Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057345).pdf/470

 462 MAN "Shekhs. — These are said to have come with Sayyad Sálár, of Bahraich notoriety and sanctity, a nephew of Mahmúd of Ghazni, who came into India to kill or convert, or both, the followers of Hinduism. These Shekhs are to be found in Nidúra and Bachiodámau, Gújwar, and Barái. I will not pursue their annals further, Those concerned with the land tenures of the tahsil can follow the clue which will show their present possession." “Pathans.--These live mainly at Gutni and its neighbourhood. They are comparatively recent arrivals of some 165 years back; Shahab Khan, a Kábul horse-dcaler, having been their progenitor. Their zamindari tenure is said to have been acquired by purchase from the Gardezi owners of Mánikpur." “Religious endowment.-There is a well known religious endowment at Manikpur held by Shekhs. Their progenitor is said to have been Muhammad Ismail Darvesh, who came in with Shahab Qutb-ud-dín 661 years ago. Pleased with the site of Mánikpur, he got a grant of 60 bí. ghas of land known as the Aháta-i- Khánqáh or religious brothers' college. His successors still inhabit this place. The Emperor Humáyún, who reigned in 1530 A.D., conferred five villages—Sultanpur, Bázípur, Rána- patí, Karimnagar Kalán, and Karíninagar Khurd-on the brotherhood. Other grants were subsequently acquired, and they hold a village in Salon called Rajapur. Their revenues may be put at Rs. 2,500 per annum at least; they are probably nearer Rs. 3,000.” A few particulars may be added to the above sketch drawn fron Cap- tain Forbes' settlement report. Attack on Mánikpur by Mahmúd's Generals.—To resume the thread of actual history. In the Mira-at-i-Masaúdi it is recorded that during the reign of Sultán Mahmúd Ghaznavi, Mánikpur was attacked by a detach- ment of the army sent by Mahmúd under his brother-in-law Šálár Sába, and his nephew (son of Šálár Sáhú) Masaud, also called Sayyad Sálár, to invade Oudh. The event was brought about in the following manner :- At the time the invading force was encamped at Satrikh, a place about sixteen miles east of Lucknow, the ráes influential residents) of Mánik- pur despatched a barber to the force with instructions to obtain an intro- duction to Sayyad Sálár Masaúd, and to offer his services. In the event of these preliminaries being successful, he was to wound the commander in the finger with a poisoned nail-trimmer, with the object of causing his death. Arrived at Satrikh, the barber lost no time in carrying out his instructions, but although he succeeded in inflicting a wound in Sayyad Sálár's finger, the result was not what had been fondly and charitably anticipated. The puncture eventually healed up, but for a time it caused intense pain; so much so that the barber being suspected was seized, and made to confess the whole plot. Whereupan Sayyad Sálár at once des- patched two sardárs, Malik Qutub Haidar and Malik Imám-ud-din, with a force to avenge the deed. An engagement took place in which Malik Qutub Haidarlost his life, and in which, though attended with heavy losses on both sides, victory did not declare plainly for either party. To a great extent, however, the Muhammadan inay be said to have sustained