Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057345).pdf/497

 MAU 489 The land revenue is Rs. 1,25,029, which falls at the rate of Re. 1-2-0 per acre. It is well wooded, having 7,899 acres of groves and orchards. The population is-90,464, being at the rate of 523 to the square mile. The town is said to have been founded by Múraj Dhuj, a Súrajbansi Chhattri; it afterwards passed into the hands of the Bais, one of whose chiefs, Chet Ráe, built a fort at Pachhimgaon,* The history of the great 'estate of Mauráuwán is thus told by Elliott :- "Oonao* has far fewer talookdars than any other district in Oudh, and its chronicles contain few stories of the way in which talookas were amassed. It will be well, however, to give the history of one great family of this class, Raja Gowrie Shunkura of Morawun. "In 1721 Sadut Khan, Burhan-ool-mulk, was made Governor of Agra, and after two years he was translated to the more important Soobah of Oudh. Just before he left Agra his private Munshi died, and he took into his service a Seth of the place, named Gourun Mul, and brought him with him to Oudh. This Goorun Mal was the ancestor of the present Raja. It is not clear whether he retained his post till Sadut Khan's death in 1739, or whether he lost it at an earlier period; but whenever it was, he was persuaded by Rao Murdan Singh, of Doondea Khera, to come and reside there under his protection, fetching his family from Agra, and to act as the family banker, and keep the accounts of the estate. In 1740 Rao Murdan divided his talooka among his three sons, giving Doondea Khera to his eldest son, Rugho Nath Singh, who bears a very had cha. racter in native tradition. "Murdan Singh retired from public life, but lived at Doondea Khera, and during his lifetime his son abstained from any of the graver crimes and weannesses which subsequently stained bis reputation. Goorun Mul lived peaceably at Doondea Khera, but soon after Murdan Singh's death, Gooruu Mul's son, Hirdéram, had a bitter quarrel with the Rao on the fertile subject of accounts. The custom is that the payment of the Government revenue when it falls due on the patron's estate is always effected by the family banker. If the talookdar cannot supply him with the necessary funds, the banker pays it from his own resources, and debits the advance against the estate, to be paid with interest as rents come in. “Rao Rugho Nath refused to pay more than 12 per cent. on such advances. The banker, Hirdéram, declared that he received 36 per cent. from all other customers, and that he was treating the Rao very hand- somely in charging him only 24 per cent., and in sport, he would not abate one jot of his claim. The dispute went so far, that Hirderam thought it safer to leave Doondea Khera secretly by night, and take refuge with Dyaram, Chukladar, who gave him leave to build on a little patch of maafee land close to Morawun, known as Dyaram's Kutra-a name which is quite forgotten now, Here Hirderan,t in addition to his banking and money-lending business, set up as a merchant of cotton, Mirzapore cloth, and spices. He also got the appointment of treasurer to the "Elliott's Chronicles of Oopko," page 73. Ragho Nath soon after went, to Gya to perform the customary rights on his father's death, and as no one who is in debt can make this pilgrimage, he sent Hirdéram the full amount of his claim,
 * 1) Pages 638-137, "Elliott's Chronicles of Oonao.”