Panchanan Barma
Encyclopedia
Panchanan Barma (1865–1935), also known as Thakur Panchanan and Roy Saheb, was a Rajbanshi leader and reformer from Cooch Behar
. He established Kshatriya Sabha in order to inculcate Brahminical values and practices among the people from Rajbanshi community.
Panchanan Barma originally came from a jotedar family of Cooch Behar
. He was born at Khalisamari village in erstwhile Cooch Behar State. He graduated from Victoria College (Cooch Behar) with an honours in Sanskrit in 1893. Later passed MA and LLB in 1897 and 1898 respectively. In the early years of his career, he started practicing law at Rangpur
court. In Rangpur he was shocked by the refusal of a high caste lawyer to use a toga (lawyer's gown), previously used by him. In the following years, he led a kshatriyazation movement among Rajbanshi community of Bengal
. In order to be respected and accepted by the upper caste Bengalis Panchanan felt the Rajbanshis must get organized and educated, which he tried to achieve through the ‘Kshatriya Samity’. Understandably, the samity tried to prove that Rajbanshis were Kshatriyas with a royal lineage, suggesting a historical link with Bhaskarvarman, the king of Kamarupa. Based on Sanskrit literature and Brahmin pundits they also claimed to be Kshatriyas hiding their true identity for centuries. In support of this claim the movement involved a ceremonial kshatriyaization process - brahminical rituals were performed to convert thousands of Rajbanshis to ‘Kshatriya Rajbanshi’ in the villages of North Bengal
. In 1921, Panchanan was selected to the Bengal Legislative Assembly after winning the general election. Panchanan died in Kolkata
on September 9, 1935.
Cooch Behar
Cooch Behar is the district headquarters and the largest city of Cooch Behar District in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is situated in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas and located at . Cooch Behar is the only planned town in North Bengal region with remnants of royal heritage...
. He established Kshatriya Sabha in order to inculcate Brahminical values and practices among the people from Rajbanshi community.
Panchanan Barma originally came from a jotedar family of Cooch Behar
Cooch Behar
Cooch Behar is the district headquarters and the largest city of Cooch Behar District in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is situated in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas and located at . Cooch Behar is the only planned town in North Bengal region with remnants of royal heritage...
. He was born at Khalisamari village in erstwhile Cooch Behar State. He graduated from Victoria College (Cooch Behar) with an honours in Sanskrit in 1893. Later passed MA and LLB in 1897 and 1898 respectively. In the early years of his career, he started practicing law at Rangpur
Rangpur
Rangpur may refer to:*Rangpur - citrus fruitplaces*Rangpur Baghoor*Rangpur, India in Gujarat*Rangpur Division in Bangladesh**Rangpur District in Bangladesh**Rangpur, Bangladesh, administrative centre of Rangpur District...
court. In Rangpur he was shocked by the refusal of a high caste lawyer to use a toga (lawyer's gown), previously used by him. In the following years, he led a kshatriyazation movement among Rajbanshi community of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. In order to be respected and accepted by the upper caste Bengalis Panchanan felt the Rajbanshis must get organized and educated, which he tried to achieve through the ‘Kshatriya Samity’. Understandably, the samity tried to prove that Rajbanshis were Kshatriyas with a royal lineage, suggesting a historical link with Bhaskarvarman, the king of Kamarupa. Based on Sanskrit literature and Brahmin pundits they also claimed to be Kshatriyas hiding their true identity for centuries. In support of this claim the movement involved a ceremonial kshatriyaization process - brahminical rituals were performed to convert thousands of Rajbanshis to ‘Kshatriya Rajbanshi’ in the villages of North Bengal
North Bengal
North Bengal is a term used for the northern parts of Bangladesh and West Bengal. The Bangladesh part denotes the Rajshahi Division. Generally it is the area lying west of Jamuna River and north of Padma River, and includes the Barind Tract. The West Bengal part denotes Cooch Behar, Darjeeling,...
. In 1921, Panchanan was selected to the Bengal Legislative Assembly after winning the general election. Panchanan died in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
on September 9, 1935.
Further Readings
- "Thakur Panchanan Barmar Jivan Charit" (in Bengali) by Upendra Nath Barman
- "Paschimbanga: Special Issue on Roy Saheb Panchanan Barma" Vol 38, No. 7, February 2005. Published by the department of Information and Culture, Govt. of West Bengal.