Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057345).pdf/282

 274 KHI The proprietary body are for the most part the Bais Chhattris, but a Janwar Chhattri, Claudhri Balbhaddar Singh, Taluqdar of Bharauli, deserves mention. Narmad Sáh, his ancestor, was a native of Ikauna in the Bahraich district, and in the service of the Emperors of Delhi, whence he got the chaudhriship and zamindari in this pargana. He gave the name of Khiron to a chak, then known as Kheri Hár. He settled himself there, and by and by his descendants took possession of some villages in this pargana, and established themselves as taluqdars. The proprietary system is as follows :- Taluqdari 86 villages. + Grant Zamindari Pattidari 8 19 10 5) II des Total 123 » The area is 65,096 acres, and the revenue paid to Government is Rs. 101,389, the rate per acre being on an average, Re. 1-8-11. The popula- tion of the pargana amounts to Rs. 57,102, of which 54,311 are Hindus and 2,761 Muhammadans. Barley, hirra, and musk-melon are the chief articles which are sown or planted. The soil is of three kinds---dumat (loam), clay, and sand. Three quarters of the pargana are irrigated by tanks and wells. The depth at which water is found is on an average 28 fcet. There are fire markets in this pargana--viz.,Drigpàlganj, Anandíganj, Mali- ráníganj, Páhu, and Raghunáthganj. Of these Raghunáthganj and Mahráni. ganjare the best. The former was founded by Chaudhri Raghunath Singh. Taluqdar, and the latter by Mahráni, duughter of Dínápat, the ancestor of the Simri family. There are two important fairs--oue in honour of Fateh Shahid, of Masaúd's army, is held in Khíron on a Thursday in Pús (or December-January); the other, in honour of Debi Anandi, in Bethar- gkon on a Monday in Jeth (May). Two villages, Khasai and Khíron, produce kankar which is used in constructing roads. In the days of the kings salt was manufactured in 14 villages of this pargana, and the annual outturn was 85,649 maunds, of which the value was Rs. 67,775; saltpetre was also made in 30 villages to the amount of 50,648 maunds, of which the value was Rs. 101,296, but the manufac- ture of these articles lias been forbidden by the Government. Mahua trees are more abundant in this pargana than in any other of the same tahsil. Other trees do not need any remark. There was a mud- built fort in Khíron and a masonry fort in Sátanpur, but both these have fallen into decay. Simri was the scene of two battles fought between Rána Beni Mádho Bakhsh and the British army during the mutiny. The following account f the Bais settlement, which differs somewhat from that gived under Rae Bareli, is not out of place here. Abhai Chand's eighth successor, Rája Satna, with a view to change his capital, selected a spot io pargada Khiron where Sátanpur and Ránípur now stand, and which was then covered with jungle. Having cleared the jungle he laid the