Thread by @raniroyrocky

A forgotten history of Bengal. Whether you like it or not.
#Thread
বালিকার ক্রন্দনধ্বনি bangodesh.com/2018/08/cry-of…

#BengalHistory #JagatSeth #SarfarajKhan
‘main nehi jaungi… cchor do mujhe”
Maha Chand’s eleven year old bride’s wails and laments was echoing inside the aged Fatehchand’s palace. FatehChand was numb in shock.

#BengalHistory #JagatSeth #SarfarajKhan
Female abduction? FatehChand had seen so many. Nawab Sarfaraj Khan was merciless. After Sujauddin’s death, since Sarfaraj had become the Nawab, this was his favourite past time. He wouldnt let go of any woman…

#BengalHistory #JagatSeth #SarfarajKhan
Still FatehChand had faith that Nawab will honour the status of Jagat Seth’s family. After all, since ages the Jagat Seths had served the Bengal Nawabs. It was FatehChand who had saved MurshidQuli Khan’s throne many a times from the wrath +

#BengalHistory #JagatSeth #SarfarajKhan
of Delhi’s Badshah Mohammed Shah. Sarfaraj was his grandson. Atleast out of gratitude, expected FatehChand, but…

So, when Sarfaraj heard about FatehChand’s newly wedded daughter in law, he ordered FatehChand to produce her to himself.

#BengalHistory #JagatSeth #SarfarajKhan
FatehChand petrified, tried to reason with the Nawab, that Jain women are ‘Ashuryampashya” like Hindu women, that he had many times saved Sarfaraj’s grandfather from the wrath of Mughal Badshah, that the bride hadnt even consummated

#BengalHistory #JagatSeth #SarfarajKhan
her marriage with his son Maha Chand. Sarfaraj answered only with evil laughter. Then the day came when Sarfaraj’s army came & cordoned off Jagat Seth’s palace. They dragged the wailing young bride in full public view to Sarfaraj’s palace

#BengalHistory #JagatSeth #SarfarajKhan
Doomed FatehChand sat helplessly on the footsteps of the Jain temple his mother had ManikaDebi had built long ago. And his son, Maha Chand? The miserable young man… could do nothing but curse his fate.

#BengalHistory #JagatSeth #SarfarajKhan
After Sarfaraj was done with the young bride of Maha Chand, his pikemen dropped a moribund bleeding body on the road in front of JagatSeth’s palace in the wee hours next day. FatehChand was still there on the footsteps of the Mandir

#BengalHistory #JagatSeth #SarfarajKhan
The aged father in law picked up the limp battered body in his hands, saw the lips moving & whispers, reassured her… while tears trickled down his wrinkled face. The body became relaxed and with a huge sigh a miserable soul left the body…

#BengalHistory #JagatSeth #SarfarajKhan
Next day, the Seth family led a small procession on the streets of Murshidabad with a bloodied body, with FatehChand leading the way. People saw in amazement, that FatehChand was muttering something under his breathe.

#BengalHistory #JagatSeth #SarfarajKhan
After a few days…
2 letters reached Haji Muhammad and Alibardi Khan in Odisha. Both the letters had the same content, an aged man has asked for help to avenge a young girl’s death with his last penny.

#BengalHistory #JagatSeth #SarfarajKhan
As a result in the war of Giria, Alibardi Khan defeated and killed Nawab Sarfaraj, before he breathed his last, did Sarfaraj think of the newly wedded bride of MahaChand whom he had tortured?

#BengalHistory #JagatSeth #SarfarajKhan
The dignity and the honour of a woman, if violated can bring down empires… History has always taught this. Life has 2 definition. 1 is Struggle, the other is Honour.