Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057345).pdf/259

 ΙΚΗ Ε 251 now, and died in 1206 A.H. (1792 A.D.). In 1193 A.H. (A. D. 1779), Mansa Rám, the chakladar, arrived at Muhamdi to make the first settlement, The family and relatives of the rája were provided for with small grants of money or land throughout the estate ; they got in all sixteen villages out of more than 900 which had been included in the raj. The rest of it was settled with the muqaddams and military retainers of the Sayyad family. In Atwa Piparia and Magdapur many villages, including ultimately the whole of the former pargana, were given to the Báchhils, the old zamindars. In Bhúrwára, including Haidarabad, Aliganj, Karanpur, Kukra Mailáni, engagements were taken from the Abban proprietors, from the gánúngos of Aliganj, and from Kurmi fraternities, who had been settled in Mámri and adjacent villages a century before by the Sayyads, or who were invited in by Mansa Rárn himself; the latter for much the larger portion. Some Brahmans of Islámabad in Muhamdi, and of Basthauli in Magdapur, claim an earlier and independent descent, but on the whole there is little doubt that this great estate was a true taluqa in the proper sense of the word,—that is to say, that the country was seized by a great noble; that its inhabitants were either killed or reduced to pure villenage, without any rights in the soil, that no such rights grew up by the division of the estate or by sub-infeudations to military retainers. The result of this state of things was political weakness, nay absolute prostration, chronic tumult, avd devastation of the country. There was an absence of all independence, of all relations save those of master and slave, degrading and enervating both. The ráj had uo internal strength, no principle of cohesion; the people as long as they were well governed had doubtless some considerable pride in the greatness and grandeur of their master; they delighted to tell of the number of his elephants, of his cannon, and of his troops; how many thousand guests had been entertained. at his wedding. But this source of loyalty was a feeble one, and further, could only arise where the rája was in the habit of making public pro- gresses through his territory, and exhibiting to his subjects the glitter and pomp which was all they got for their money. The Mubamdi rájas performed no such popular duties; they were not bigoted Musalmans; they mingled too largely with their Hindu brethren and with Hindu women of all castes to retain much fervour for the faith of Islám. Only one small mosque throughout their immense dominions was erected by any of the family in which for many generations were deposited all the wealth and power of a territory equal in size to the country of York. Several rivers intersect their broad lands, but not a bridge was ever built by them. All along the Gumti are high sandy plateaus covered with drifting sands, which only require water to grow green with barley or maize, but no tank or well was constructed for any such humane purpose by the lords of Muhamdi. They built nothing but brick forts, girt with deep ditches and towering turrets, to protect themselves and their servants against an oppressed people. They left no signs on earth save such as signified war with their kind. Twelve years elapsed after the Muhamdi ráj had been overturned before anyone showed any wish for its restoration', then Záhid Ali Khan