brdhaman

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Based on the provided text regarding the Bardhaman kingship and its ritual organization, here are three key points summarized:

1. Interdependence within the Temple Ritual System

The ritual system of the Jogadya temple is built upon a complex web of relationships between four primary parties:

• The Maharaja, who holds supreme authority and funds temple sacrifices.

• The dominant landholding caste.

• The Brahman priests.

• The service castes.

  These groups are linked through interdependent (and often asymmetrical) relationships such as jajman–priest and patron–service, effectively blending kingship, caste, and ritual organization.

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2. Evolution of Power: From Zamindar to Maharaja

The Bardhaman royal family began as zamindars (landlords) in the village of Baikunthapur during the late Mughal period. Their influence expanded rapidly across western Bengal, eventually becoming the largest zamindari in Bengal by the start of British rule. Under the Permanent Settlement of 1793, they solidified their status as one of the most powerful royal families in British India, maintaining control until the Estate Acquisition Act of 1953.

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3. Legal and Social Authority over Land

The kings of Bardhaman exercised dual authority as both political "protectors" and landlords. They maintained a zamindar–raiyat (landlord–tenant) relationship with village landholders, a structure codified under the Bengal Tenancy Act (1885). This system ensured that the royal family remained in possession of vast estates and dictated the social and economic roles of the local population for centuries.