# Krishnachandra Roy

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Zamindar of Krishnagar, Nadia from 1728 to 1783

Raja Krishnachandra Maharaja & Zamindar of Nadia Raja of Nadia Reign 1728 – 1783 Predecessor Raja Raghuram Ray Successor Śiva Chandra Roy Born c. 1710 Krishnanagar, Nadia Raj (now in West Bengal, India) Died c. 1783 (aged 72–73) Nadia Raj (now in West Bengal, India) House Krishnanagar Rajbari Father Raghuram Ray Religion Hinduism

**Raja Krishnachandra** (born **Krishnachandra Roy**; 1710–1783) was a [raja](/source/Raja)[1][2] and [zamindar](/source/Zamindar) in [Nadia](/source/Nadia_district)[a] from 1728 to 1782.[3] He belonged to the [Nadia Raj family](/source/Nadia_Raj) and [Shakta](/source/Shakta) [Brahmin](/source/Brahmin) tradition. He is credited not only with his resistance to the [Mughal](/source/Mughal_Empire) rule, but with his expansion and patronage of the arts in his kingdom.[3] He was also a part of the group that conspired against [Siraj ud-Daulah](/source/Siraj-ud-Daulah), which eventually lead to establishment of British rule in India.

## Reign

According to Atul Chandra Roy, Krishnachandra was "the most important man of the period in the Hindu society of Bengal."[4] During his reign, Krishnachandra was highly influential for Hindu religious practices, for which reason [Raja Rajballabh Sen](/source/Rajballabh_Sen) of [Bikrampur](/source/Bikrampur) sought the assistance of Krishnachandra's [pandits](/source/Pandit) in supporting the overturning of the prohibition on Hindu widows' remarriage after his own daughter was widowed young.[5] However, Krishnachandra strongly opposed the measure. To illustrate his feelings, legend relates, he had the visitors served the meat of a buffalo calf. Offended, they rejected the food on their honor as orthodox Hindus, and when challenged indicated that though it was not explicitly prohibited it was not practice nor custom. Krishnachandra's courtiers pointed out that they had taken umbrage at being presented something not forbidden but against custom, but that they expected Krishnachandra to accept their own unorthodox proposal.[5] With the opposition of Krishnachandra, Rajballabh failed to achieve the change he sought.[6]

Another legend connected to Krishnachandra involved the conflict between his [Dewan](/source/Diwan_(title)), Raghunandan, and Manikchandra, then Dewan of [Bardhaman Raj](/source/Bardhaman_Raj) but in future to become [Raja](/source/Raja) himself.[7] After Raghunandan and Manikchandra quarreled, Manikchandra accused the other man of theft and had sufficient power to order and see to his execution. John McLane speculates that the root of the disagreement may have been Manikchandra's well-known resentment of Krishnachandra's patronage of the poet [Bharatchandra](/source/Bharatchandra), who had insulted the Burdwan raj family in a poem in retaliation for their depriving him of his own family estate.[7]

Krishnachandra is also legendarily associated with the popularization of the worship of the goddess [Jagaddhatri](/source/Jagaddhatri).[8] According to the story, Krishnachandra had been imprisoned by [Alivardi Khan](/source/Alivardi_Khan) for not paying tribute, causing him to miss the celebration of [Durga Puja](/source/Durga_Puja). Durga appeared to him in the form of Jagaddhatri and ordered him to worship her in one month, which he did, commissioning a sculptor to create a statue of the goddess. [Bharatchandra Ray](/source/Bharatchandra_Ray) is said to be the court poet of Krishnachandra.[9] He was also the patron of Sadhak [Ramprasad Sen](/source/Ramprasad_Sen).

Krishna Chandra was part of the group, which included [Jagat Seth](/source/Jagat_Seth), [Mir Jafar](/source/Mir_Jafar), [Omichund](/source/Omichund), Yar Lutuf Khan, Rai Durlabh and others, which conspired against Siraj ud-Daulah and colluded with [Robert Clive](/source/Robert_Clive), which lead to defeat of Siraj ud-Dullah in [Battle of Plassey](/source/Battle_of_Plassey) and eventual foundation of [British rule in India](/source/British_Raj).[10][11] It is arguable that Krishnachandra or other members of the conspiracy group had no particular intention to found British rule in India, rather they were purely interested in their own political futures.[12] Krishnachandra remained on friendly terms with the British and especially with [Robert Clive](/source/Robert_Clive). This relationship served him well in the 1760s when Bengal Nawab [Mir Qasim](/source/Mir_Qasim) ordered Krishnachandra's execution, for Clive not only overruled it but gifted Krishnachandra five cannons, the title [maharaja](/source/Maharaja), and governance as zamindar of the area of [Krishnanagar](/source/Krishnanagar%2C_Nadia).[13]

