Mona Rai

Manoranjan Rai, or more commonly known as Mona Rai was the final chief minister of medieval Sylhet's Gour Kingdom. He is most known for being named after the highest hill in Sylhet city.[1]

Mona Rai
1260-1303
Chief Minister of Gour Kingdom
MonarchGour Govinda
Preceded byMadan Rai
Succeeded byWazir Sikandar Khan Ghazi (under Sultan Shamsuddin Firoz Shah)
Personal details
Born
Manoranjan Rai

13th century
Died14th century
Sylhet region
Cause of deathKilled in action during the Conquest of Sylhet

Office

His office began in 1260 with ascension of Raja Gour Govinda to the throne. Govinda appointed Rai as his chief minister, replacing the previous King Govardhan's former chief minister Madan Rai. The palace which was used by the past ministers of Gour was gifted by Govinda to Mona Rai, and renamed Mona Rai Palace.[2] It was situated in a hillock near the port for ease in tax collection and civil duties.[3] Govinda built a brick tower in Penchagor named Gorduar, which would serve as his palace and central administration. Gorduar, which remains as ruins today, had seven floors; the second floor was also given to Mona Rai.[3]

Death
Main article: Conquest of Sylhet

With the arrival of Shah Jalal and the Conquest of Sylhet in 1303, Mona Rai was appointed by Govinda as one of the commanders.[4] As Rai was based near the port, he decided to stop river transport and ferries making it difficult for the opponents as the only other option was through the hills.[5] Rai was subsequently killed in the final battle of Gour.[6] Govinda was shocked after hearing of this news and fled with his family and the area came under the rule of Wazir Sikandar Khan Ghazi.[7]

হইল সর্বনাশ একি দায়, না দেখি উপায়,

Hoilo shorbonash eki day, na dekhi upay
হেনকালে শুনল রাজা মৈল মনা রায়।
Henkale shunlo Raja moilo Mona Ray
তখন কোমর কাছিয়া রাজা
Tokhon komor kachhiya Raja
খাড়া হইল আগে
Khara hoilo aage
কিন্তু এবার হৈল লেঠা গড়ুল রাজা

Kintu ebar hoilo letha Gorul Raja

— Chowdhury Ghulam Akbar, [8]

Legacy

The hillock which housed Mona Rai's palace is known even today as the hill of Mona Rai (Bengali: মনারায়ের টিলা, romanized: Monarayer Tila) in Chowhatta.[9] It is located next to the dargah of Shah Jalal.[10][11] Bipin Chandra Pal mentions in his book, "Memories Of My Life And Times", mentions that during his childhood he studied in a government school which was a large brick building standing on top of Mona Rai's Tila.[12] This is backed up by Pandita Ramabai's biography which mentions that she was invited to Sylhet District School, on top of Mona Ray Hill, by a reception committee.[13] During the British Raj, a 0.9 mile by-road was used connecting Sylhet with the hill. This road was named Monarai Tillah Approach Road and housed the Executive Officer's Bungalow in 1948. In 1975, it also housed the buildings for the Roads and Highways Division, Buildings Division and District Judges.[3] The ruins of Rai's fort in Tilagarh is also present.[14]

Preceded by
Madan Rai		 Minister of Gour
1260-1303		 Succeeded by
Sikandar Khan Ghazi (under Shamsuddin Firoz Shah)

References
  1. Fazlur Rahman (1991). Sileter Mati, Sileter Manush. MA Sattar. p. 43.
  2. Bhattacharya, Shubhrendu Shekhar (21 May 2018). "যেন এক অমরাবতী!". Jugantor (in Bengali).
  3. Nath, Rajmohan (1948). The back-ground of Assamese culture. A. K. Nath. pp. 114 & 120.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  4. Dr Yahya Mannan; Abdul Halim Khan (20 Jul 2019). "আবদুল হালিম খাঁ রচিত শাহজালালের জায়নামায উপন্যাসের শৈল্পিক নির্মিতি". Sohojat (in Bengali).
  5. Ahmed, Jalal (1969). Śoṇita dhārā: etihāsika nāṭeka (in Bengali). Sāhitya Kuṭir.
  6. "ধার্মিক হিন্দু রাজা গৌড় গোবিন্দ সিলেটে তার ইতিহাস" (in Bengali). Ajker Diganta. 25 Mar 2019.
  7. Sengupta, Nitish (2011). Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal from the Mahabharata to Mujib. Penguin Books.
  8. Dewan Nurul Anwar Husayn Chowdhury. Hazrat Shah Jalal (R).
  9. Chowdhury, Aftab (27 Sep 2019). "সিলেটে পর্যটন শিল্প বিকাশে সমস্যা ও সম্ভাবনা". Alokito Bangladesh (in Bengali).
  10. Dash, Purnendukanti. Amar Kal Amar Bhuban (in Bengali). Parul Prakashani Private Limited.
  11. Kamal, Syed Mustafa (7 Feb 2015). "ইতিহাসের নামে কিচ্ছা-কিংবদন্তিও ব্রেইন মেইড স্টোরি". The Daily Sangram (in Bengali).
  12. Bipin Chandra Pal (1932). Memories Of My Life And Times. pp. 33 & 149.
  13. Sengupta, Padmini Sathianadhan (1970). Pandita Ramabai Saraswati: her life and work. Asia Pub. House. p. 71.
  14. Bangladesh District Gazetteers: Sylhet. Bangladesh Government Press. 1975. pp. 184 & 409.
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