RAI Title, India

Rai is a Sanskrit word and a historical title of honour in India. One of the oldest reference one can find in ancient historical scriptures of Jainism and Hinduism is that of King Nabhi who is also referred to as Nabhi Rai ( Adoration of 24 Tirthankara, V.K.Jain Page 7-8). Nabhi Rai was the father of Rishabhanatha, the first Tirthankara. Rai was used as a substitute to King.

When Babur conquered Hindustan, he found many principalities which had been subordinated by the Emperor of Hindustan and innumerable others which never have been effectively subdued. When Akbar ascended to the throne, Hindustan had a numerous autonomous and semiautonomous rulers. These hereditary rulers were known by various names such as 'Rajas', 'Ranas', 'Rais', 'Raos'. (Chieftains by A.R.Khan)

During the British Rule, 'Rai Sahib' and 'Rai Bahadur' were titles of honour given for service of visionary leadership to the nation. Other equivalent titles were 'Roy' and 'Rao'.

The descendants of these earlier rulers, chieftains and leaders still use these titles as patronymics.

Ledo Estate : A Kharagdiha Gadi

The Maharajas of Kharagdiha had controlled a vast country from Hazaribagh to Gaya, some 600 miles long. The Maharaja conquered this kingdom in 15^th century after he was able to influence the Kharagdiha Gadis.  (Bihar and Orissa District Gazetteers: Hazaribagh, 1917) Some of the notable Gadis were Koderma, Goranji, Gadi Palganj (Parasnath), Gadi Sirsia, Ledo Gadi, etc..

There were a total of thirty-eight Kharagdiha Gadis. These Gadis were semi-independent. All that was required by the ruler of the Gadi then was, on succession to the gadi, to acknowledge the supremacy of the Maharaja of Kharagdiha, and pay the peshkash to the paramount through the Kharagdiha Maharaj. (Bihar and Orissa District Gazetteers: Hazaribagh, 1917)

In the family who ruled these gadis, the Bhuiyas used the title of Tikait/ Thakur (Bihar and Orissa District Gazetteers: Hazaribagh, 1917). Other Hindu Clans used the title of Raja, the eldest son of the Raja used the title Tikait, the second son used Kumar, the third son used Thakur, the fourth son used Nunu, the fifth and younger sons used Babu. (Ghosh, 1881)

The new muslim rulers used the title of Nawab like Nawab Saiyid Dildar Ali Khan of Gharonjee. (Tikait thakur Narayan Singh Vs Nawab Saiyid Dildar Ali Khan) There is no evidence of any muslim activity in the parganas until 1765, in which year Akbar Ali Khan of Narhat carried out an attack on Kharagdiha and held the pargana under his authority until 1774. Mode Narayan Deo, the then Maharaja of Kharagdiha died in exile and it was Girwar Narayan Deo the grandson of the Maharaja who finally expelled Akbar Ali Khan from Kharagdiha with help of the British. (Bihar and Orissa 
District Gazetteers: Hazaribagh, 1917)   

These gadis have initially been called ghatwalis of Kharagdiha, but the nature of these gadis was much different than other ghatwalis because of the independent control and authority these gadi rulers had and that they exercised over their country. These gadis where more like the vassal state who paid their rent to the paramount through the Maharaja of Kharagdiha.   

The debate whether these Gadis are a service tenure or not, how these gadis are different from other ghatwalis and how the nature of these gadis changed from ghatwali to zamindari can be studied primarily on the basis of two civil cases of Rani Sobati Kumari Vs State of Bihar and of Tikait Thakur Narayan Singh Vs Nawab Saiyid Dildar Ali Khan.

