Yad Ali Khan of Dewaitha , A prominent Zamindar of Kamsar-O-Bar

Yad Ali Khan (c. 1755– 1837): A Prominent Taluqdar and a Zamindar of Kamsar

Early Life and Family Background,

Yad Ali Khan (estimated b. 1755 – d. 1837), also known as Yajdalli Khan or Raja or Nawab Yad Ali Khan by locals, was a notable Taluqdar and a prominent zamindar of Kamsar, particularly of Dewaitha village. He was a descendant of Raja Daud Khan of Dewaitha. He is considered the ancestor and the founder of the Athoghar family. He was the son of Muhabbat Khan, who had four sons—Qadir Khan, Haider Ali Khan, Hamid Ali Khan, and Yad Ali Khan. His family traditionally held the pradhani (chieftainship)  and Taluqdari of Dewaitha(Daudpur) and surrounding areas, which were historically linked to the Daudpur estate. By his time, the dominance of Daudpur, which during Mughal era was spread across Dewaitha to Zamania and parts of Bihar such as Jangal Chhera, had started to decline, but Yad Ali Khan and his brothers still commanded significant influence over Kamsar and even the Zamania region.

Rise to Prominence and Expansion of Estate

His father, as the pradhan and Taluqdar of Dewaitha and nearby lands, though had limited personal land inherited from ancestors. He distributed his land giving 300 bigha to each of his sons. However, these brothers expanded their estates further. The eldest, Qadir Khan, succeeded their father as pradhan and taluqdar, and the village of Qadirpur was named in his honor. The youngest, Yad Ali Khan, after Qadir Khan's death, gradually emerged as the most powerful, securing the position of Taluqdar.

He significantly expanded his ancestral landholdings. He bought, zamindari of 6 annas in Tiyari village,and full 16 annas in Kanakpur, along with several other estates in various villages.  He also planted a large baagh(orchad) on a mound spread across 80 bigha (50 acres), which was then known as "Yad Baagh" (after his name), but because of less maintenance the baagh became a small forest, and a house of Jackals (Siar) leading to place getting the name "Seara". His elder brother, Hamid Ali Khan, passed away without heirs, leading to his lands being transferred to Yad Ali Khan. Under his leadership, Dewaitha and Daudpur retained their prestige and influence. Yad Ali was also awarded with the title of Raies.

Participation in the 1787 Revolt Against the Raja of Benaras

During Yad Ali Khan’s time, the zamindars of Dewaitha participated in an rebellion against the Raja of Benaras (Ramnagar) in January 1787. However, this resistance did not achieve much success. Despite this, Yad Ali Khan remained a key figure of his time. During his time, The region was under the administration of Chaudhary Muhammad Azmal, who served as the Amil (administrator) of Zamania. Yad Ali Khan is then, believed to have filed a legal case against the Raja of Benaras, (Mahip Narayan Singh), and the hearing was at Fort Williams in Calcutta and one of the reasons being corruption, between the revenue collectors.  Actually, even the Raja of Benaras, was obliged to pay a total revenue of Rs. 40 Lakhs to the British, any how. So, his officers were forcefully charging extra, tax on farmers. During that time Lord Cornwallis, was appointed as the governor general of Bangal after the retirement of Warren Hastings in 1786. Though little is known about the final outcome of the case, but it is believed that Yad Ali was awarded some compensation.

Following the failure of the rebellion, conspiracies arose to weaken the Daudpur estate further, the nearby taluka of Baruinpur, and Gaighat, which was partly owned by Raja of Dumraon and zamindars of Daudpur (Dewaitha) lost, their possession. The taluka of Gaighat was auctioned in 1819, and most of its, zamindari was bought by a bhumihar named, Deokinandan Singh of Anapur estate in Allahabad, but he later sold it to, the Raja of Vizianagaram. All this lead, to Daudpur becoming smaller to 21 villages.

Family and succession 

Yad Ali Khan had three sons—Noor Bakhsh Khan, Nabi Bakhsh Khan, and Dukkhu Khan (possibly had some other name also). Noor Bakhsh Khan and Nabi Bakhsh Khan'family mainly had daughters, who were married into the villages of Jaburna and Mircha. Dukkhu Khan had four sons—Khuda Bakhsh Khan, Amir Khan, Fateh Bahadur Khan, and Akbar Khan. These brothers also became well-known figures in their time. Upon Yad Ali Khan’s death in 1837, his estate and Taluqdari were passed to his eldest grandson, Khuda Bakhsh Khan.

Family 's role in the Revolt of 1857 and Aftermath

Khuda Bakhsh Khan and his brothers played a significant role in the Revolt of 1857. They also, led the forces of Dewaitha and other Kamsari zamindars in rebellion against British rule. One of the main reasons for rebel was forced cultivation of "Opium" .Together, they expelled British officers and troops from the Zamania tehsil, including the police forces stationed at Zamania and Dildarnagar. The battle was fierce, with gunfire exchanged on both sides, and it is believed that the Zamania police station was even set on fire, during the conflict. The youngest of the brothers, "Akbar Khan", insisted on participating in the battle despite his young age.

Dewaitha village was well-fortified, with small entry points and "Kots" (watchtowers) at various locations, serving as defensive positions. With most of the men on the battlefield, those who remained behind used these structures to keep watch and safeguard the village against British retaliation. The battle at Zamania was particularly intense, and amid the chaos of gunfire and disorder, The youngest brother of Akbar Khan was martyred. Khuda Bhaksh and his brother were deeply heart by this. 

Consolidation of Family Estates and the Formation of Athoghar

Despite these setbacks, Khuda Bakhsh Khan focused on consolidating his remaining estates and advised his family to remain united. He also established a marketplace in 1874 at, Fatehpur Bazar of Usia, (now in Dildarnagar) further strengthening his family's economic position. After his death, his younger brother, Amir Khan, took over as the Taluqdar.

Khuda Bakhsh Khan had three sons, each of whom built their own house. Amir Khan had two sons—Alam Shah Khan and Shah Muhammad Khan—while Fateh Bahadur Khan had six sons, of whom only three continued the family lineage. These eight descendants of Khuda Bakhsh Khan, Amir Khan, and Fateh Bahadur Khan formed what later became known as the Athoghar family. Around 1900, these eight brothers constructed large beautiful houses in Dewaitha using vast amounts of clay. The large amount of excavation of this clay was  from the village orchard created a pond, which remains visible in the Muhallah of Athoghar to this day. As their families grew, Athoghar developed into a distinct neighborhood within the village.