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Before entering on the history of the aggrandisement of the taluqdars and the absorption of the kh^lsa lands into their ilaqas, p., lagpur es a e. ^^^^^i were the result of the lax administration of the last four decades of the Nawabi rule, the rise of the Piagpur estate must be noticed. The founder of this ilaqa, Bhayya Himmat Singh, was fourth in descent from one Prag, a successful agriculturist who held some four or five villages under the protection of the Ikauna taluqdar, with whose family the Piagpur man claims to be connected. The Janwd.rs of Ikauna and Gangwal, however, disclaim any sort of relationship with him, and Himmat assert that he is of another tribe (gotr) of Janwdrs altogether. Singh was the same who has been noticed above as being the protegd of He is said to have held 30,000 jfeif-ud-daula and the lessee of Charda. bighas of cultivation turned with his own ploughs, and to this day his "sir" is proverbial. The Charda clearing lease gave him in 1788 A. D., a start in the world, and he is reputed to have kept A'sif-ud-daula in rememberance of him by sending him a princely present of supplies on the occasion of the marriage of one of the king's sons. His object was attained, and he acquired independent possession of a number of villages which formed the nucleus of the very fine estate which his descendant now

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,

,

possesses* It was, however, not until after the death of Saadat Ali Khan in 1814 -A- D-j that this estate, in common with those of all

Its extension subaequent to the death of Saadat Ali Khan.

the nobles in the district, entered on that period of extension which rendered them tempting objects of spoliation to successive n£zims.

At

time the independent villages held under direct engagement with the State and commonly called khalsa numbered 1815 A, D. qq less than 1,295, as follows

this

Number villages in

of khalaa



Vaiages.

Parganna Bahraich Fakhrpur ,,

„

Hiaampur