Pal family

The Pal family, also spelled Pala, is a Bengali aristocratic family historically associated with Panchakhanda in the Sylhet region of present-day Bangladesh. The family tradition traces its ancestry to a branch of the imperial Pala dynasty of Bengal and names a Raja Mahipala as an ancestor, although the specific Mahipala is not identified with certainty. According to the family history, the line became established in Sylhet through Kumar Kalidas Pal, who is said to have acquired land in Panchakhanda during the 12th century. The estate subsequently became hereditary among his descendants. The Pals initially exercised authority as feudal rulers and used the royal title Raja. A palace and a large reservoir, or dighi, were traditionally attributed to Varanasi Pal, a great-grandson of Kalidas, and are associated with the family’s early presence in the area. Several generations later, during the time of Ramjivan Pal, the family’s territory lost its political independence and came under the suzerainty of Muslim rulers of Bengal. The family nevertheless retained substantial status as private landowners and continued to influence the economic and social development of the locality. Pal administration was associated with the cultivation and settlement of territory that had previously been relatively sparsely inhabited. The family’s landholding activities helped attract groups including the Mahimals, whose leaders are identified in local historical accounts as Raghai and Basai. Members of successive generations were also known for excavating reservoirs and supporting religious institutions, including patronage of Brahmans and the construction of religious buildings. One younger member, Pratap Chandra Pal, converted to Islam and took the name Prachanda Khan. His descendants formed a separate landholding branch, including the Muslim Chowdhurys of Kala and Bahadurpur in the Beanibazar area. The family’s local prominence is reflected in a proverb recorded by historian Achyut Charan Choudhury, which identifies the Pal, Prachanda, and Jangdar families as the principal mirashdars, or hereditary landholders, of the locality. The Pals also retained influence during the British period. Munshi Hari Krishna Pal served as Dewan to the District Collector of Sylhet, while his younger brother Krishnatay Dewanji was reportedly the first person in Sylhet to receive the title Rai Bahadur from the colonial government. Krishnatay’s son, Krishna Kishore Pal Chowdhury, is credited with founding Bihani Bazar, the morning market from which the name Beanibazar is derived. Later members and descendants participated in public life, anti-landlord and political movements, administration, writing, diplomacy, and business. Surath Pal Chowdhury, his wife Arpana Pal Chowdhury, and Arpana’s sister Ashita Pal Chowdhury were associated with the Nankar Rebellion of 1949. Members of the Bahadurpur branch included Najmul Islam Chowdhury and Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, who served as elected members of the Assam Provincial Legislature in 1923 and 1937 respectively. Later descendants included Bangladeshi foreign secretary C. M. Shafi Sami, AB Bank chief executive C. M. Qais Sami, and election commissioner Abdul Mumit Chowdhury. Writers Syed Mujtaba Ali and Syed Murtaza Ali were maternal descendants of the family. The Pal family is therefore best understood not as a commercial brand but as a historical Bengali lineage whose significance derives from landholding, local institution-building, and the public careers of its descendants.

