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 — DEW

379

tlie very name of one of the taluqaa, Tera KaMn, comes from a village, part of which has been decreed in sub-settlement to one of its old Janwar proprietors, who had never, even in the days of the Bais, lost possession. Kirat, son of Suphal, came in for a few villages at annexation, but he fell away after that to the rebels, and lost those few by the operation of the subsequent settlement. The present representatives are fifteen removes from the first ancestor, Khema Rde.

and

These Bais had been the terror of the whole neighbourhood, and not a zamindar but can tell some story of their violence the Nawabi Government had up to that time proved quite powerless against them. Their two forts of Behtai and Qdsimganj were situated in the midst of dense jungle, Here they lived and hence protected by high mud walls and deep moats. they issued out to plunder and they attended the chakladars' courts to take their engagements and pay in their revenue pretty much as they



pleased.

These two taluqdars hold considerable estates in Dewa, but their histories belong to other parganas of Bara Banki and to Sitapur, in which the bulk of their taluqas

TheRajaaFarzandAli and Amir Hasan Khan,

is situated.

DEWA*

—Tahsil

—

—

Nawabganj District Baea Banki. pargana Dewa, is a Muhammadan town of very old

Pargana Dewa

Qasba Dewa, of standing, and famous as the residence of two well-known families of Shekhs. It is about eight miles from Bara Banki, and situated on roads running from the Sitapur and Lucknow imperial road, through Mahona and Kursi, to Bara Banki, and from Fatehpur to Lucknow. The latter road joins the Fyzabad road at Chinhat. It is said to have belonged to a original colonists are not known. Janwar Rajputs, who certainly had large possessions on the north of the pargana ; but probably they succeeded to the Bhars. Its foundation is variously ascribed to Dewal Rikh, Rani Deoli, the mother of Alha and

The

tribe of

Udal, who were sent here by the Raja of Kanauj to suppress the Bhars, and Sah Deo, brother of Raja Judhishthir, the celebrated king of Ajodhya. Probably the first tradition is the true one. It early came into the possession of the Muhammadans, being attacked from Satrikh by the lieutenants of Sayyad Masaud Ghazi and his father, Sahti Salar. But they seem to have been defeated, and the tombs of Sayyads Jamal and Kamal are still pointed out on the top of an elevated site in the village, which must have then, as in later 'times, formed the fort.

After the death of Sdhti Salar and slaughter of Masalid Ghazi at Bahraich, Hazrat Shah Wesh was left to contend against the infidels, and, aided by attacked the Bhars and drove one Amir Hazrat Husen from Baghdad, he where he entrenched a camp : Dewa, of west the to them out of Bhitauli Hazrat married his son Ylisuf ceased. have to then seems opposition all and returned to his native Zid-ud-din to the daughter of Shah Wesh,

By

Mr. H. H. Butts, Assistant Commissioner.