Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057345).pdf/256

 248 KHE authorities. The lord of Bhúrwåra fled from Delhi, and his friend applied for and received the estate which had belonged to the absentee. The usurper beld it for generations. He was an able and active man. He co- vered the estate with forts at Ahmadnagar, Kheri, Bel, Muhamdi, Siáthu, Muhammadabad, Barkbár, and other places. He died about 1683 A.D., and was succeeded by Sayyad Khurram, who removed the family residence to Aurangabad, a more central position, as the estate pow included Bhúr- wára and Kheri, lying far east of Barwar. He died in 1709, and on his decease this overgrown barony was reduced by the severance of Kheri, which was restored to the original zamindars. And now occurs a romantic event in the annals of this house which resulted in the downfall of the family, and the elevation upon its ruins of a member of that very Ahban lineage which it had so treacherously and tyrannously robbed. Dán Sáh was the Abban chief of Badiagaon in Gopamau of the Hardoi district. He had married his daughter to a Sombansi, and her to sons, Badar Singh and Bahadur Singh, were staying with their maternal grand- father in A.D. 1700. In that year Sayyad Khurram, who had bought up some claim upon a grove in Badiagaon on purpose to embroil himself with his weaker neighbour, attacked the village and murded every one he found except the two boys whom he carried prisoners to Aurangabad. Bahadur was released, but Badar Singh became a convert to Islám, was named Ibádulla, married to a natural daughter of his patron, and being an able man was made general manager and leader of his troops. Muhammad Ali, the eldest son, succeeded Sayyad Khurram in 1709 A.D. He was the son of one wife. Another younger one was a Hindu mahájan's daughter, whose affections Sayyad Khurram bad secretly won, and who abandoned her religion and her father's house to marry her lover. The father complained, and Khurram had to purchase his consent with a lac of rupees--a proof that Aurangzeb's bigotry did not interfere with the fair administration of justice. Her son, Imám-ud-din Khan, claimed a share in the estate, instigated by his mother and by Ibádulla Khan, who being also a Hindu by blood made common cause with her. The estate was at once filled with tumult and disorder, the brothers at open war, and each barrying whatever villages took part with or paid revenue to his opponent. No revenue could be collected, and Muhammad Ali, thinking that the old dowager, who had instigated the rebellion, and who was the mistress of great hoards which she had accumulated, should contribute to its expenses, coufined her in a small hotroom till she should pay up, meanwhile dismiss- ing her ally Ibádulla. The latter came at night, dug through the wall of the lady's prison, released her, and the two, along with her son, fled to Delhi (1726 A. D.) They applied to the Emperor Mubammad Shah, and with the aid of the Subahdar of Oudh, Saádat Khan,* the estate was given to Imám-ud-din Khan, after two years' solicitation and heavy expenditure. While the old lady lived, Ibádulla, seemingly influenced by their common nationality, was faithful to her interests, but she died in 1729 A.D. Then Ibad-
 * " Brigg's Sair-ul-Muta-akhirín."