Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057345).pdf/263

 KHE 255 of conquest and slaughter swept over the city from its foundation in 1746 to 1298, when Alá-ud-dín, last and blocdiest of its destroyers, levelled every building with the ground. What more natural than that those who fled from each convulsion should follow the path traced out for them by the earlier emigrants, and seek a quiet home among their kindred in the far forests of Oudh. Natural pride would lead them to dwell fondly on the great capital of India fifteen miles in circuit, with its eighty-four squares and eighty-four bazáis,* yielding Rs. 5,000 daily in excise duties, co the world famous temple of Somnáth and all the glories of the Balhara kings; they would then easily forget that the earliest emigration was not from Anhalwára, but from a more obscure place. It is worth while to contrast what the Cháwar race are alleged to have done during the two hundred years they held Aphalwára and the fifteen hundred years during which they held a large portion of Oudh. The following are extracts from Tod's Western India "Anhalpoor was twelve coss (or fifteen miles) in circuit, within which were many temples and colleges; eighty-four chaoks, or squares ; eighty-. four bazaars or market-places, with mints for gold and silver coins. Each class had its separate mohilla or quarter, as had each description of merchandise..., hati-dant, cr elephants' teeth, silks, purples, diamonds, pearls, &c. &c., each laad its separate chaok. There was one bazaar for shrafs, or money-changers; one for perfumes and unguents; one for physi- cians; one for artizans; cne for goldsmiths, and another for silversmiths; there were distinct mchillas for navigators, for bards, and for genealogists. The eighteen burrun or castes iphabited the city. All were liappy together. The place groaned with a multitude of separate buildings for the armoury, for elephants, horses, and chariots, for the public accountants and officers of state. Each kind of goods had its separate mandavie cr mart, where the duties of expert, import, and sale were collected : as for spices, fruits, drugs, campher, metals, and everything costly of home or foreign growth. It was a place of universal commerce. The daily amounts of duties was one lac of takhas. If you ask for water, they give you milk, There are many Jain temples, and on the banks of a lake is a shrine to Seheslinga Mahadeo. other kings there, theugh each is master and independent in his kingdon, acknowledge in him this prerogative and pre-eminence. When he sends ambassadors to them, they received them with extraordinary honours, because of the respect they bear him. This king makes magnificent pre- sents, after the manner of the Arabs, and has horses and elephants in very great numbers and great treasures in money. He has of those pieces of silver, Tartarian drachmas, which wcigh half a drachm more than the Arabesque drachm. They are coined with the die of the prince, and bear the year of his reign from the last of his predecessor. They compute not their years from the era of Mahomed, as do the Arabs, but only by the years of their kings. Most of these princes have lived a long time, and many of them have reigned above fifty ycars; and those of the country
 * This Balhara is the most illustrious prince in all the Indies, and all the
 * Tod's Western India, 166.