ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on a detailed biographical account of the chieftaincies of Kharagpur, the Ujjainias of Bhojpur, the Cheros of Palamau, the Gidhaur, the Khokhra, the Darbhanga Raj, the Hathwa Raj, the Betia Raj, Panchet and Seor presented over eight chapters. It examines the nature of submission of the chief-taincies to the Mughals or, in other words, the nature of overlordship established by the Mughals over the chieftains. Raja Sangram Singh of Kharagpur and Raja Puran Mal of Gidhaur offered to pay a peshkash of elephants and other rarities of the area after accepting the overlordship of the Mughals in 1591. The policy followed by the Mughal administration in Bihar was quite different to the one adopted in relation to the chiefs of Rajasthan where almost every chief who accepted Mughal subordination was given special favours. The chieftains, however, improved their position at the Mughal court during the reign of Jahangir.
