Bettiah (Zamindari)

Information

DynastyJethoria Brahmin
StateBihar
Accession1st July 1952
Revenue₹ 39,384
Villages1,435 (1928)
Area4,724 km²
ReligionHinduism
Hindi Nameबेतिया
Last Updated20th Nov, 2022

Present Head/Ruler

VACANT since 27th November 1954

Short History

The history of the Bettiah Raj family can be traced back to 1244 when Raja Gungeswar Deo left Nimkhar Misiri in Lucknow, and established himself at Jaithur, in the district of Saran in the Tirhut division of Bihar and Orissa. The first ruler received the title of Raja from the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan (1628/1658).

Predecessors

  • Raja UGRA SEN SINGH, 1st Raja of Bettiah -/1659; ninth in descent from Raja Gungeswar Deo; a Jethoria Brahmin of the Kashyap gotra and founder of the state, married and had issue. He died 1659.
    • Raja Gaj Singh (qv)
  • Raja GAJ SINGH, 2nd Raja of Bettiah 1659/1694, married and had issue. He died 1694.
    • Raja Dalip Singh (qv)
    • Rajkumar Kanak Singh
    • Rajkumar Kirat Singh
    • Rajkumar Prithi Singh
    • Rajkumar Prithi Singh, married and had issue.
      • Raja Srikishen Singh, 1st Raja of Sheohar in Muzaffarpur.
    • Rajkumar Satrajit Singh [Chatrajit], married and had issue.
      • Kunwar Abdhut Singh, ancestor of the Zamindars of Madhubani in Darbhanga, married and had issue.
        • Several generations
        • Rajkumar Babu Bishun Prakash Narain Singh, 5th in descent from Kunwar Abdhut Singh, claimant for Bettiah Raj in 1905.
  • Raja DALIP SINGH, 3rd Raja of Bettiah 1694/1715, married and had issue, five sons.
    • Raja Dhrub Singh [Dhanpat Singh] (qv)
  • Raja DHRUB SINGH [Dhanpat Singh], 4th Raja of Bettiah 1715/1762, married and had issue. He died spm in 1762.
    • Rajkumari Benga Babui, married Babu Raghunath Singh, a Bhumihar Brahmin of the Gautam gotra, and had issue.
      • Raja Jugal Kishore Singh (qv)
    • Rajkumari Chinga Babui
  • Raja JUGAL KISHORE SINGH, 5th Raja of Bettiah 1762/1783, rebelled against the British in 1765, and the state was taken under their management. It was later restored to him in 1771, after which the estate was divided with his cousin, Sri Kishan, who received the estate known as Sheohar; he married and had issue. He died 1783.
    • Raja Bir Kishore Singh (qv)
  • Raja BIR KISHORE SINGH, 6th Raja of Bettiah 1783/1816, married and had issue. He died 1816.
    • Maharaja Ananda Kishore Singh Bahadur (qv)
    • Maharaja Nawal Kishore Singh Bahadur (qv)
  • Maharaja ANANDA KISHORE SINGH Bahadur, 7th Raja of Bettiah 1816/1838, granted the title of Maharaja Bahadur for personal use in 1830, and as a hereditary title in 1837. He died sp in 1838.
  • Maharaja NAWAL KISHORE SINGH Bahadur, 8th Raja of Bettiah 1838/1855, married and had issue. He died 1855.
    • Maharaja Rajendra Kishore Singh Bahadur
    • Maharajkumar Mahendra Kishore Singh, died sp before 1883.
  • Maharaja RAJENDRA KISHORE SINGH Bahadur, 9th Raja of Bettiah 1855/1883, married and had issue. He died 26th March 1883.
    • Maharaja Sir Harendra Kishore Singh Bahadur (qv)
  • Maharaja Sir HARENDRA KISHORE SINGH Bahadur K.C.I.E., 10th Raja of Bettiah 1883/1893, born March 1854 and succeeded in 1883, Maharaja Bahadur [cr.1884], K.C.I.E. [cr. 28.6.1888], M.L.C. (Bengal), appointed in January 1891, married 1stly, Maharani Sheo Ratna Kuwar of Salemgarh Raj, U.P., died 24th March 1896, married 2ndly, 1893, Maharani Janaki Kuwar, born 1870, died 27th November 1954, daughter of Babu Shri Sidha Narain Singh of Anapur Zamindari in Bihar. He died sp on 26th March 1893.
  • Maharani Sheo Ratna Kuwar, 11th Rani of Bettiah 1893/1896, died 24th March 1896.
  • Maharani Janki Kuwar, 12th Rani of Bettiah 1896/1897, born 4th August 1873, daughter of Babu Shri Sidha Narain Singh of Anapur Zamindari in Bihar, she succeeded to the gadi in March 1896; she was unable to manage the estate, which was taken over by the Court of Wards till her death, whereupon it escheated to the state. She died sp on 27th November 1954.

Other Members

  • Rajkumari Beni Kanwar, daughter of the Raja of Bettiah in Champaner, Bihar, married Raja Raghunath Shah of Agori-Bahar, and had issue, one son and four daughters.
  • Rani Vedsharan Kunwari, daughter of the Raja of Bettiah in Champaner, Bihar, married Raja Kaishav Sharan Shah of Agori-Bahar, died sp on 4th March 1871.