Kingdom of Kashi
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Kingdom of Kashi is the name given to Kingdom of Maharaja of Kashi (Varanasi), also called as Kashi Naresh. After the independence of India, democracy was accepted as the way of governance and all executive powers were stripped off all kingdoms, and Kingdom of Kashi was no exception. None the less, Kashi Naresh is still a very respected title in the local area.
[edit] History
It is said that the Kashi Naresh is a descendent of the god Shiva.
The Kingdom of Kashi was founded by Khsetravridha, son of Ayus, of the Somavansa dynasty of Pratishthana. The Kingdom maintained its independence until 1194, when it lost to Mughals.
The governor of Benares gave most of the area currently known as Varanasi to Mansa Ram, a Gautam Bhumihar Brahmin zamindar of Utaria, in 1737. Balwant Singh, ruler of Utaria, later received territories of Jaunpur, Varanasi and Chunar in 1740 from Sultan of Delhi. Thus started the Kingdom of Benaras under the Mughal dynasty. Other places under the kingship of Kashi Naresh were Chandauli, Gyanpur, Chakia, Latifshah, Mirzapur, Nandeshwar, Mint House and Vindhyachal.
The kingdom was ceded by Nawab of Oudh to the British raj in 1775 who recognized Benares as a family dominion. In 1911, it was acceded to the status of State.[1]
[edit] Kashi Naresh
The residential place of Naresh is Ramangar Fort, which is next to river Ganga.[2] Kashi Naresh holds the title of Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University.[3] This title has as such no executive powers, and all decisions are taken by Vice-Chancellor instead.[citation needed]
On January 28, 1983 the Vishwanath Temple was taken over by the government of Uttar Pradesh and its management was transferred to a trust with Late Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh, then Kashi Naresh, as president and an executive committee with Divisional Commissioner as chairman.[4]
Following is the list of all rulers of Kashi:
| List of Kashi Naresh | Start of rule | End of rule |
|---|---|---|
| Mansa Ram | 1737 | 1740 |
| Balwant Singh | 1740 | 1770 |
| Chait Singh (avsatt av britterna) | 1770 | 1781 |
| Mahip Narayan Singh | 1781 | 1794 |
| Udit Narayan Singh | 1794 | 1835 |
| Ishvari Prasad Narayan Singh | 1835 | 1889 |
| Prabhu Narayan Singh | 1889 | 1918 |
| Maharaja Bahadur | 1918 | 1931 |
| Aditya Narayan Singh | 1931 | 1939 |
| Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh | 1939 | 1947 |
Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh was the last Narash to see kingship. After his death in 2000, his son Anant Narayan Singh became the new Kashi Naresh.
[edit] References
- ^ Benares (Princely State) - A Document about Maharajas of Varanasi
- ^ A review of Varanasi
- ^ [1] Short biography of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya. Look under the heading Important Dates.
- ^ Official website of Varanasi
