Jagadindra Nath Roy

Maharaja Jagadindra Nath Roy Bahadur (Moitra) (20 October 1868- 5 January 1925) {{cite book | title=Sansad Bengali Charitabhidhan Vol.I | publisher=Sahitya Sansad,Kolkata | author= Subodhchandra Sengupta & Anjali Bose | year=2016 | pages=230 | isbn=978-81-7955-135-6}} known as the Maharaja of Natore was a noted zamindar of Natore from Bengal and 2nd last King of Undivided Bengal. He is also noted for his contribution to the game of cricket in British India.{{cite book|last1=Division|first1=Bangladesh Ministry of Cabinet Affairs Establishment|last2=Ishaq|first2=Muhammad|title=Bangladesh District Gazetteers: Rajshahi 1976|year=1976|publisher=Bangladesh Government Press|pages=240–41|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Uy5GAQAAIAAJ&q=jogendra+nath+roy+natore|access-date=22 April 2017|language=en}}

Family

He was the adopted son of Govind Chandra Nath Ray (Moitra), the Zamindar of Natore, a member of the Rajshahi Raj family, who died childless and Brajasundari, his widow adopted Jagadindranath at age of fifteen. The personal title of Maharaja was bestowed upon him in 1877. He later made Calcutta his home. Natore Rajbari, the Natore Raj family's ancestral home since the time of Rani Bhabani is now a protected monument of Bangladesh.{{cite book|last1=Bakshi|first1=Shiri Ram|title=Bangladesh Gazetteer|year=2000|publisher=Cosmo Publication|isbn=9788177550184|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bg8jgJCR-EcC&q=%2C+Maharaja+Jagadindra+Nath+Ray+OBITUARY&pg=PA169|access-date=16 April 2017|language=en}}{{cite book|last1=Lorimer|first1=John Gordon|title=Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, ʻOmān, and Central Arabia|year=1970|publisher=Gregg|pages=251|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NL0sAQAAMAAJ&q=Jagadindra+Nath+Ray+|access-date=16 April 2017|language=en}}{{cite book|last1=Lethbridge|first1=Sir Roper|title=The Golden Book of India: A Genealogical and Biographical Dictionary of the Ruling Princes, Chiefs, Nobles, and Other Personages, Titled Or Decorated of the Indian Empire|year=2005|publisher=Aakar Books|isbn=9788187879541|pages=198|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7iOsNUZ2MXgC&q=GOBINDANATH+ROY+Bahadur&pg=PA198|access-date=16 April 2017|language=en}}

Career and patronage

He was a patron of art and sports including the Town Club of Calcutta and the Bengal Gymkhana. He was editor of a monthly journal titled Manasi o Marmabani and earned a reputation as a journalist.

=Cricket=

He was a great cricket enthusiast and one of the active committee members of the Calcutta Cricket Club. In 1890, he promoted his own cricket team known as Natore. He was a great nationalist and his team consisted of Indian members. He promoted the Natore Stadium, a large cricket venue in his hometown of Natore and a sprawling cricket stadium, called Natore Garden in Calcutta at Ballygunge, which rivaled the Eden Gardens Stadium also in Calcutta. He also roped in prominent Indian players of his time, like Mehta, Baloo, Shivram, Yeshwant, Ganpat Palwankar, Vithal Palwankar, Sheshacari, K. N. Mistry, Warden, H.L. Semper, Sardaranjan and his brothers, Muktidaranjan, Kuladaranjan, and Pramodranjan. Moni Das, another noted cricket player of the era from Bengal, was also patronized by the Maharaja. Although the Maharaja had only one eye, he would bat and field himself and was a good cricket player. His son, Kumar Jogindra Nath was also a good cricket player. The Natore team boasted a nationalist spirit and the team included many noted Dalit cricketers of the era. He adopted Srishchandra, a young but poor cricket talent and saved the life of an aspiring talent of Bengal. The Natore team promoted by him rivaled the team of Cooch Behar which was promoted by Maharaja Sir Nripendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur of Cooch Behar in Bengal. The Natore team lasted until 1945, patronized by his son after his death.{{cite book|last1=Mukherji|first1=Raju|title=Eden Gardens Legend & Romance: Eden Gardens, the heritage cricket venue, celebrated 150 years|date=21 February 2015|publisher=Kolkatatoday.com|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dqPDBgAAQBAJ&q=Jagadindra+&pg=PA76|access-date=16 April 2017|ref=k|language=en}}{{cite book|last1=Majumdar|first1=Boria|title=Cricket in Colonial India 1780 – 1947|date=18 October 2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317970132|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FcyMAQAAQBAJ&q=natore&pg=PA72|access-date=16 April 2017|language=en}}{{cite book|last1=Majumdar|first1=Boria|last2=Hong|first2=Fan|title=Modern Sport - The Global Obsession|date=13 September 2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317997955|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=odbdAAAAQBAJ&q=muktidaranjan+roy+cricket&pg=PA142|language=en}}{{cite news|last1=Online|first1=Asia Time|title=Asia Times Online :: South Asia news, business and economy from India and Pakistan|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/GC05Df04.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050407220059/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/GC05Df04.html|url-status=unfit|archive-date=7 April 2005|access-date=16 April 2017|work=www.atimes.com|date=5 March 2005}}{{cite book|last1=Macaloon|first1=John J.|title=Muscular Christianity and the Colonial and Post-Colonial World|date=13 September 2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317997917|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7UTdAAAAQBAJ&q=Moni+das+cricket&pg=PT125|language=en}}{{cite news|title=On a ground once upon a time|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/1141212/jsp/opinion/story_3201.jsp#.WPOuE2mGPIU|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417154342/https://www.telegraphindia.com/1141212/jsp/opinion/story_3201.jsp#.WPOuE2mGPIU|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 April 2017|access-date=16 April 2017|work=The Telegraph|agency=The Telegraph Kolkata|date=12 December 2014}}

=Politics=

In 1901, he was made Chairman of the Congress Reception Committee at Calcutta and gave a noted lecture on India's state of political affairs and industries.{{cite book|last1=Haqqi|first1=Anwarul Haque|last2=Association|first2=Indian Political Science|title=Indian Democracy at the Crossroads|year=1986|publisher=Mittal Publications|pages=209|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk7c6O2XlGwC&q=jagadindra+nath+roy+member&pg=PA209|access-date=16 April 2017|language=en}}

He was elected as a member of the Bengal Legislative Council in 1913.