Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057345).pdf/481

 MAN 473 500 sawars; Nawab Abdus Samad Khan, Manikpuri, mansab 300, enter- tained 300 sawars. Ráje Abdul Qadir Khan alias "Mér Adal."_Of these mansabdars, the first mentioned, Raje* Sayyad Abdul Qádir Khan alias " Mír Adal" was the most noteworthy. He founded the town of Shaháb-ud-din-abad, contiguous to Mánikpur, and so named it after his ancestor Shabáb-ud-dín Gardezi. As this happened also to be the emperor's name, it fuļnished Abdul Qadir with an appropriate opportunity of doing seeming honour to his sovereign. Within this town be built several splendid edifices, of which the Jáma Masjid, Sang Mahal (stone palace), Rangin Mabal (coloured palace, also of stone), and the Chihal Sitún (or palace of forty pillars), are the most noteworthy. The stone of which these buildings were constructed was brought from Fatehpur Sikri, where Abdul Qadir purchased the quarry, and the enormous size of some of the slabs is truly astonishing, considering the distance from which they came. The build- ings themselves, most of them, are now in a ruinous state, but neverthe- less bear distinct evidences of their former splendour. The Chihal Sitún.—The“ Chihal Sitún” in particular still retains many beautiful portions. . The stone carvings are remarkably deep and well defined. This edifice overhangs the bank of the river, and one apart- ment has been entirely swept away with the encroachment of the current. At the time the Chibal Sitấn was built, it was not permitted to subjects to build such residences. The emperor, Shah Jahấn, hearing that Abdul Qadir had built a Chihal Sitún at Mánikpur, after the pattern of the one which he himself had ereoted at Agra, was by no means well pleased, and sent at once to demand an explanation. Ráje Abdul Qadir was, however, prepared with his reply, for on the arrival of the emissary he took him to the palace, and with much dignity of manner pointed out the last resting. place of departed members of his family. The emissary needed no more, and departed perfectly satisfied, and so, on his arrival at Agra, was his royal master. It is hardly necessary to observe that the tombs were a sham, and that the emperor was duped. Diwan Sayyad Raje.-Díwán Sayyad Ráje, the next mansabdar, was also a descendant of Shaháb-ud-din Gardezi, and a man of note at the period in which he lived. He appears to have held office as díwán to the Bengal Government, and he built a fine saráe at Sasseram, and another at a place within the borders of the Benares district on the Karamnása river, which stream forms the common boundary of the districts of Bena- res and Arrah. This place is now a large town, and still known by the name Sarbe Sayyad Ráje. The diwán also added to his native town by the erection of several fine houses. The other two mansabdars of this reign also contributed lustre to the town of Mánikpur by sundry embellishments, and by a lavish expenditure of their wealth. advanced is that the title baving been bestowed by a saint, and extending to each and every member of the family of the grantee, it was necessary to distinguish it from the title of Rájs, which was originally conferred by sovereigns and was conflaed to one hereditary male member oply.
 * 1) The alteration of this title from Rája to Ráje is not quite intelligible. The reason