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 260 KHE who had brought many of them into the country. They looked round for some one to protect them from the graspiug Government, and the ancient lord of the soil seemed the most fitting person. The chakladar was then encamped at Marauncha Ghát on the Chauka. The zamindars laid their views before Khanjan Singh, Ráe Singh's eldest son. He stood up to his knees in the river, and swore on its sacred waters to the zamindars assembled on its banks that he would preserve their rights intact, and never extort from or oppress them. The zamindars then went before the chakladar and declined to take the leases which he offered. Khanjan Singh was given the lease for the three parganas Maholi, Kasta, and Abgaon at a reduced rate, and this advantage he shared proportion- ately among the zamindars, giving them sub-leases on more favourable terms than the chakladar had been offering. The growing power of this Abban lord now rendered him formidable to all his neighbours. To the east his estates were bordered by pargana Paila which is alleged to have formerly been a portion of Bharwara, but at any rate had been separate from it since Akbar's time. It consisted of two estates, Paila proper, of 116 villages, held since 1838 by Thákur Umráo Singh of Mahewa, and Atwa Shankarpur, held since same date by Umráo Singh of Oel, two Jan- wár landowners and cousins of the Rája of Kaimahra (see account of pargana Kheri). The former was acquired by Rája Lone Singh in 1842, and the latter in 1851. The dispossessed Janwárs gathered their forces and defeated Lone Singh in the first battle, capturing two of his cannons, but they were unable to recover the territory lost. Lone Singh acquired the estate of Kukra Mailáni in 1851 from an old widow lady who was then confined in his castle. Similarly he abont the same time acquired many villages in Haidarabad, Karanpur, Aliganj par- ganas. Pareli for instance was a large village paying Rs. 2,000 revenue; the Government collector demanded Rs. 3,000, the owners could not pay this snm; all their bullocks and stock were sold, and the lands became waste, Lone Singh then offered Rs. 1,000 and got the village put into his estate. Similarly he acquired Mámri in Haidarabad, and even severalvillages in Mag- dapur on the bank of the Gumti. Sleeman now writes of him as follows: “Lone Singh, who visited me yesterday afternoon, with a respectable train, has in this, and other ways less creditable, increased his estate of Mithouli from a rent-roll of forty to one of one hundred and fifty thousand rupees a year, out of which he pays fifty thousand to Government, and he is considered one of its best subjects. He is, as above stated, of the Abban Rajpoot clan, and a shrewd and energetic man, The estate was divided into six shares. It had formed one under Rajah Davey Singh, whose only brother, Bhujun Singh, lived united with him, and took what he chose to give him for his own subsistence and that of his family. Davey Singh died without issue, leaving the whole estate to his brother, Bhujun Singh, who had two sons, Dul Singh and Mán Singh, among whom he divided the estate. Dul Singh had six sons but Man Singh had none. He, how- ever, adopted Bhowani Singh, to whom he left his portion of the estate. Dul Singh's share became subdivided among his six sons; but Khunjun Sing, the son of his eldest son, when he became head of the family, got together a large force, with some guns, and made use of it in the usual way