{{Short description|Medieval dynasty and later a zamindari estate of Bhumihar during the British Raj}} {{Infobox country |native_name = |conventional_long_name = Narhan Raj Estate |common_name = Narhan Estate |religion = Hinduism |era = Middle Ages |status = |government_type = |life_span = |year_start = 17th Century |year_end = 1947 |event_start = |date_start = |event1 = |date_event1 = |event2 = |date_event2 = |event_end = |date_end = |capital = Narhan |leader1 = |leader2 = |year_leader1 = |year_leader2 = |title_leader = }}
The '''Narhan Estate''', also known as Narhan Raj,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oKsrAQAAMAAJ&q=narhan+raj|title=The Indian Law Reports: Containing Cases Determined by the High Court at Calcutta. Calcutta series|date=1909|publisher=West Bengal Government Press|language=en}}</ref> was a medieval dynasty and later a zamindari (estate) during the British Raj, located in present-day Bihar.
The estate was ruled by the '''Bhumihar''' community, a dominant landowning group in Bihar known for their administrative and military influence. Within the Bhumihars, the rulers of Narhan Estate belonged to the '''Dronwar''' clan, a prominent sub-group with historical significance. Furthermore, the Dronwar rulers of Narhan traced their ancestry to the Vats gotra, a lineage with deep connections to Vedic traditions.<ref>{{Cite book|last=CHANDRA|first=UMESH|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DpxGEAAAQBAJ&dq=narhan+estate+bhumihar&pg=PA52|title=Pratham Sabal Brahman Bhagvan Parshuram|date=2021-10-06|publisher=Blue Rose Publishers|language=hi}}</ref>
The estate originally belonged to the erstwhile in Samastipur district and extended across the districts of Muzaffarpur and Patna, covering an area of 57,282 acres.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Katju|first1=Kailash Nath|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ml6cAAAAMAAJ&q=narhan+estate|title=Experiments in Advocacy: A Colossus in the Courts of Justice : the Life and Times of Dr. Kailas Nath Katju|last2=Katju|first2=Valmiki|last3=Katju|first3=Markanday|last4=Bhalla|first4=Harish|date=2006|publisher=Universal Law Publishing Company|isbn=978-81-7534-518-8|language=en}}</ref>
The estate was named after '''Narhan village''', which served as the ancestral seat and administrative center of the ruling family.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Narhan Estate {{!}} Samastipur {{!}} India|url=https://samastipur.nic.in/tourist-place/narhan-estate/|access-date=2022-01-26|language=en-US}}</ref> As a powerful zamindari, Narhan Estate played a vital role in the socio-political landscape of Bihar, influencing regional governance, agrarian policies, and cultural developments. The rulers were known for their patronage of education, religion, and social reforms, leaving a lasting impact on the region's history.<ref>{{Cite book|last=O'malley|first=L. S. S.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ONw8apR5mVYC&dq=narhan+estate&pg=PA249|title=Bihar And Orissa District Gazetteers: Monghyr|date=2007|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|isbn=978-81-7268-135-7|language=en}}</ref>
thumb|Ruins of Narhan Palace
==See also== *Zamindars of Bihar
==References== {{Reflist}}
Category:Zamindars of Bihar