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122

Section XI.

The Janwdrs.

In the meantime the Janwars in Ikauna were

fast

extending their

Singh, seventh in descent from The separation of Bariar Sah, had retired to Balrampur, leaving his ^^'*™P" brother Ganesh Singh in the ancestral village. Whether branch Madho was the elder or the younger brother is naturallydisputed, now that the branch house has eclipsed the glory of the main possessions.

Mddho

line.

Ganesh Singh's son Lachhminarain is reputed to have been a man of strong hand with a lust of power and conquest, but it M h' Sin ™^h was Maha Singh who was the hero of the family. This noble was contemporary with Shah Jahan, and in 1627 A. D., obtained a farman from that emperor by which were granted to him a similar percentage of the Government revenue under the name of " Haq-Chaudhari," as that granted to the Eaikwar Harhardeo. of the grant was very large, the parganas Bahraich, Salonabad, Sujauli, Raj hat, Sultanpur Kundri, Garh Qila NaThe extent of hia ^^^ Ddngdun Behra, together with Tappa Bihti in pargana Kurasar and Tappa Ramgarh Gauri in Gonda, being comprised in it. The percentage was Rs. 19-11 annas in theRs. 100 from all revenue-paying villages and 4 annas per 1 Rupee and 6 sers per maund of grain, in all "aimma" (revenue-free) estates, besides the oneIn fourth of all rights in waters (jalkar), grazing and transit dues, &c. short, a footing was given to the Janwars in the whole of the northern por-

The extent '

tion of this district.

Maha Singh

does not seem to have been slow to follow up the advantage ^^^^h this grant gave him. Already one Jagannath Singh of his family had migrated to the Charda ilaqa, ganj, and Bhinga off-shoots and the and now Maha Singh's own brother Rudr Singh went Bahraich birts. westward also and founded the Gujiganj estate (Jamddn and Malhipur ). It was probably before this that a cadet of the family crossed the river and took possession of the Bhinga ilaqa, and in Bahraich pargana, Maha Singh, evidently under the authority of that the farman gave him, gave birts to enterprising Brahmans and others, of deserted and jungle villages. He never, however, seems to have ever held any actual possession of Bahraich villages, and he was probably never able to make good his hold on any of the Tarai parganas except Dangdiin.

TheCharda

Gdii-

In 1723 A, D. Partab Singh, younger brother of Chain Singh of Ikauna, grandson of Maha Singh, was deputed by the taluqdar, ^^"^ his brother, to guard the border estate of Dubaha from branch, the attacks of the Bisen raja of Gonda. This part of the Ikauna estate lay south of Ikauna, and was peculiarly exposed to attacks from this quarter. Partab Singh occupied the outpost and kept the raids off the estate but feeling himself strong enough, he at length set up for himself and founded the Manikapur estate, afterwards called the Gant^wal ilaqa, comprising in all about ninety-six villages.