Raja Bahadur Kirtyanand Sinha

Raja Bahadur Kirtyanand Sinha (1880-1938) was an Indian businessman and philanthropist.[1]

Raja Bahadur Kirtyanand Sinha

Life

Sinha gained a Bachelor of Arts from Allahabad University. He wrote three books: Purnea, a Shikarland; Shikar in Hills and Jungles; and Homeopathic Practice.[2]

He contributed to the establishment of T.N.B College in Bhagalpur, which was in need of funds, having been established in the 1880s. Sinha contributed "60 acres of land and 6 lakhs of rupees in cash for the construction of building and other developmental work".[3] For this contribution and other acts of charity, he was awarded the title of Raja in June 1914.

On 9 July 1917, he was appointed as a government nominee to the Champaran Agrarian Committee, which had been set up to resolve the issue of indigo planters in Champaran following the Champaran Satyagraha by Mahatma Gandhi.[4] On this committee, he worked with Gandhi, and for his work he was awarded the title of Raja Bahadur in 1919. On the request and appeal made by Sri Braj Mohan Thakur, Raja Bahadur Krityanand Singh along with Raja Tank Nath Choudhary created separately a chair of Maithili in Calcutta University[5]

He was one of the founders of the Bank of Bihar, which is now the Bihar State Cooperative Bank Limited.[6] He also started a Banaili Iron and Steel Works in Sitarampur in Asansol, referred to in the book on India's economy written by historian Amiya Kumar Bagchi and also in a book Bihar published by the National Book Trust. This venture did not survive the Great Depression.

The Raja, along with the Maharaja of Darbhanga, sponsored the first flight over Mount Everest in 1933. "The Raja of Banaili, a cheery personality, who had shot over hundred tigers, offered us his fleet of motor-cars, remarking that, if possible, he would like to retain one or two of his own. He had seventeen. He seemed astonished, as if at an unusual display of moderation, when only three cars and a lorry were required."[7]

The Raja issued the first official state invitation to Salamat Ali & Ali Khan of the Sham Chaurasia gharana in 1934. Salamat Ali Khan was then 11 years old and Ali Khan was 13 years.[8] They were invited to perform at the Dussehra festival in Champanagar Deorhi (Palace) and the royal host liked their rendition of Malkauns so much that he would not let them leave Champanagr.[9] The duo stayed under the patronage of the Raja for a few months, and some believe that their Basant Bahar composition "Des des ki thi jung dushman sab har gaye" praises the Raja.[10]

Another musician, Altaf Hussain Khan of Khurja, served as a court musician in the darbar of the Raja. Altaf Hussain Khan also gave music lessons to Raja's eldest son, Rajkumar Shyamanand Sinha.[11]

Sinha stayed in public life until his death in 1938. His place of residence remained the Champanagar Deorhi in Purnia inherited from his father.

See also

References

  1. "History of T.N.B. College". T.N.B. College. Archived from the original on February 19, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  2. "Books " "Kirtyanand Sinha"". Amazon.
  3. "History". T. N. B. College. Archived from the original on 2011-10-05.
  4. s:Chronology of Mahatma Gandhi's life/India 1917
  5. "Biography B. M. T." Braja Mohan Thakur Law College. Archived from the original on 2013-09-05.
  6. "Welcome to Web-Site of Bihar State Co-operative Bank Ltd". Biharbank.bih.nic.in. 2012-02-10. Retrieved 2012-03-07.
  7. Everest - The Mountaineering History by Walt Unsworth from First Over Everest, The Houston-Mount Everest Expedition 1993 by Air Commodore PFM Fellowes et al.)
  8. "In remembrance Ustad Salamat Ali Khan". Sadarang Archives. Archived from the original on 2012-06-15.
  9. https://archive.today/20061103163958/http://www.virsaonline.com/Articles/Articles%2004.htm, archived from the original on November 3, 2006 {{citation}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. "Salamat Ali Khan - Age 11 - Basant Bahar - Des Des Ki Thi Jung". Archived from the original on 2012-07-29.
  11. http://dilrang.dalalexports.com/altaf.html {{citation}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
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