is told that Mallabhum is the territory, which included Bankura, a part of Burdwan, Birbhum, Santhal Parganas, Midnapur and also a part of Purulia. The Malla Rajas ruled over the vast territory in the south-western part of present West Bengal and a part of southeastern Jharkhand.

The area around Bishnupur was called Mallabhum. The core area would cover present day Bankura police station area (excluding Chhatna), Onda, Bishnupur, Kotulpur and Indas. In olden days the term was used for a much larger area, which probably was the furthest extent of the Bishnupur kingdom. In the north it stretched from Damin-i-koh in Santhal Parganas to Midnapore in the south. It included the eastern part of Bardhaman and included parts of Chota Nagpur in the west.

According to O'Malley, the Rajas of Bishnupur were also known as Malla kings. Malla is a Sanskrit word meaning wrestler but there could be some links with the Mal tribes of the area, who had intimate connection with the Bagdis.

From around 7th century AD till around the advent of British rule, for around a millennium, history of Bankura district is identical with the rise and fall of the Hindu Rajas of Bishnupur. The legends of Bipodtarini Devi are associated with Malla Kings of Bishnupur.

Malla calendar

Malla's started their own calendar that is Malla era (Mallabda). It is told that Malla era started from Indra Dwadasi day in the year 102 Bengali calendar of the month Bhadro (August- September).

Sl. No.	Name of the king	Gregorian calendar	Bengali calendar	Malla calendar	Regime (year)
1	Adi (Raghunath) Malla	694	102	1	16
2	Jay Malla	710	117	16	10
3	Benu Malla	720	127	26	13
4	Kinu Malla	733	140	39	9
5	Indra Malla	742	149	48	15
6	Kanu (Kalu/Kalu) Malla	757	164	63	7
7	Dha (Jhau) Malla	764	171	70	11
8	Shur Malla	775	182	81	20
9	Kanak Malla	795	202	101	12
10	Kandarpa Malla	807	214	113	21
11	Sanatan Malla	828	235	134	13
12	Kharga Malla	841	248	147	21
13	Durjan (Durjay) Malla	862	269	168	44
14	Yadav Malla	906	313	212	13
15	Jagannath Malla	919	326	225	12
16	Birat Malla	931	338	237	15
17	Mahadev Malla	946	353	252	31
18	Durgadas Malla	977	384	283	17
19	Jagat Malla(Jagannath)	994	401	300	13
20	Ananta Malla	1007	414	313	8
21	Rup Malla	1015	422	321	14
22	Sundar Malla	1029	436	335	24
23	Kumud Malla	1053	460	359	21
24	Krishna Malla	1074	481	380	10
25	Rup II (Jhap) Malla	1084	491	390	13
26	Prakash Malla	1097	504	403	5
27	Pratap Malla	1102	509	408	11
28	Sindur Malla	1113	520	419	16
29	Sukhomoy(Shuk) Malla	1129	536	435	13
30	Banamali Malla	1142	549	448	14
31	Yadu/Jadu Malla	1156	563	462	11
32	Jiban Malla	1167	574	473	13
33	Ram(Kshetra) Malla	1185	592	491	24
34	Gobinda Malla	1209	616	515	31
35	Bhim Malla	1240	647	546	23
36	Katar(Khattar) Malla	1263	670	569	32
37	Pritwi Malla	1295	702	601	24
38	Tapa Malla	1319	726	625	15
39	Dinabandhu Malla (Dinu)	1334	741	640	11
40	Kinu/Kanu II Malla	1345	752	651	13
41	Shur Malla II	1358	765	664	12
42	Shiv Singh Malla	1370	777	676	37
43	Madan Malla	1407	814	713	13
44	Durjan II (Durjay) Malla	1420	827	726	17
45	Uday Malla	1437	844	743	23
46	Chandra Malla	1460	867	766	41
47	Bir Malla	1501	908	807	53
48	Dhari Malla	1554	961	860	11
49	Hambir Malla Dev (Bir Hambir)	1565	972	871	55
50	Dhari Hambir Malla Dev	1620	1027	926	6
51	Raghunath Singha Dev	1626	1033	932	30
52	Bir Singha Dev	1656	1063	962	26
53	Durjan Singha Dev	1682	1089	988	20
54	Raghunath Singha Dev ll	1702	1109	1008	10
55	Gopal Singha Dev	1712	1119	1018	36
56	Chaitanya Singha Dev	1748	1155	1054	53
57	Madhav Singha Dev	1801	1208	1107	8
58	Gopal Singha Dev ll	1809	1216	1115	67
59	Ramkrishna Singha Dev	1876	1283	1182	9
	Dwhaja Moni Devi	1885	1292	1191	4
60	Nilmoni Singha Dev	1889	1296	1195	14
	No King	1903	1310	1209	14
61	Kalipada Singha Thakur	1930 - 1983	1337 - 1390	1236 - 1289	53

References

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