RELIGIOUS ENDOWMENTS AND

CHARITIES OF BENGAL ZEMINDARS

by ICH DlEN

Published on THE CALCUTTA REVIEW VOLUME January 1901.

By University of Calcutta

Page 231- Page 237

…….I now pass from the City of Palaces in Lower Bengal to the capital of East
Bengal. Dacca is now a wreck of its former self. Its old splendour and commerce,
due to the flourishing trade of Greek, Italian and Portuguese merchants, are
gone. When the Mussulmans conquered and settled in East Bengal, they named
Dacca Jehangirabad, after the Emperor Jehangir, and made it the capital. Out of
the wreck of its past grandeur and its ancient nobility, has arisen, tower-like, a
noble house, whose traditions can trace their direct connection with the
Emperor's service at Delhi. The noblest representative of this house was Sir
Khwaja Abdul Ghani, K.C.S.I., Nawab of Dacca, who was famous throughout
Bengal for his vast wealth, liberality and public spirit. Loyal to the backbone,
Nawab Ghani distinguished himself greatly during the Sepoy revolt of 1857,
assisting the British Government with all sorts of necessary information, advice
and funds. During the severe famine of 1874 and after the cyclone of 1876, he
placed his steamer "Dacca" at the disposal of Government for the purpose of
carrying out relief work. He was the greatest benefactor to the city of Dacca,
having materially contributed to all works of public usefulness in it and subscribed
lavishly in all times of public distress. For the improvement and sanitation of
Dacca he spent four lakhs of rupees. The Dacca Water Works, which provide to
rich and poor alike an abundant supply of filtered water in the far off capital of
East Bengal, and which have helped very greatly to wine out the reproach of the
insanitation from the city, owe their existence to his munificence and liberality. He
subscribed a sum of two lakhs and fifty thousand rupees towards the funds for
their construction and subsequent extension. But it is the manner of giving this
princely subscription that has made it so famous, for he did it in commemoration
of the Prince of Wale's recovery from a dangerous illness. The water-works at
Dacca thus stand out as a monument to his devoted loyalty to the Queen-
Empress of India. The drainage of Dacca had been notoriously bad, and sanitary
laws were as completely ignored in the city as in the villages. Cesspools were
found on the banks of tanks or within a few feet of a well; and the dead were
buried in the midst of the living. The sewage was never removed and the rain
water conveyed it into the river, whence only wholesome water was procurable.
Weeds were seldom eradicated and tanks were never cleansed. Drains were
seldom flushed and had rarely any outlet. Led by a laudable desire to improve
the public health of Dacca, Nawab Abdul Ghani gave a donation of one lakh of
rupees for the purpose of carrying out improvements in the drainage system of
the city. But for the exertions and expense incurred by him for the benefit of the
public, Dacca would have remained an insanitary slough. For the improvement of
the Dacca rivers he subscribed a sum of Rs. 15,000, and for the deepening of
the Byguabari canal he gave Rs. 8,000. He spent over Rs. 40,000 in digging
tanks, wells and canals, in all his zemindaries situated in the districts of Dacca,
Barrisal, Tipperah and Mymensingh. For the repairs of the Buckland Bund,
Dacca, he contributed the sum of Rs. 35,000. Nor are his charities confined
within the boundaries of India alone. They extend wherever the sun shines and
the wind blows. For the cutting of the Zobeda canal at Mecca he gave a donation
of Rs. 40,000. To the sick and wounded soldiers of Turkey who fought with such
splendid bravery and desperate perseverance during the Russo-Turkish War, he
sent a subscription of Rs. 20,000 through the Turkish Consul. To the sick and
wounded troops of France during the Franco German War he similarly sent a
subscription of Rs. 5,000. For the relief of the sufferers from cholera in France he
gave Rs. 2,Ooo, and for those that were left homeless and desolate from the
disastrous effects of the earthquake in Italy Rs. 4,1 DO. He opened his purse
strings on behalf of Italy when its people suffered terribly from cholera, and
subscribed Rs. 2,000 for them. For the alleviation of the distress of the famine-
stricken population of Persia, Jerusalem, and Bulgaria he gave Rs. 3,000 to each
of those countries. During the great famine in Ireland he sent Rs. 6,000 for the
benefit of the sufferers. For the relief of suffering humanity nearer home he has
distributed money as lavishly as his wealth and position enabled him to do. The
earthquake which laid waste hundreds of thousands of houses in the Happy
Valley, and in which many Valuable lives were lost, was as unparallelled in its
disastrous effects as the last one we had in Bengal and Assam, For the relief of
the sufferers he gave the handsome donation of Rs. 15,000. During the famine of
1867 he subscribed Rs. 10,000, and in that of 1874 double that amount. Towns
devastated by floods and fires have participated always in his sympathy and
help. During the heavy floods of 1885, which entailed the greatest hardship and
sufferings on the poor and the peasant class, he subscribed the sum of Rs.
10,000 for their relief. If I were to enumerate all his contributions I should fill a
volume. I give below a selected few :—

