Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057345).pdf/526

 518 MHU Muhamdi is owned principally by small proprietors; the different castes hold as follows: Name of caste. Number of villages Name of caste. Number of villages. 304 493 10 Brahman Musalman Káyash... EuropeAge Chhattri Ahír 21 491 67 0 26 24 6 Kisán Khattri Ját Banión Nának Shahi faqir 40 1 1 9 15 1 M +99 FO Gaddi PAR Kurmi Government OP 16 History.--Muhandi was settled as a pargana centuries ago. The town which bears that name was not founded it is true in 1693 A.D.; only the country was inhabited, and fiscally organized by the Sayyads of Barwar long before that date. Their history is given in the Kheri district article. They held Muhamdi and seventeen other parganas in a position of some independence during the break up of the Mughal empire. They paid no regular Government revenue; numerous large and well-built forts enabled them to collect their own and the zamindari bodies of Muhamdi, and the other parganas were principally settled by them as their retainers. Some four or five generations back their representative was displaced by a Som- bansi Rajput of Hardoi, who had been captured and converted to the faith, and married to a slave girl of the Sayyad chief: he ousted his master's son from the engagement, estate, and title about 1743 A.D. This family retained possession of eighteen parganas until 1793 A.D., when the then representative was seized as a rebel and defaulter and the taluqa broken up. The capital of the taluqa was originally Barwar then Aurangabad, and lastly Muhamdi. The family held Parganas Muhamdi, Magdapur, and Atwa Piparia from about 1673 A.D., and Haidarabad and northern Paila from 1693 A.D. The old zamindars, if any, existed in Muhamdi and Magdapur disappeared, but the Bachhil in Atwa Piparia and the Ahbans in Haidarabad and northern Paila emerged about 1793 A.D. from under the pressure to which they had been subjected, aided in overturning the taluqdar, and founded a number of new taluqas, most of which exist to this day. Colonel Sleeman writes as follows of the governor of Muhandi on January 31, 1850:- “ The Amil of the Mahomdee district, Krishun Sahae, had come out 90 far as Para to meet me, and have my camp supplied. He had earned good reputation as a native collector of long standing in the Shajehaupore