## In popular culture

This section includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please help improve this section by introducing more precise citations. (June 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Raja Krishnachandra features in all stories depicting the wit of the famous court jester [Gopal Bhar](/source/Gopal_Bhar). While it is debated whether Gopal Bhar was real or fictitious, the corpus of stories paint a vigorous portrait of Krishnachandra, as a ruler who was whimsical but humble, sometimes eager to display his punitive power and at other times accepting the lessons that Gopal taught him through his jokes. His depiction also shows character depth in the sense that, while the king is clearly in awe of Gopal's wit, he is also jealous and seeking revenge due to past embarrassments caused by Gopal's scathing remarks, and this dichotomy often creates comic situations.

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** now in [West Bengal](/source/West_Bengal)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** A. F. Salahuddin Ahmed; Aly Fouad Ahmed (1965). [*Social Ideas and Social Change in Bengal 1818-1835*](https://books.google.com/books?id=qckUAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA14). Brill Archive. p. 14.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Kumkum Chatterjee (2009). [*The Cultures of History in Early Modern India: Persianization and Mughal Culture in Bengal*](https://books.google.com/books?id=53UwAQAAIAAJ). Oxford University Press. p. 100. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780195698800](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780195698800). Maharaja Krishnachandra Roy of Nadia, one of the most powerful zamindars of eighteenth century Bengal.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Rodrigues2003_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Rodrigues2003_4-1) Rodrigues, Hillary (2003). [*Ritual Worship of the Great Goddess: The Liturgy of the Durga Puja with Interpretations*](https://books.google.com/books?id=onyaEhwhJBUC&pg=PA20). SUNY Press. p. 20. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7914-8844-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7914-8844-7).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Roy1968_5-0)** Roy, Atul Chandra (1968). [*History of Bengal: Mughal period, 1526-1765 A.D.*](https://books.google.com/books?id=AacsAAAAMAAJ) Nababharat Publishers. p. 362.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Bidyāsāgara2013_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Bidyāsāgara2013_6-1) Bidyāsāgara, Īśvaracandra (13 August 2013). [*Hindu Widow Marriage*](https://books.google.com/books?id=91xAzuqbha0C&pg=PA15). Columbia University Press. pp. 14–15. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-231-52660-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-231-52660-9).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Pruthi2004_7-0)** Pruthi, R.K. (1 January 2004). [*Brahmo Samaj and Indian Civilization*](https://books.google.com/books?id=7cG3JbOdPHAC&pg=PA43). Discovery Publishing House. p. 43. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-81-7141-791-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-81-7141-791-9).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-McLane2002_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-McLane2002_8-1) McLane, John R. (25 July 2002). [*Land and Local Kingship in Eighteenth-Century Bengal*](https://books.google.com/books?id=YH6ijJnUPmcC&pg=PA169). Cambridge University Press. p. 169. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-521-52654-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-521-52654-8).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Charleston2004_9-0)** Charleston, June McDaniel Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies College of (9 July 2004). [*Offering Flowers, Feeding Skulls : Popular Goddess Worship in West Bengal: Popular Goddess Worship in West Bengal*](https://books.google.com/books?id=caeJpIj9SdkC&pg=PA220). Oxford University Press. p. 220. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-19-534713-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-534713-5).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Roy, Tapti (13 November 2018). [*Print and Publishing in Colonial Bengal: The Journey of Bidyasundar*](https://books.google.com/books?id=rrF5DwAAQBAJ&dq=ramprasad+sen+court+poet+of+krishnachandra+roy&pg=PT68). Taylor & Francis. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-429-67351-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-429-67351-1).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** [*The Calcutta Review*](https://books.google.com/books?id=xKugAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA97). University of Calcutta. 1874. p. 97. Retrieved 4 April 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Banu1992_12-0)** Banu, U. A. B. Razia Akter (1992). [*Islam in Bangladesh*](https://books.google.com/books?id=XyzqATEDPSgC&pg=PA26). BRILL. p. 26. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [90-04-09497-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/90-04-09497-0).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Ray, Rajatkanta (1994). [*Palashir Sharajantra O Sekaler Samaj*](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6108164-palashir-sarajantra-o-sekaler-samaj).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Chatterjee2010_14-0)** Chatterjee, Pranab (2010). [*A Story of Ambivalent Modernization in Bangladesh and West Bengal: The Rise and Fall of Bengali Elitism in South Asia*](https://books.google.com/books?id=lAR1D0Wi2rsC&pg=PA166). Peter Lang. p. 166. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-4331-0820-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4331-0820-4).

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