These Gadis rendered a quasi-military service. Whether the service tenure is made a term or not, the holder might be a 'zamindar' or landholder and his holding be 'perpetual' and 'on fixed terms', and the position depends not on his being styled 'Raja' and Zamindar, which are general expressions of consideration, but upon the condition upon which he held the land. The Gadis are further obliged to furnish a force of 307 men of Archers and Berkandazes, of whom the Sirdars will be 7 and Archers and Berkandazes will be 300. The force is precise and it is large; it is military rather than civil; but is fixed at a standing number at all times, and attendance beyond the scope of mere constabulary duties.Tikait Thakur Narayan Singh Vs Nawab Saiyid Dildar Ali Khan. 

Now the earlier history of the Gadi shows that it was one of the divisions called Gadis of Kharagdiha which originally formed part of the zamindari of Siwar Muhammadabad, the property of Maharajah Mode Narain Deo. The Gadis recognized the Maharajah as the chief through whom they paid their tribute to the ruler of the country, and they considered themselves as independent of his authority. It was recognized by the East India Company that the malik of the Gadis were a turbulent set of men worth winning by methods of conciliation, because of their influence in their country and their solidarity among themselves, and it was in pursuance of this policy that, ignoring Maharajah Mode Narayan Deo, the East India Company entered into direct settlement with the Ghatwals of Kharagdiha. This changed the status of the rulers of the gadi from ghatwals and military chiefs to ‘Zamindars’ and ‘Rajas’ of the gadi.  

Gadi Ledo was one such gadi which was acquired by Baghochia Clan of Bhumihar Brahmins. The entire estate was bordered by Santhal Parganas (Deoghar District) across river Jayanti, and Madhupur-Giridih railway line. The ruling family also held and controlled many villages and large tracts of land in the then Districts of Santhal Pargana, Bhagalpur and Monghyr. The estate also contains a range of mountains and a vast area was covered by private forests. Now the complete area is deforested and very less old trees remains of the forests.

It was Sri Tularam Rai who the first ruler of the Gadi, but it was Sri Kena Ram Rai who was recorded as the Zamindar Raja with 16 anna proprietary rights of the Gadi at the Record of Rights in Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act, 83.  The rulers of the gadi are descendants of Maharaja Kalyan Mall who established Kalyanpur and his son  Maharaja Kshem Karan Sahi Bahadur of Hussepur. Due to political turmoil in the Hussepur, a branch of the family left Hussepur and settled at Sakho Bansdih in Kharagdiha and later acquired Gadi Ledo in Pargan Kharagdiha. The family trace a genealogy of over 100 generations, is related to the family of Hathwa Raj, Tamkohi Raj and Salemgarh estate and share a common ancestry with them.  

In 1945, the Zamindar Raja of the Gadi was Sri Man Mohan Rai, who executed the diwani dated 4^th Jan 1945 and abdicated himself from the position of proprietor. This diwani made Sri Subhash Chandra Rai as the eldest male proprietor and the Zamindar of the gadi. The new Zamindar was only 16 then and Sri Man Mohan Rai remained the de-facto Zamindar of the Gadi and also the karta and the head of the family. After 2 years in 1947 India got her independence and in 1952 the Zamindari Gadi was abolished. Other members of the family were Babu Kashi Rai, Babu Duti Krishna Rai, Babu Parsidh Rai, Babu Jwala Prashad Rai who was also a freedom fighter, Babu Vibhishan Rai, Babu Jamuna Rai, Babu Basanti Rai, Babu Anshuman Rai, Babu Baleshwar Rai (2nd and younger male proprietor  in the diwani dated 4th Jan 1945), Babu Sutikshan Pd. Rai, and Babu Ram Prashad Rai.

The members of the zamindari family continues to be influential as one of the largest land holders in the region and have even worked at various prestigious positions. The last Zamindar Sri Subhash Chandra Rai was an advocate of justice in the society. He went on to become one of the most influential Lawyer at the District Court of Deoghar in Bihar (Now Jharkhand). The descendants of the family have now settled in many cities across India and also in the UK, USA, Canada and China; but gather together at village Ledo to celebrate religious festivals especially Dussehra and Chat. 

The erstwhile gadi now forms Gande subdivision in Giridih District of Jharkhand.