Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057352).pdf/154

 146 PAR Decay of the town.- From the time of the defeat and death of Raja Duniapat described above, the town of Partabgarh lost its former prestige and gradually became less populous: and soon afterwards Nawab Mansur Ali Khan alias Safdar Jang commanded an "Ahalkár" to take possession of the fort it his name. Two years afterwards, Sikandar Sáh, brother of Rája Pirthípat, came down with a considerable force and wrested the fort from the Nawab's troops. He only occupied it however for six months, as in a second engagement he was defeated and driven out of the pargana. After the lapse of another five years, Rája Balbhaddar Singh, son of Ráją Pirthípat, who had taken up his residence in Rewah, came down and recovered the fort after a severe contest. Subsequently he took part with Lal Balwant Singh, Taluqdar of Rámpur, in a dispute between the latter and the názim, at which the názim was so incensed that he marched against Partabgarh and overthrew the rája in battle. The fort fell into the názim's hands, and from that time up to 1263 fasli (1856 A.D.) it remained in possession of the Government officials. Chakladars were per- mitted to reside in it. Hindaur,--Hindaur is fifteen miles from the civil station on the Rae Bareli road. The name of this place is popularly ascribed to a "Ráchchhas" or demon named Handavi, who is believed to have founded the old qasba in the pre-historic period. The legend, as currently believed and narrat- ed, is that Bhím Sen, one of the sons of the marvellous Rája Pándu,* once came to Hindaur and fought with Handavi. The latter was defeated, and thereupon bestowed his daughter in marriage on the conqueror. The issue of this union is assezted to be that section of the Sombansi clan known as “Chawana," a remdant of which tribe is still to be seen in mauza Kusphára, a “mufrad” village some fourteen or fifteen miles to the east of Hindaur. They are mere cultivators, however, without any rights in the soil. Hindaur is remarkable as having been the battle-field of the Kanhpurias under Surat Singh, and the Sombansis under Partáb Singh, when the former were defeated; and as the alleged residence of Lakhan Sen, the conqueror of the Bhars and Raikwárs (A.D. 1258). Hindaur was a large and populous place until about al century ago when it began to fall into decay. The main cause of its decline appears to have been the removal of its trade to Phúlpur in the Allahabad district, occasioned by the excessive exactions in the way of imposte levied under the later rulers From tho "Khatás-tat-tawáríkh," a Persian translation of the Mahabharat," I find the followiog account of Rája Pándu. There was once upon a timea certain Raja Mabíp of Has- tanapur (one of the lunar race of P'áadu). He had two song-Bidur, who was blind and the offspring of a slave girl, and Pándu. The latter succeeded his father as rater. One day he went out shooting and saw a buck and doe antelope together. He put an arrow to his bow and shot the buck, which op closer examination was found to be not a deer but a faqir! The latter in dying cursed the rája, and warned him that he would meet with a violent death, if found under similar circumstances. Alarmed beyond measure, the rája left dominions and Aed with his four wives to the hills, and there took up Remembering the faqir's curse he lived to old age without children. Be then directed his to go forth and raise up seed to him, as otherwise be would die without issue, and thun perish everlastingly. They refused to do as he wished, so he then shut each up separately in certain chamber or "kotliri," und prsycd hesten to assist him. The first wife who went in, named Kunti, camo out pregnaut, aud bore threa soda, named Bhim, Arjun, aud Judhistir. A second named, Maddri, was likewise favoured and bore two sons, named Sáb Deo and Nakul. Judhistir married Iuropadi, daughter of Rája Rajgú, of Hindu celcbrity, and Bhim defeated the Rácliclhas Handavi, and married his daughter as described above. hia his residenco