The history of Bihar’s Mithila region is incomplete without the story of the Darbhanga Raj, one of the most powerful and culturally rich zamindari estates in colonial India. At the heart of its final chapter stands Maharani Kameshwari Devi, also popularly remembered as Kam Sundari Devi, the last queen of Darbhanga. Her life symbolized not only royalty and grace but also the quiet resilience of a woman who witnessed the end of an era.
This is the story of her life, her times, and the legacy she left behind.
Before understanding the Maharani, it is essential to understand the world she belonged to. The Darbhanga Raj was among the largest and wealthiest zamindari estates in India during British rule. Centered in present-day Bihar, it was deeply rooted in Maithili culture, Sanskrit learning, temple patronage, and philanthropy.
The rulers of Darbhanga were not merely landlords; they were custodians of culture, patrons of scholars, and influential figures in Indian public life. By the early 20th century, however, the winds of change were already blowing, nationalism was rising, colonial power was weakening, and feudal systems were nearing their end.
It was into this moment of transition that Maharani Kameshwari Devi stepped as queen.
Maharani Kameshwari Devi was born into a traditional Indian aristocratic family, raised with the values expected of women in royal households, dignity, restraint, cultural refinement, and service. Like many royal women of her time, her personal life remained largely private, recorded only in fragments through historical accounts and regional memory.
She married Maharaja Kameshwar Singh, the last ruling Maharaja of the Darbhanga Estate. The Maharaja himself was a towering figure, an educationist, philanthropist, nationalist supporter, and one of the most prominent Indian princes of his era.
As Maharani, Kameshwari Devi became the first lady of Mithila, carrying responsibilities that went far beyond palace walls.
Being the Maharani of Darbhanga was not merely ceremonial. The role demanded active involvement in:
Social welfare and charity
Religious and cultural patronage
Support for education and women’s upliftment
Maintaining royal traditions during political uncertainty
Maharani Kameshwari Devi was known for her quiet influence rather than public authority. Unlike modern political figures, royal women of her generation exercised power through social institutions, schools, temples, hospitals, and relief work.
She supported initiatives aimed at improving education, especially for women, at a time when female literacy was still rare. Her presence lent moral authority to many philanthropic activities associated with the Darbhanga Raj.
The most defining aspect of Maharani Kameshwari Devi’s life was timing. She was a queen when royalty itself was becoming obsolete.
The Indian freedom movement was reshaping public consciousness.
The zamindari system was increasingly criticized as exploitative.
After independence in 1947, the abolition of zamindari marked the formal end of estates like Darbhanga.
As the Darbhanga Raj dissolved into history, the Maharani witnessed the loss of political power, legal authority, and royal privilege. Yet, unlike dramatic tales of downfall, this transition was marked by restraint and dignity.
She adapted to a world where the palace no longer ruled, but values still mattered.
When the Darbhanga Estate was abolished, Maharani Kameshwari Devi did not fade into irrelevance. Instead, she became a symbol of continuity without power, a reminder that legacy is not measured by land or titles alone.
The institutions supported by the Darbhanga Raj
schools,
colleges,
cultural bodies,
temples,
and charitable trusts, continued to serve society long after the estate itself ceased to exist.
Her life represented the final bridge between feudal India and modern democratic India.
In Mithila and Darbhanga, Maharani Kameshwari Devi is remembered not as a political ruler but as:
a graceful royal figure,
a protector of Maithili traditions,
and the last queen who upheld royal dignity without resisting history.
The alternate name Kam Sundari Devi, by which many locals still refer to her, reflects how oral history often preserves memory differently from official records. Both names point to the same woman, one who stood at the end of a royal lineage that shaped Bihar for centuries.
The legacy of Maharani Kameshwari Devi lives on in several ways:
The Darbhanga Raj’s patronage of Maithili language, Sanskrit scholarship, and temple culture continues to influence Bihar’s cultural identity.
Institutions once supported by the royal family remain pillars of learning in the region.
She stands as a rare historical example of royalty that accepted change without violence, rebellion, or bitterness.
Her life reminds us that women played crucial, though often invisible, roles in sustaining institutions, values, and social stability.
Maharani Kameshwari Devi, the last queen of Darbhanga, did not rule through proclamations or wars. She ruled through presence, restraint, and responsibility. Her life marked the end of an era, but her legacy continues in the cultural and educational fabric of Bihar.
In remembering her, we do not merely remember a queen,we remember the closing chapter of one of India’s most influential royal houses, and the quiet strength of a woman who carried its final crown.
If you are from Darbhanga or Mithila, her story is not distant history, it is part of your living heritage.
