Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057352).pdf/148

 140 PAR successfully abstracted themselves into nonentity during the Dwaparyug. The principal of these, Alá Rikh, gave his nams to the town and pargana Alárikhpur, contracted into Aror and since named Partabgarh, and is per- haps identical with the Alap Rikh of Dalmau tradition, who resided in the Ganges forests, and whose teaching enabled Dál and Bál to attain their wide dominion. Two remarks may be made here; --first, that the worship of the Manes of their ancestors is common to the Sombansis and several low castes in their neighbourhood. Bare Purukh is one of the favourite local penates, and shares with Siáét, the jackal, and Kóre Deo, the snake, the chief offerings of home devotion. Another is that the most ancient tradition discovers the Sombansis on the northern, and the dawn of history on the southern banks of the Ganges. An intermediate tradition, attested by the numerous remains of their peculiar forts, points to the existence of a Bhar ráj in the territory occupied before and after by the Chhattris. The com- mencement of the pedigree is, as usual, marked by some historical con- vulsion. Sakráina Singh had three sons--one of whom went to Naipál, the second to Hardoi, while the third remained at Jhúsi. The son of the latter was cursed by a Musalman faqir, Shekh Taqi, and lost his kingdom. The usual posthumous son was born in exile, and, with the name of Lakhan Sen, founded the kingdom of Aror. One of his sons was a con- vert to Islám, and in the eighth generation some subordinate centres of power began to branch off from the main ráj. No prince of this race attained any extraordinary distinction before Partáb Singh, who, in the last quarter of the seventeenth century, consolidated the power of big clan, built a huge new fort at Aror, which has since been known by his name, and assumed all the characteristics of independent sovereignty between the territories of the Bachgotis, the rájas of Mánikpur and the Kanhpurias. He maintained an organized army composed chiefly of the militia levies of his clan, and furnished with a corps of sappers and miners enrolled from the Lunias of his pargana, and he provided for the population and tillage of his dominions by liberal grants of waste land to Brahmans and others." “ Conflict between the Sombansis and Kanhpurias.---A prince of Surat Singh's energy was not likely to remain long at peace with his neigh- bours, and a friendly interview afforded him the desired pretext for invading the * contiguous domains of the Sombansis. Partáb Singh was lame, and on asking after Súrat Singh's health received the ordinary polite reply, ap ke qadam delchne se,' to which he angrily retorted with reference to Súrat Singh's blindness, I too am well, ap ke chashim delchne se.' The personal insult was eagerly welcomed, and 'Súrat Singh marched at the head of his clansmen against Partabgarh. He was met at Hindaur, and an obstinate battle resulted in the defeat of the Kanh- purias. As their chieftain was being carried from the field, he felt the estates of the Rised, but it does not appear that at the time of Súrat Singh, the leaders of that tribe bad attained the dignity of independent sovereigns. A very large part of their present property was under the rule of the Musalmans of Mánikpur, and of their three principal houscs we flod Rámpur ranged with the Kanhpurias and Debra and Dhiogwaa with sombansi. It is probable that they respectively owned the nomioal supremaey of the chieftain in whose army they fought."
 * The present territories of the Kanhpurias and Sombanais are separated by the wide