Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057352).pdf/176

 168 PUR 71 The Government revenue is Rs. 84,367, and the assessment falls at Re. 1-3-0 per acre. The tenure is as follows Tata dari ... 16,980 acres Zainindari ... 39,640 Pattidari ... 15,411 The population amounts to 64,758. There is an old temple in Purwa to Billeswar Mahadeo. The pargana was formed in Akbar's time; for a history of the name see town article. This was the most westerly portion of the Bais dominions, It was ruled by Achal Singh, thus referred to by Elliot :- “ There is nothing to notice in the history of the family till we come to Oogursen. His younger son, Dhara, was in the service of Rája Achul Singh of Poorwah, and was the chief of his armed retainers. His valour is conspicuously mentioned in the ballad which details the fight between Achul and Dewanbux, who headed the houses of the combined families of Symbussie and Nybesta. In that fight a pair of kettle-drums were taken from Dewanbux and were kept by the head of Achul's family at Doonea Khera. The disgrace was keenly felt by the other party, and quite lately Rana Rughonath Singh sent to Rao Rambux to offer terms on which he might get the drums back, a message to which the Rae politely answered that he would be most happy if Rughopath could recover them in the same way in which Achul Singh had taken them. Oogursen stood security for a friend who defaulted, and he was unable to pay up the default. Achul Singh, unmindful of the services of his son, seized and beund him, and had one of his sons, named Dheer Singh, murdered before his eyes. Next morning Oogursen was found dead at the bottom of a well, and it was darkly whispered that it was not grief or despair which brought him to that end. Dhara at once threw up the rája's service, and took to plunder- ing his estates, and lived the life of an outlaw. In order to keep him in check, the tahsil and fort were removed from Asoha to Kantha, and the forces allotted to the pargana were stationed in that town. In 1184 fesli Achul Singh was succeeded in the Nizamut by Bhowani Singh, and soon after took poison and died on which Dhara Singh came back to his home, and became a peaceable subject again." (pp. 48-49, " Elliot's Chronicles of Oonao.") PURWA- Pargana PURWA— Tahsil PURWA-District UNAO.--The town of Purwa lies in latitude 26°32' north, longitude 80°52' east, and is situated twenty miles south-east of Unao. There is a lake called Basha close to this town on the north. Four unmetalled roads lead to it-one from Unao to Rae Bareli, another from Purwa to Cawn pore, a third from Purwa to Lucknow, and a fourth from Purwa to Bihar, Baksar, and Rae Bareli. The town is locally noted for good shoe-makers. Two bazárs are held weekly, attended by about 1,000 visitors. There are three large fairs here during the year. Two are held in honour of Sri Billeswar Mahadeo, about one mile east of the town, one on the day of Shiuráttri, and the other on the 1st and 2nd days of Aghan, about November ; each of these fairs is