Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057352).pdf/216

 208 RAE villages in the present district, no less than 1,719 are owned by Tilokchandi Bais, vie., those of the Bais clan who are descended from the great chief Tilok Chand, who died sbortly before Bábar ascended the throne of Delhi. As an historical and social fact it is strange to a degree. The immobility and stability of the Hindu system is remarkably proved by the fact that for hundreds of years this Bais and other Chhattri clans who number 75,000 in Rae Bareli, men of the sword, too, have contentedly submitted to be ruled by about forty chiefs whose position was in itself a usurpation upon the throne, and against whom at any time the masses would have been aided to rebel by royal officers. The position of these chiefs was so assured that they bave throughout treated their brethren with contumely, refusing to eat with them: because they could not boast of an ancestor who had once exercised regal or semi-regal authority. The great proprietary clans now are the Bais in the west holding par- ganas Dalmau, Rae Bareli, Sareni, Khiron, Hardoi and others, and the Kanhpuria to the east who hold Salon, Rokha Jáis, Parshádepur, Mohan- ganj, Simrauta. Further, the proprietors are mostly taluqdars ; 1,198 villages belong to taluqdars and 537 to smaller proprietors. Among the latter there is an extreme subdivision ; great numbers of them, even two-thirds of the entire number possess on the average only ten acres of land each. On the other band, eleven men have among them 350,000 acres, and 816,000 acres, or two-thirds of the district, are held in 62 great estates owned by 100 chiefs. A list of the great estates is given. The circumstances which have led to this absorption of land by one class, and to its distribution in minute portions among others, have been detailed elsewhere. List of Taluqdars in district Rae Bareli paying more than Rs. 5,000 revenue Remarks Name of Talugdar. Name of estate. Number of villages. Area in acres. Government revenue. . . to! A. Rs. Rája Shiupal Singh Murármaz 194 40,873 44,354 Raja Surpál Singh ... Tiloi 72 65,086 66,207 Rana Sbap kar Bakhsh Tholti 129 92,260 1,19,426 Biahnáth Singh Kathgar 11 6,042) 7,156 Jagmohan Singh ...Baisinghpur ... 23 17,5381 19,269 Rája Rámpál Single Kori Sidbauli... 22 27,708) 28,154 Rája Jagmohan Singh, Kanh- Chandápur 29 31,789) 33,658 puria: Thakuráin Shiupál Kunwar Simri 24 18,2021 23,619 widow of Jagan Nát1 Bakhsh Thakuráin Dariáo Kuowar ..Samarpha 44 28,787 87,962 Chandarpál Singh .. Korbar Sata 31 24,195 28,412 wan 100 PON