Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924024153987).pdf/549

 PY^ poor lady Sogura and rupees a year."

her' family, or

471

a rent-roll of one hundred thousand

The struggle here lay between several parties. The Musalman convert Rdjkumars, represented by the lady Sogura, were the aristocratic element; she was supported by the Lucknow of3ficials her right Was that of a mere farmer of some standing, but her family, that of the Rajkuraars of Hasanpur and Maniarpur, was of undoubted ancient standing. The district official class was striving to acquire estates which might remain in their hands, when annexation, already looming in the horizon, had put an end to their court and service it was represented by Man Singh, who had tried to get Dera, and was now trying to get Maniarpur. Against all were struggling the ancient zamindars, the Gargbansis, who had



lived on, and owned the land for many generations before the Rajkumars crossed the Gumti, and who had now found two brave and skilful leaders.

The Bachgoti

or

Rajkumar does not rank

so high among the Hindus as would lead one to expect. A Chauhan of Mainpuri is considered the noblest of upper India, but the Bachgoti ranks under the Tilok Chandi

his lineage °

^

Bachgotis'^*"

to whom they give their daughters Considering the vast number and wide diffusion of this clan,it is probable that the fathers of the commonwealth, in early times, contracted very promiscuous matrimonial alliances through which the pure blood of the Agnikula has been contaminated.

Bais,—under the Bisen of Partabgarh,

in marriage.

On

this point Mr.

Carnegy writes as follows

—

t

"It is foreign to the purpose of this paper to go into the historical details of these families it is sufficient for the present to recall attention

elsewhere stated, that the ancient and respected Korwar family (Bachgoti) is connected by marriage with such indigenous Rajpiits as the Kanpuria, the Bandelgoti, the Bhale Sultan, and the Rotar, while the no less respected Dera family (Rajkomdr) is connected with another indigenous Rajput tribe, the Bantarri£ Palwars of Slirhurpur. It also, on a recent occasion, paid very heavily for a matrimonial alliance with the avowedly indigenous and priest-begotten Bisens of Majhauli. The Rajwdr portion of these tribes have but one of the above aggregate of chiefs, the Thakorain of Ganapur, a petty taluk^ in Sultanpiir." * to

what

One

is

chivalrous action on the part of the Moslem Rajkumars has already been given. Other dramatic incidents, from the of Dera and annals of the Hindu branch, may be related.

Annals Meopur.

The Rajkumars, having established themselves with their backs to the Gumti, and being able to draw upon their brethern to the south, rapidly enlarged their estates in the parganas of Aldemau, Sultanpur-Baraunsa, and Surharpur, and would have conquered the whole of southern Fyzabad and this quarrel, artfully if they had not quarrelled among themselves fomented apparently by the rival robbers, the Palwars, rendered them so weak that their career of conquest was checked.


 * Oarnegy's

" Tribes and Castes

of

Oudh, " page

49.