Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057352).pdf/277

 RAM 269 The following extract from Sleeman* refers more properly to Bihár, but is given here as shedding light upon the position of the Bisen :- Rajas of Rewa and the Powar Rajas of Ocheyra, who are considered to be a shade higher in caste than they are among the Rajpoots. Not long ago they gave one hundred thousand rupees, with one daughter, to the only son of the Rewa Raja, as the only condition on which he would take her. Golab Sing, the brother of Seoruttun Sing, of Pertabghur, by caste a Sombunsee, is said to have given lately fifty thousand rupees, with another daughter, to the same person ; Raja Étunmunt Sing, of Dharoopoor, who is by caste a Beseyn Rajpoot, the year before last went to Rewa accom- panied by some fifty Brahmins, to propose an union between his daughter and the same son of the Rewa Rája. A large sum was demanded, but he pleaded poverty, and at last got the Rája to consent to take fifty thousand rupees down, and seventy-five thousand at the last ceremony of the harat or fetching home of the bride. When all had been prepared for this last ceremony, the Raja of Rewa pleaded the heat of the weather, and his son would not come to complete it, and take away his bride. Hurmunt Sing collected one hundred resolute Brahmins, and proceeded with them to Rewa, where they sat dhurna at the rája's door, without tasting food, and declared that they would all die there unless the marriage was completed. “ The Raja did all he could, or could make his people do, to get rid of them; but at last, afraid that some of the Brahmins would really die, he consented that his son should go and fetch his bride if Hunmunt Sing would pay down twenty-five thousand rupees more, to defray the cost of the procession, in addition to the seventy-five thousand. He did so, and his daughter was taken off in due form. He has another daughter to dispose of in the same way. The Rewa Rája has thus taken five or six wives for his son from families a shade lower in caste; but the whole that he has got with them will not be enough to pay one of the Rajpoot families, a shade higher in caste than he is in Rajpootana, to take one daughter from him. It costs him ten or twelve lacs of rupees to induce the Rája of Oudeepoor, Joudhpoor, or Jypoor, to take away as his bride a daughter of Rewa. All is a matter of bargain and sale. Those who have money must pay, in proportion to their means, to marry their daughters into families a shade higher in caste or dignity, or to get daughters from them when such families are reduced to the necessity of selling their daughters to families of a lower grade." RAMPUR MATHUPAT-Pargana KUNDRI (SOUTH)--Tahsil BARI- District SITAPUR.--Rámpur Mathura is 44 miles across country from Sita- pur to the south-east, and is but one mile to the east of the river Chauka, aud three miles west of the Gogra, both of which rivers are navigable through- out the year, and afford good water communication to the inhabitants of the surrounding district. There is no high road near the place. Rámpur Mathura contains a population of 2,217 souls living in 425 mud-built houses. The only public building is the school. There is the usual bi-weekly bazar, at which commodities to the value of Rs. 13,000 are sold • Tour in Oudh, Vol. I, page 287. + By Mr. M. L. Ferrar, BA., C.S., Assietant Commissioner,
 * The Bhuderee family give their daughters in marriage to the Bugheela