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KHA

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It appears from the above that in Akbar's time this pargana was assessed at a higher rate than any one now in its neighbourhood, and that it is now assessed at a lower rate than any in its neighbourhood.

In 1801 Khairigarh aad Kanchanpur together were declared to yield annually Ks. 2,01,001 (see Aitchison's Treaties). Now Kanchanpur never yielded a quarter as much as Khairigarh, its assets before annexation having been only Rs. 4,000. Khairigarh must have been worth in 1801 Es, 1,50,000 at least, and its present rental is Rs. 50,000. Further, it is admitted by the r4ja's agents that, up to fifteen years ago, all the rice lands in the worst and most jungly part of the pargana used to be let for one rupee per local bigha, or Rs. 4-8-0 per acre. These lands are now let for six annas per bigha, 01 Re. 1-11-0 per acre. The rental of the villages now included within the boundaries of the Oudh forest approached Rs. 20,000 in the Nawabi Therefore the absolute and relative values it is now about Rs. 2,000. of land in the pargana were much greater formerly, both at remote and recent periods, than at the present time. There are several reasons for this. Formerly the country north of the Mohan belonged to the owner of the pargana, and there was then no competition for cultivators ; but the country north of the Mohan belongs at present to Naip^l, and its raja This obstacle to a rise bids against the raja of Khairigarh for cultivators. Again, these jungles formerly of rents still continues to a certain extent. afforded a secure hiding place, in the vicinity of the boundless tarai forest, for many persons whose crimes had rendered it impossible or unsafe for them to live in their own villages. This pargana under British rule is no longer closed to the officers of justice, and it has consequently lost the value derived from its security as a place of refuge.

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History of the pargana. It is alleged that the name is derived from the Khair jungle, which existed here in great quantities. The pargana formerly extended on both sides of the river Kauriala, and included the following townships Haweli, south of the JurAwar, round Khairigarh itself; direct north of this, beyond the Jurawar river, was Konawat ; east of this lay Bardia, including most of the tract now covered with the Oudh forests; Manjhia lay east of Haweli, where Dudhwa Ghat is now found; while Dharmanpur and Bharthapur lay south and north across the Kauriala, which, there is more than one reason to suppose was then a much smaller stream. In the reign of Muhammad Shah, Emperor of Delhi, 1720-54, the townships of Bhartha, Kalkandan, Rajgh^t, and Dhoti were conjoined with Khairigarh Dharmanpur and BharthSpur were taken out of Khairigarh and entered in Dhaurahra in 1817. The early history of the pargana is lost in obscurity. It has been for many centuries, probably at all times, the same huge forest which it now appears. In the reign of Firoz Shah, 1351-88, five centuries ago, we are told that the emperor established a chain of forts along the north bank of the river Sarju to repel marauding expeditions on the part of the mountaineers of Dhoti and Garhw^l. Tradition states that the emperor with his son ascended the tallest tower of the great Khairigarh fort, one of the best in India, as is recorded in the Ain-i-Akbari. He cast his eyes over the boundless sea of trees, in which no house-roof, no temple-spire, no smoke, or any other sign of human habitation appeared, and was so appalled by the vast solitude,