Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057345).pdf/298

290 KURSAT KALA′N —Pargana —Tahsil —District .—Population 2,689, chiefly Kangujia Brahmans; a fine village; is owned by Kurmis; and lies near the right bank of the Sai, nine miles north-east from Mállánwan; it contains 524 mud houses. A market is held on Wednesdays and Saturdays at the adjoining hamlet of Mirzaganj.

The Thatheras held Kursat Kalán till about the middle of the twelfth century, when a body of Kurmis from Ghúrka and Bárha, under the leadership of Bhím and Barsu, drove them out, and themselves settled here.

KURSELI Pargana —Tahsil —District .—Population 2,898, mostly Pásis; an agricultural village of 428 mud houses, a little off the Piháni road; eleven miles north from Hardoi.

It is said to have been founded about four hundred years ago by Diwán Singh and Jagat Singh, Chamar Gaurs, descendants of Kuber Sáh, the conqueror of the Thathoras. (Soe Báwan pargana.)

KURSI —Pargana—Tahsil —District .—The pagana of Kursi lies to the east of Mahona, and was, before its transfer to the district of Bara Banki in 1869, the centre one of three parganas which were administered from Kursi, its headquarters town. It is of very irregular shape, the bulk of it lying to the north, and cut almost in two at its centre by a corner of the Mahona pargana that projects into it on its western side; reducing its brcadth across, at this point, to no more than two miles, while its length from extreme north to south is not less than seventeen or eighteen miles. The town of Kursi is situated, at its narrowest part, on the road from Mahona to Dewa in latitude 27°8′, longitude 81°9′ On the north it is bounded by the Sitapur district, on the east by parganas Fatehpur and Dewa, on the whole of its west by Mahona pargana. Rivers it has none, but its north is well studded with jhíls, and a line of them commencing at its north-west corner culminate in the Kalyáni nadi, which, crossing the pargana in an easterly direction, shortly takes a bend to the south-east, and becomes the boundary line of the pargana as far as Dewa.

The traffic of the pargana passes through Kursi by two good roads, which run one south from Mahmudabad on the north to Lucknow, where it crosses into the city by the iron bridge, and the other cast from the Lucknow and Sitapur road, through Mabona and Kursi, to Dewa, and onwards to Bara Banki.

The population of Kursi is 3,650. It was formerly the headquarters of the pargana; but since its transfer to the district of Bara Banki the Government offices have been removed, and there remains only the police station, a post-office, and a school.

The next place of importance is Mausar, but chiefly for the market-place of Tikaitganj which was built on its lands. This bazar is situated two