Rs.

Dufferin Memorial Fund ... ... 50,000

To Commemorate H.R.H.The Duke of Edinburgh's visit to Calcutta ... ... 12,000

Calcutta Zoological Garden ... ... 11,300

For his Mymensingh tenants ... ... 10,000

Charities to poor Parsis through Mr. Manekjee 38,000

Ramchandrapore Mosque and Ghat ... 10,000

Female Ward Mitford Hospital, Dacca ... 25,245

Cost of sending 115 poor pilgrims to Mecca ... 24,800

For constructing two roads to the tomb of Huzrat Shah Al i ... ... 10,000

Charity to a Moslem lady ... ... 6,000

Charity to a Hindu lady ... ... 10,944

Ripon Scholarship ... ... 8,000

Famine Relief Fund ... ... 10,000

Victoria Square, Dacca ... ... 12,000

Victoria Zenana School ... ... 10,000

Tornado Relief ... ... 10,000

In the matter of his charities he was widely catholic. To the Alligur College,
as well as to the Benares College, he gave a donation of Rs. 2,000 each.
Towards the furtherance of the translation of the Mahabharat he lent a helping
hand, as he did also towards the Balaclava Heroes Fund.

Among his minor charities, which are legion, I mention below only a few of
the more important:—

Rs.

Cyclone of 1864 .. ... 5,000

Land for Dacca Madrassa ... ... 5,500

Burdwan Famine, 1885 ... ... 1,000

Burdwan Famine, 1872 ... ... 4,300

Barrisal Famine, 1887 ... ... 5,ooo

Barrisal Hospital, 1871 ... ... 4,000

Barrisal Famine, 1874 ... ... 5,000

For the snake house in the Zoo ... ... 2,000

Lancashire Fund ... ... 3,000

H.R. H. Princess Alice's Memorial ... 2,000

Cattle trough and drinking fountain, Calcutta i,5",

Dacca Club ... ... 4,000

Repairs of Khonala at Mughazar ... ... 3,000

Famine Relief, Poona and Amhedabad ... 2,000

Prince Albert Victor's Reception ... ... 5,000

Naraingunge Hospital ... .. 2,000

Dufferin Hospital ... ... 3,500

Victoria Hospital, Madras ... ... 2,000

Jubilee Memorial Fund ... ... 5,000

Dufferin Memorial ... ... 2,000

Eden Statue ... ... 1 jOOO

Sir Steuart Bayley Memorial ... ... 2,000

Relief of Wounded Soldiers, Cabul War ... 1,000

Madras Famine ... ... 2,500

Abdul Hamid's Mosque ... ... 4,000

Darjeeling College and Recreation Ground ... 2,000

Moslem Girls School ... ., 1,000

Barrisal Recreation Club ... ... 3,900

Repairs of the Mitford Hospital ... ... 2,000

Empress Commemoration Fund ... ... 1,000

Chittagong Cyclone ... ... 1,000

Indian Mission Fund ... ... 5,000

School at Teheran ... ... 2,000

Deaf and Dumb School ... ... 3,000

Chandpore Mosque ... ... 5,000

Chandpore Town Hall to commemorate Lord

Elgin's visit .. ... 5,000

As to sums of less than Rs. 1,000, the late Nawab Abdul Ghani spent them like
water, giving them whenever and wherever a party approached him for
assistance.

