Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924024153987).pdf/212

 — BAH

134

In 1845, under Wajid Ali, the nizamat of Gonda-Bahraich actually paid into the treasury 11| lakhs. In 1846 Eaghuf, J., venurbefor™and after bar Dayal paid 14 lakhs, but in 1848 under Inchha Eaghubar Dayal's adSingh it was with difficulty that 6 lakhs could be numstration. realized, while nearly the whole of this reduced revenue was collected from Gonda. It is scarcely matter for wonder that the incidence now of the revised jama in the one district should be so much lighter than in the other. .

Bahraich now offered but

tempt its nazims to any further but inasmuch as the main agent of liaghuDar Uayal his atrocities, Gauri bhankar, remained in the district as a tahsildar under Inchha Singh and Man Singh, the former uncle and the latter brother of Eaghubar Dayal, it could hardly be expected that the land should have much rest. «„i,=,„„„o^+ „i:,™=

little spoil to

devastation,

m

Section XIV.

Annexation.

Eetribution for this misrule and relief for the oppressed people was, however, near at hand, and on the 7th of February 1856, is annexed Sir James Outram, Eesident at Lucknow, issued the proclamation by which the government of the territories of Oudh was thenceforth vested exclusively in the Honourable East India Company. The masterly and statesman-like letter of the 4th of February from Mr. Edmonstone, Secretary to the Government of India, to the address of the Eesident, detailed the constitution of the Commission to which the destinies

Oudh

of

Oudh were

to

be entrusted.

Bahraich was made the head-quarters of a division, Mr. Wingfield being appointed Commissioner. Captain Bunbury was ^ ^^^^ ^ ^ ° Deputy Commissioner, but he was shortly succeeded officers by Captain Eeid. Mr. Cunliffe, a civilian, and Mr. Jordan, of the Uncovenanted Service, completed the staff.

The work

that devolved upon, and was accomplished by, these officers in the course of the next fourteen months seems in Their wor review to have been incredible. The formation and organization of police and tahsildari establishments, the institution of the various courts of justice, the arrangement and supervision of jails, the investigation of claims to revenue-free grants, excise, and, above all, the settlement of the land revenue, formed the chief points to which they had to direct their attention. This work was diversified by an occasional scour across country to suppress a famous band of dacoits under Fazal Ali, who had been in the service of one of the contending parties in the Ndnpara estate, and who, now that their occupation there was gone, declared themselves sworn enemies to the new order of things, which bid fair to in.

terfere with their profession.

would be out of place in a sketch like this to discuss Che principles upon which the summary settlement of the land revesettlement of 1856 in the nue was made, but it may be noted that the changes taluqdan estates. pf possession in property, owing to the adoption of those principles, were in this district only very slight. Out of 3,682 villages which, in the year preceding annexation, were held by the taluqdars. It

The results of summary