Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057345).pdf/519

 MOH 511 Parahta, Parseni, Jokhundi, Saráe Gundauli, Qasimpur, Khujauli, and Karora, and large bazars are held in Amethi, Goshainganj, Molanlalganj, and Nagrám. All these four are separately noticed. Manufactures and mechanical arts are at a low ebb, the former comprise the weaver class and cotton spinners (Juláha and Dhuniya). The weavers are thickest in Amethi, at which place the trade formerly flourished, but native stuffs have given place to the piece-goods imported from Europe. The pargana was once known as the Amethi pargana, and was one of those into which the sarkár of Lucknow was divided (Ain-i-Akbari). It was colonized by the Amethi Rajputs of the Chamar-Gaur tribe, and under Rája Díngur, the most powerful of their leaders, became known as the pargana of Amethi Díngur. They were expelled at about the close of the fifteenth century by a family of Shekhs who became masters of the whole pargana. Salempur, to the north of the pargana was founded by this family, and the present Taluqdar, Chaudhri Nawab Ali, who holds the estate of Salempur, is descended from it. Of its early history it is hard to state anything with confidence. It is unanimously asserted to have been held by an aboriginal tribe of Bhars, and the country abounds in old Bhar dihs, which appear to be the sites of their old villages and forts. They are sometimes of great elevation and extent. They are quite deserted, and the only signs of the ancient habi- tations are the broken bricks which lie scattered over the mounds, and sometimes a hut on the summit devoted te some deified hero who is wor- shipped under the title of Bír. There are no less than twenty of these Bhar dlhs in the pargana. The Bhars are said to have ruled from Bah- raich, and Amethi was one of their outposts. Common tradition asserts that the Hindu monarch of Kauauj in vain tried to, wrest the country from them. He sent his two celebrated captains, Álha and Údal, who entrenched a camp first under Lachhman Tila, once the heart of the modern city of Lucknow, and dext in Pahárnagar Tikuria near which is a large well said to have been built by them. The high dih in the vil- lage is said to be the remains of their camp. This natural feature (Tekra or Pahár), a hill, seems to have given its name to the village. It lies on the borders of the Lucknow pargana, not far from Bakás, and it is from here that the plain of Lohganjar, the battle field, the field of blood, or of iron, is said to begin. This name was presently extended to the whole of the plain lying between this and the Gogra which became known as Gan- jarai. But Alha and Údal effected nothing. It was after this that the Amethias came into this pargana, which became named after them. Another of the Bhar centres seems to have been Nagram, which was held by Rája Nal. It was these strong posts that the Muhammadans attacked in their first crescentade of A.D. 1030, under Sayyad Sálár Masaúd, nephew of Mahmúd of Ghazni. They swept through Nagram and Amethi, leaving their shahids and tombs, and perhaps a few families who maintained their hold in the village till the arrival of more of their sect at a later date. There is a family of Maliks in Amethi to this day,