Rajballabh Sen

Rajballabh Sen was born circa 1707 in a village called Beel Deonia. from Bikrampur (now in Munshiganj, Bangladesh), Sen commenced his career as a muharrir (clerk or scribe) around 1734 Sen's father, Krishnajiban Sen, The seat of his estate lay in Rajnagar, == Social initiatives ==

Rajballabh Sen is noted for having attempted to promote and normalize the practice of widow remarriage in Bengal. However, when Sen tried to convince Krishnachandra Roy, the orthodox Raja of Nadia at the time who was influential for Hindu religious practices, and his priests, that the prohibition on widow remarriage be overturned, Roy fervently opposed him. Nevertheless, his vision did not go in vain, as Hindu widow remarriage would go on to be legalized about a century after his death. Therefore, he invited Brahmins from Benaras, Kannauj, Nabadwip and other regions with expertise in Nyaya Shastra to reinstitute the right of the Bangaja Baidyas to wear the sacred thread. All of them adjudicated in his favour, with ceremonial costs running to five lakhs. == Conflict with Siraj-ud-Daulah and death ==

Rajballabh Sen is perhaps most notorious for his association with Mir Jafar, Ghaseti Begum, and the British East India Company. He supported Ghaseti Begum in her power struggle to enthrone Shaukat Jang, the son of Ghaseti's second sister Maimuna Begum. Siraj grew suspicious of Sen, then diwan of Dhaka, and believed that Shaukat Jang was the illegitimate son of Maimuna and Sen. He also believed Sen had embezzled a large sum of money. Displeased, Siraj sent his troops to Rajnagar in hopes of arresting members of his family and seizing his questionably accumulated property. However, by then, Krishnadas, Sen's son, had already escaped to Calcutta with his wealth, and gained the asylum of its governor, Roger Drake. After the British ultimately emerged victorious in the Battle of Plassey in 1757, Sen grew closer to them and started conspiring with them. Sen's partnership with the British, however, was short-lived. In July 1763, Mir Qasim, who had succeeded Mir Jafar as the Nawab of Bengal, suspected him of treachery; at his orders, Sen and his eldest son were executed by drowning. ==Notes==