Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057352).pdf/273

 RAM 265 villages in others. Brahmans who number 12,597 are the most numerous and intelligent. The account of the Bisens told by themselves may be given. It is cvident, however, that it contains only the element of truth. Unlike the Dikbits, the Sombansi of Partabgarh, and the Bais, the Bisens, at least as a ruling family, arc of very modern origin; as a clan they were powerful. The qanúngo's relation is that they were merely chaudhris, Government officers drawing fees from this jurisdiction till the general break up of the Musalman empire after the death of Aurangzeb, then they gave up office and acquired an estate. But it is quite cvident that, whatever may have been the case with the present great family, the Bisen clan held this pargana and others, for they are mentioned as the owners in the Aín-i-Akbari. The fact that they had no rája, till 20 years ago, and that a younger scion of the family, that of Badri, was made a ráo about 1800 A.D., is a proof that the feudal lordship claimed by the Rámpur family never existed save in the fertile imagination of the bards. It is alleged that the head of the family was called ráe till Khushal Singh, grandfather of the present incumbent, got the title of fáe from Rája Bahadur Singh of Partabgarh, a sufficient proof of the subordinate posi- tion of the family. But the title of lál is much lower than that of rác, so the Rámpur chief can never have exchanged the latter for the former. In point of fact lál was the first title, possibly, as the qánúngos say, the head of the family was formerly called chaudhri. The present head of the family is one of the most chivalrous and liberal- mindod gentlemen in Oudh; ho has been generally in opposition to the Government of the day, and has only found peace sinec annexation. He built his great fort of Kálákánkar in 1246 fasli (A.D. 1839) thirty-four years ago. He surrounded it with a canal from the Ganges, that the waters of the sacred stream might be round about him by day and by night. In 1247 ho defended his fort at Dhárúpur for nine days against the great Názim Darshan Singh. In 1256, during a short glimpse of court sunshine, the title of rája was conferred upon him by Wajid Ali Shah, In 1260 he again fought the Názim; was beseiged in Kálákánkar for 57 days; meanwhile he escaped from the fort, and, disguised it is said as a female of rank, he fled to Lucknow to get help from the resident; finding no resource there, he abandoned the fort and fled to the Sujákhar jungles in Partabgarh north of the Sai. The family history is thus given in settlement report :- 34