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the district on tlie road from Bahramghat to Naipdlganj, being thirty-six miles north of Bahramghat, and twenty miles south of JSTanpara. Placed on the edge of a high bank under which once flowed the river Gogra, it claims to be the prettiest of all the stations in the province. The ground undulates in all directions, affording excellent sites for the houses of the European residents and for the Government offices, while the fresh green of the tamarinds and date palms which here abound is most grateful to the eye. The climate assimilates in many respects to that of Bengal, and is cooler by several degrees than that of the more southern districts. The average rain-fall for the years 1861 to 1869 was 40 inches.

The name Bahraich has more than one derivation assigned to it. Brahma is said to have settled a number of holy priests in the Gandharp Ban, and hence, according to some, the place was called Brahm-aich "assembly of Brahma" another and more probable origin of the name lies in the fact that formerly the whole of the country around was held by the Bhars. The first historical event connected with the place is the crusade A. H. 424 of Masaud, son of Salar Sahu (see Bahraich pargana), who IS buried here. His shrine is one of peculiar sanctity, and is said to have been erected over a spot formerly sacred to the worship of the sun, the place having been selected by the martyr for his final resting place, who said that he would, if it pleased God, through the power of the spiritual sun, destroy the worship of the material. The shrine is maintained by the reputed descendants of some servants of the hero, and is visited on the first Sunday in Jeth and during the week succeeding by crowds of pilgrims of the lower order, both Musalmans and Hindus, from all parts of Upper India. It is estimated that at least 150,000 people assemble at this fair. The tombs or dargahs of several fellow-martyrs of Masaud are situated in and around Bahraich, and are more or less the objects of veneration. The best known of these is that of Rajjab Silar or Mian Rajjab, the confidential slave of Masaud's father and the kotwal of the army. The author of the Mira-at-i-Masaudi takes pains to correct two erroneous reports that were, and, indeed, still are current concerning this man, some saying that he was sister's son to Masadd, and others that he M-^as the father of Firoz Shah. The latter idea no doubt has its origin in the similarity of the names and in the fact that Firoz Shah paid a visit to Bahraich (see Bahraich pargana.) There exists also here a famous Muhammadan monastery founded in 1030 F. by one Mir Inayat Shah, a saint from Mooltan. Another holy man, by name Amir Shah, came in 744 Hijri from Baghdad by way of Lahore and Delhi to take up his residence at Bahraich, where his shrine, at which miracles are still reputed to be wrought, is to be seen. Firoz Shah Tughlaq, Emperor of Delhi, who made a progress through Bahraich in 776 Hijri, is said to have had an interview with this saint and to have bestowed on him and other good Musalmans very substantial gifts in the way of muafi and jaglr. Since the time of Akbar the town has been the administrative centre of Government in Sarkar Bahraich, which included a portion of the Gonda district, and the population has always mainly consisted of the idle followers of the revenue officers for the time being. Asif-ud-daula, who was fond of the good sport which this .district has always afforded, sojourned here for a while several times and built the Daulat Kh^na, a handsome