Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924024153987).pdf/142

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devotion Sirwa, where the eastern gate was. At this gate, the raja sat until his prayer for children was complied with, and hence the reverence attached to the spot.

There is another fair at Rani Ghat at Begamganj held in Chait-sudi 9th and again in Kartik-sudi-puranmashi. This spot was fixed upon'ahout 100 years ago by the Barwar chieftain Dilasi Singh as a bathing-place for his clan, in consequence of their being excluded from Ajodhya by the enmity of the Surajbansi Chattris. This Dilasi Singh was the founder of Dilasiganj, by which name the village is much better known in the locality than under its more modem name of Begamganj. It was here that the unhappy European fugitives from Fyzabad, some 12 in number, were nearly all slaughtered by the 17th Native Infantry in 1857. ,

At mauza Kasba there is a shrine of Kalika Debi but no fair is held Kahka is said to have appeared there some 300 years ago in the form of a woman. A few people make offerings of ghi, &c., at intervals at

there.

the shrine.

Population.—The Brahmans are by far the most numerous class, and next after them the Hajputs. Besides these two there is no very marked preponderence of any one class. There are but few bankers or mahajans, and the few that do exist are men of small means whose floating capital is supposed to be about Rs. 3,000 each. The entire population is 98,452, being at the rate of 813 to the square mile.

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Arbcient history. Traces of the Bhars are as numerous in this pargana Ruins of their as elsewhere, and they, have as totally disa;ppeared. buildings are still visible in mauzas Khiwar, Alapur, Tikri, Marnu, Madhopur, Jijjwat, Badaghpur, Bandhanpur, Basaura, Pakrela, &c.

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The Barwar and Chdhu

Chhattris. The Barwar and the Raikwar Chhattris are the aristocracy of the pargana. The former ,, r ^.i i t j j at one time were allpoweriulm the neighbourhood, and All these have within the last villages. 30 years passed into, 159 owned the hands of the absorptive chiefs of Mahdona, and the present Barwar 1.

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Chibi' Families.

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Dalthamman Singh and Nadir Sah (the latter of whom is a hopeless lunatic) are comparatively speaking poverty-stricken gentlemen.

chiefs

One

history of the Barwars

is

as follows



They are an off-shoot of the great Bais clan, and came from Daundia Khera in the Baiswdra country some 300 years ago. The two founders of the family, and sons of Chhatar Sen alias Churi Kul, were (1).

—Bariar Singh (hence the name Barwar Rajputs).

(2).

— Chahu Singh (whence the Chahu Rajputs).

These two brothers, for some reason that is not known, were imprisoned by Akbar at Delhi. The elder of the two brothers, during his incarceration, had a dream by night, in which he saw a deity, who announced himself as Karia Deota, and promised them deliverance and future greatness, and at the same time pointed out the spot where his eflSgy was buried in the earth.