numbers. The northern portion was assigned to the Baidyas and what are collectively called the Nabasaks; while the eastern and the southern portion were divided among three hundred and sixty families of Brahman and a goodly number of Kshetrya and Kayastha families.
Rameswar also directed his attention to the very important subject of education. He founded several tols or Sanscrit schools and placed them under charge of learned Pundits who were brought in mostly from Benares. In these schools were taught the Darsanas or branches of Hindu learning viz: Darsan par excellence or philosophy, Nyaya or logic, Sahitya or pure literature, Alankara or rhetoric, Smriti or law and Sruti or the Vedas. Of the Pundits so brought down, the most eminent was Ramsharan Tarkabagish of Benares, the Athens of India, who was, therefore, appointed by Rameswar as his Sabha (court) Pundit. Ramsharan held this high office till his death after which it has been all along held by his descendants from generation to generation who look upon it with pride[1]. Rameswar was a loyal subject of the Great Mogul and had always the welfare of Government at heart. Having found that some persons were wrongfully enjoying the profits of certain Parganas without paying anything to Government, he with the knowledge and consent of the Provincial ruler took prompt steps against them and having succeeded in ousting them from these estares, took possession thereof on behalf of the powers that be. This good service being brought to the notice of the ruling Emperor, Aurangzeb, otherwise called Shah Alumgir, who though a stern bigot in matters of religion, was never backward in rewarding merit, wherever it was found, justly thought that such a well-wisher of Government richly deserved special favour at his hands, and he, accordingly by a Sanad dated in the year 1673 A. D., conferred upon him the rare title of "Rajah Mahasai" together with Punj-Percha Khelat or dress of honor made up of five pieces, which title was not a mere personal distinction, but was made hereditary in the family descendible to the eldest branch thereof.
- ↑ The Bansberia Samaj thus formed by Rameswar appears to be the oldest and most famous in this part of the country. The Pundit Samaj at Bhatpara yields the palm to it, its founder, Narain Thakoor, having flourished much later.