The Pal family is described in regional historical accounts as one of the ancient aristocratic families of Sylhet. Its origin tradition connects the family to the imperial Pala dynasty of Bengal and identifies a Raja Mahipala as an ancestor, though the available account does not establish which Pala king bearing that name was intended. The family’s documented or traditional establishment in Sylhet is attributed to Kumar Kalidas Pal, who is said to have acquired land in Panchakhanda during the 12th century. Panchakhanda is now associated with Beanibazar Upazila in Bangladesh. The landholding became hereditary, and the early Pals exercised local authority with the title Raja. Varanasi Pal, described as a great-grandson of Kalidas, is traditionally credited with building the family palace and a large dighi, or water reservoir, around the 13th century. The reservoir and palace represent the family’s role not only as rulers but also as builders of durable local infrastructure. In later generations, during the rule of Ramjivan Pal, the territory’s independence ended as it came under the authority of Muslim rulers of Bengal. The Pals continued to possess influence and wealth as private landowners after their political sovereignty diminished. Accounts of Pal governance emphasize the transformation of land that had previously been lightly inhabited or cultivated. The family’s development of its estate supported agricultural expansion and the arrival of communities such as the Mahimals, whose local leaders are named as Raghai and Basai. Members of the family were also associated with the excavation of dighi and with religious patronage, including support for Brahmans and the construction of religious structures. These activities helped reinforce the family’s social position and left a physical and religious imprint on the locality. The family later divided into related lines. Pratap Chandra Pal, a younger son in the family, converted to Islam and adopted the name Prachanda Khan. He established an independent territory, and his descendants became prominent landowners. The Muslim Chowdhurys of Kala and Bahadurpur are identified as descendants of this branch. A proverb recorded by historian Achyut Charan Choudhury placed the Pal, Prachanda, and Jangdar families among the principal mirashdars, or hereditary proprietors, of the area. The saying illustrates the degree to which the Pals and their related branch were remembered as dominant local landholding families. The family remained prominent during British rule. Munshi Hari Krishna Pal served as Dewan to the District Collector of Sylhet. His younger brother, Krishnatay Dewanji, was reportedly the first person in Sylhet to receive the colonial honorific Rai Bahadur. Krishnatay’s son, Krishna Kishore Pal Chowdhury, founded Bihani Bazar, literally a morning market. The market grew into the settlement now known as Beanibazar, linking the family’s history to the development of a major local place-name and commercial center. In the 20th century, descendants appeared in political activism, government, diplomacy, banking, and literature. Surath Pal Chowdhury, Arpana Pal Chowdhury, and Ashita Pal Chowdhury were connected with the Nankar Rebellion of 1949. Members of the Bahadurpur branch served in the Assam Provincial Legislature, including Najmul Islam Chowdhury in 1923 and Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury in 1937. In independent Bangladesh, C. M. Shafi Sami served as Foreign Secretary from 1999 to 2001, while C. M. Qais Sami became chief executive of AB Bank and Abdul Mumit Chowdhury served as an election commissioner from 1978 to 1986. Writers Syed Mujtaba Ali and Syed Murtaza Ali are also identified as maternal descendants. The family’s historical identity therefore extends beyond aristocratic landholding to encompass regional institution-building and the public careers of its descendants.

• 1999

  C. M. Shafi Sami becomes Bangladesh Foreign Secretary

  [1]Pal familyen.wikipedia.org

  C. M. Shafi Sami held the position of Bangladesh Foreign Secretary from 1999 through 2001.

• 1978

  Abdul Mumit Chowdhury begins service as election commissioner

  [1]Pal familyen.wikipedia.org

  Abdul Mumit Chowdhury served as a Bangladesh Election Commissioner from 1978 to 1986.

• 1949

  Family members involved in the Nankar Rebellion

  [1]Pal familyen.wikipedia.org

  Surath Pal Chowdhury, Arpana Pal Chowdhury, and Ashita Pal Chowdhury were associated with the Nankar Rebellion.

• 1937

  Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury elected to the Assam Provincial Legislature

  [1]Pal familyen.wikipedia.org

  Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, also from the Bahadurpur branch, was elected to the Assam Provincial Legislature.

• 1923

  Najmul Islam Chowdhury elected to the Assam Provincial Legislature

  [1]Pal familyen.wikipedia.org

  A member of the Bahadurpur branch, Najmul Islam Chowdhury, was elected to the Assam Provincial Legislature.

• Traditional descent from the Pala dynasty

  [1]Pal familyen.wikipedia.org

  The family traces its ancestry to a branch of the imperial Pala dynasty of Bengal, although the precise historical identity of the claimed Raja Mahipala is uncertain.

• Establishment in Panchakhanda

  [1]Pal familyen.wikipedia.org

  Kumar Kalidas Pal is traditionally said to have established the family in Panchakhanda, in the present-day Beanibazar area of Sylhet, during the 12th century.

• Construction of the Pal palace and dighi

  [1]Pal familyen.wikipedia.org

  Varanasi Pal, identified as a great-grandson of Kalidas, is credited with constructing the family palace and a large reservoir around the 13th century.

Historical Bengali aristocratic lineage and regional landholding family; not a commercial product brand.

1. 1Pal familyen.wikipedia.org