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 ALD

3*

This fort is undoubtedly of great age trees have taken root in the masonry subsequent to its becoming a ruin even, and have since grown old and withered away. There is an old. mosque behind the fort, originally of five domes, three of which only remain standing, which is still known as the Madarsa. In it there is a curious old monogram in stone of the names In the fort there is also a cutting in in Arabic of God and the Prophet. and opposite this stone, in shape like a crown, but there is no inscription idol the sacrifice of goats is performed by numbers every year. It appears to me more than probable that this is the site of a considerable Bhar town, which was selected by the Muhammadan king named, from its commanding



Bachgoti country, to overawe has been shown, were in these days turbulent.*

position, as a stronghold in the heart of the

that people, who,

it

Five miles further up the river is P^pargh^t, ten miles south-east of Sultanpur. Here are the ruins of a city that Mansfir Ali Elhan, Safdar Jang, attempted to build a century and a quarter ago but, ere the walla had reached many feet in height, the plague broke out, and the work was suspended, never to be resumed. It was then that Fyzabad was founded by the Subahdar just named, and which was extended and improved by his successor, Shuja-ud-daula.,

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The Meopur house. The second great faction of the RajFumar clan are the descendants of Dal Singh, Taluqdar of Meopur, who lived about a hundred years ago, when the property consisted of 65 villages, paying Government Rs. 9,32-5, The greater part of his property was inherited by his son Zalim Singh, a few villages for subsistence having been given to a younger son, XJmrao Singh, a notorious plunderer, the ancestor of the

Rdjkumars

of Paras-Patti.

Old Zalim Singh, ruled for many a long year, and increased his possesreference to the tabular sions according to the fashion of the period. statement below will show that he had five sons, and during his lifetime he

A

In is known to have made a distribution of his property amongst these. the year A. D. 1809, war was declared between the rival houses of Dera and Meopur, regarding the possession of the village of Masora, pargana Birhar, and parties were organized for battle. Babu Madho Singh of Dera in person led the attack, and he was assisted by the Pajwdr clan and others; this party was successful on that terrible day, and old Zilim. Singh, and his three eldest sons, Sangr^m Singh, Subhdo Singh, and Pahlwd,n Singh, were aU killed ; while the fourth son, Zorawar Singh, received seventeen wounds.

Seven months afterwards, the battle was renewed, when Sarahdan Singh, the grandson of old Zdlim, avenged the death of his father and grandfather, slaying the leaders of the rival faction and retaining possessioiii of the field for the time.

took possession of Oadhin A. D. 1600. (See Elphinstone. ) He assumed the title of Sultau Salim, and made rent-free grants, the sanad for one of -which is to be seen at Surharpur, On the death of Akbar he succeeded to the throne under the title of in this district. jahangir. In the sanad just alluded to, pargana Surharpur and the Qaz Ilahi are both spoken of.
 * Half a century after Salim Shah, the eldest sou of Akbar, named Salun, rebelled and