Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924024153987).pdf/111

 ALP

33

Intelligence Department, before the re-occupation of Oudh, lie offered to establish the British rule if I would go to Dera Lord Canning would

not then allow me to accept the offer, but some months afterwards Mr, Forbes was deputed on this duty. Throughout the rebellion Eustam Sah was a staunch supporter of our Government, and for this he was made a Raja and had valuable estates conferred upon him in addition to his former possessions. In the recent death of this admirable landlord, the district has suffered a severe loss, and I shall greatly miss him, for at all times I found in him a practical, out-spoken, common-sense man, who could be consulted with confidence and satisfaction.

Dera is a highly interesting locality from its associations, mythical as well as historical. When Ram Chandar returned from his successful attack on Ceylon, it was necessary for him to seek absolution from the consequences of having killed Rawan, the offspring of a Brahman, by bathing and it was ordained that this ceremony should be performed in two places. The first of these places was to be indicated to him by his there seeing a crow bathe in the river, and in so doing it would become white. This incident is believed, by his admirers, actually to have occurred at Dhopap, a ghdt on the Gumti, in the village of Shahgarh, four miles from Dera. There, then, R^m Chandar bathed, and obtained his first absolution, subject to a second, one in the Gogra at Nirmali Kund, near Guptar Ghat,^ Fyzabad. Subsequent to this purification. Ram Chandar is said to have crossed the Gumti at Dera the same evening, and here he is supposed to have performed the lamp-sacrifice (called Dipcharhana), and thenceforth the place was known as Dipnagar. Why the name was changed to Dera, no one can explain. Fifty or sixty thousand persons stiU flock from places two and three days journey distant, to seek like absolution for such sins as

they

may have

committed.

No

produce

is

brought

for sale.

The

village

of Harsen, which adjoins Dera, is also reverenced for its associations for it is said that after performing the sacrifice of lamps just referred to, R£m

Chandar

slept in

Mahadeo), and

this village



hence

its

name, from Har

(

Parmeshwar

or

sen, to sleep.

Overhanging this Dhopap bathing ghdt, and situated on the right high of the Gumti, is a fine old masonry fort, the river-face of which was of stone, some of which is still left, the past history of which seems to be One account is that its name is Garha, and the builder was, disputed. it is said, one of the Bhar sovereigns of Oudh, who imported stone by water for its construction from Naipal. Soon after the capture of Sultanpur it fell into the hands of the Musalman invaders, who have since The other account is that restored it, partly in brick and partly in mud. the fort was built by Sallm Shah, alias Jalal Khan, and it is shown in our maps and is more commonly known by his name. He was the second son of the renowned Sher Shah, the successful rival and repeated vanquisher of the Emperor Humdyun, and the conqueror of the country from Bengal to the Panjab, but who was killed at the taking of Kalinjar and buried in the well-known mausoleum in Sasseram tank. Salim Shah succeeded his father in A. D. 1545, and reigned nine years. He built, besides this fort,, that portion of the Delhi palace, the name of which even Humavdn could, not change, from Salimgarh.

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