Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057352).pdf/257

 RAE 249 The grants was the head of another considerable principality containing the prosent seat of his clan, and stretching across the Ganges to the east of Allahabad; the rána led a number of almost equal chieftains in Rae Bareli, Dalmau, Kbíron, and Sareni. The Roof Danndia Khera ruled from Bihar to the centre of Unao; and the Naihesta at Sidhauli held Bachhráwán and several parganas in the present district of Lucknow. No very clear record is preserved of the relations which existed between the Hindu and Mughal governments; generally the chief's seem to have held aloof, and looked on at a system of officials they were not strong enough to interfere with. Occasionally they contributed a quota of men to the imperial forces, and every now and then a troublesome chief was conciliated by jágír of territories already practically his own. of mansabs became especially common in the period of weakness which succeeded the outbreak of the Mahratta wars, when the emperors were glad to attach to themselves powerful elements which they could not sub- due. But we never find any great house taking a place in the regular ranks of local officials, and the fact that the office of chaudhri was never held by one of the leading clans of the district, throws some light on their position. The nature of this office is accurately described by Mr. Elliot in his chronicles of Donao. It was generally held by respectable but thoroughly second rate families, such as the Janwárs of Khíron, Kath Bais of Jagdispur, the Shekhs of Bhilwal, and the Káyaths of Rae Bareli. The Bais, the Kanhpurias, Sombansis, and even the Amethias never contributed a single member to this order. The Bisens of Rámpur might be quoted as an exception, but the universal tradition of the neighbourhood asserts that they rose on the ruins of the ráje family of Manikpur after its destruc- tion by the Mahratta; and its truth is, in my opinion, strongly confirmed by the fact that they and not the rájes were the pargana chaudhris. Saádat Khan's invasion of this district was particularly well timed. Mardan Singh was past the prime of life, and the expiring embers of the opposition to the aggressive policy of Daundia Khera had been resuscitated by Chet Ráe: where one chieftain might have been successful two were certain to fail. The Ránas of Khajúrgáon had shortly before been hum- bled by Chhabíte Rím of Allahabad; and the R ja of Tiloi, after having reduced all other elements of resistance, was too old and feeble to assert his independence, as he certainly would have ten years earlier, The first problem which presented itself to the conqueror was the union of the elements he found existing in Oudh, under his own central authority; and a promising solution was arrived at when he acknowledged the chiefs in their respective parganas, and entrusted to them the collection of the Government revenue. The arrangement was in every way a good one, as the pargana boundaries very generally corresponded with the limits of the chieftain's authority and the distribution of his clan, and each was already furnished with a body of hereditary revenue officials. The chieftain was allowed to retain rent-free the villages which he had previously kept for his own maintenance, and as neither he nor Delhi had probably drawn much revenue for many years from the remainder, it was not to be anticipated that he would feel much repugnance to the collection 32