His zeal for the Moslem faith led him to build and repair mosques and tombs
which but for his pecuniary aid would have crumbled to pieces. Some of these
mosques, notable amongst which is the Hossani Dalan of Dacca, are renowned
for their architectural beauty and antiquity. For the repairs of the Dacca
Imambarah the Nawab gave a princely donation of one lakh of rupees. His
worthy son Nawab Ahsanullah subscribed a sum of two lakhs of rupees for the
reconstruction and repairs of the Hossani Dalan. Nawab Abdul Ghani spent
almost a fortune in the repairs and renovation of about 25 of the principal
mosques and tombs of this country.

In addition to these numerous charities, he maintained a Free School, a

Madrassa for Mahommedan students and an alms-house. The last, which is
known popularly at Dacca as the Nawab's Langarkhana, was opened in the year
1866. The majority of the inmates are either blind or lame. All these institutions
still exist and are creditably maintained by his son.

The Nawab of Dacca supports entirely at his own cost six charitable dispensaries
at the following places:—(1) Ramchanderpore, (2) Gouripore, (3) Dollye, (4)
Konokdeiya, (5) Phooljurey, (6) Pamoorkey.

The loyal services rendered to Government by the Nawab of Dacca form a

brilliant record in the family history of this noble house. I give below a complete
list of them :—

1. During the late Mutiny Nawab Sir Abdul Ghani presented three elephants to
the Government.
 2. The night before the fight in Dacca he placed his paddleboat " Dolphin'' at
the disposal of the authorities to take a detachment of the naval brigade to
Dawoodcandy, in order to intercept a body of the Mutineers from Chittagong who
were supposed to be marching upon Dacca.

3. During the Lushye War, Nawab Sir Abdul lent his steamer the "Ada" to take
troops to Sylhet.

4. During the Kookie Raid in Hill Tipperah, he placedhis steamer the "Star of
Dacca" at the disposal of the authorities to take re-inforcements to the front.

5. In the 2nd Lushye Campaign, he lent six elephants to carry baggage and
stores.

6. He also supplied the authorities with 300 country boats for the same
purpose.

7. During the great famine of 1874 he lent his steamer the " Star of Dacca " for
service at Rajshaye, where she was very usefully employed for some four
months.

8. During the Naga War, Nawab Ahsanullah sent 15 of his best shikari
elephants fully equipped for service in the Hills, where they all died.

9. Nawab Ahsanullah placed his Barge "Track " at the disposal of Mr. Prestage
for the use of H. R. H. the Prince of Wales at Goalundo, where a pig sticking was
organised for His Royal Highness.

10. He lent his steamer the "Star of Dacca" for famine relief work at Burrisaul.

11. He placed his steamer the "Dacca" at the disposal of the Telegraph
authorities to enable them to repair the cable at Boid's Bazar after the great
earthquake of 1897.

12. He placed his steamer the "Bornnpore" at the disposal of the authorities at
Chiitagong to carry food grain to the sufferers after the great cyclone.

13. He also placed his steamer the '' Star of Dacca" at the disposal of
Mr.Pellew when he was Commissioner of Dacca for famine relief work.

14. He lent his steamer launch "Jamoreky'' to Mr. J. F. Brocklehurst.

15. Lent his elephants to the Railway authorities to carry on the survey works.

16. Lent his steamer the "Peri" to Mr. Pitman for urgent work in connection with
the Government Telegraph Department
 Nawab Ahsanullah has followed closely in his footsteps of his noble father,
both as a liberal and enlightened zemindar and in vast public benefactions. I
need only instance his latest act of generosity. He placed at the disposal of
Government a sum of one lakh of rupees to take necessary measures for
preventing the spread of plague to Dacca, and in case of its appearance in that
town for proper treatment of poor, both Hindus and Mahommedans, who might
suffer from the disease. The Nawab has offered to pay another lakh, if
necessary, for the same purpose. The vast extent of his charity, can be
appreciated by looking at the following cutting from a daily paper of 2Oth
September last, which notices his princely liberality on the occasion of his son's
marriage :—

"The marriage of his second son, Khajeh Atikullah, passed off on the 1oth
September at Delkosa Garden-house. On this auspicious occasion, the Nawab
made donation of nearly a lakh by a present of one full month's pay to all his
officers and servants from the highest to the lowest, and proposes to make a
further donation of Rs. 5,000 to each of the five Districts of East Bengal in which
his Zemindary lies."

The names of Nawab Abdul Ghani and his son Nawab Ahsanullah stand
out as beacon-lights to the rest of the landholders of Bengal and elsewhere, and
no better example of a liberal landholder can be found anywhere in the country.