Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057352).pdf/289

 SAF-SAH 281 The pargana during the king's reign formed part of the Miánganj Safipur collectorate. SAFIPUR-Pargana SAFIPUR--Tahsil SAFIPUR--District UNAO. This town lies in latitude 26°50' north, longitude 80°24' east, and is situated 17 miles north-west of Unao on the country road leading from Unao to Hardoi. There is a daily market in which articles to the value of Rs. 55,000 are sold annually. It is a flourishing well built town, containing 89 masonry houses, 14 mosques and 6 Hindu temples. The population amounts to 7,286, of whom 2,950 are Musalmans. There is a flourishing school here. The town is also the headquarters of the tahsildar of the Safipur tabsil and of an Inspector of Police. Díwán Ummaid Ráe, Kayath, and Molvi Fazl Azím, who were in bigh position under the Oudh Government, were natives of this town; the former built a bazar and caravan-sarae, the latter constructed many wells, mosques, and an imámbára. The town is said to have been originally founded by one Sái Sukul, a Brahman, and is generally called after him “ Sáípur." A religious mendi- cant named Safi afterwards came to this place, established himself there, and was buried, so in commemoration of his name the name was chang- ed to Safipur, though in the district throughout the epithet of Sáípur is still more common. The fate of Sai Sukul is thus related, that in 1389 A.D. Ibráhím of Jaunpur marched with a large army against him, and bis master, Rája Ugarsen of Ugú, fought and killed them, ruined the whole Hindu family, and put his lieutenants in possession of the town. These were Molvi Akram, the ancestor of the Darvesh Safi, Báo Mahosh Ráo, paymaster to the force, the ancestor of Bihári Lál, Kayath, the present qanungo, Sayyad Mír Risáldár, the ancestor of the present zamindars, Zain- ul-ábidín and others, and Sayyad Hasan Raza, from whom are descended the present taluqdars, Sarfaráz Haidar, Valáyat Ahmad, and other zamindars. Of the remains of antiquity there are several tombs of noted darveshes, viz., Shahs Safi, Qudrat-ulla, Fami-ulla, Hafiz-ulla, Abdulla, to the former of which a king of Delhi is said to have paid a visit in 1534 A.D. SAHET MAHET* -OR THE ANCIENT SRÁVASTI-Pargana BALRAMPUR- Tahsił UTRAULA— District GONDA.--A vast collection of ruins on the south bank of the Rápti, ten miles from Balrampur, and six from Ikauna, was identified a few years ago by General Cunningham as the remains of the ancient city Srávasti, whose site had already been con turally fixed by Lassen within a few miles of the place, but to the north of the river. The foundation of the city is attributed to Srávasta, an old king of the Solar race, the ninth in descent from Manu, at a time beside which the most ancient myths are comparatively modern. From him was derived the name Srávasti, which appears in the Prákrit forms Sáwattha, Sáwanta, and Shrávanta, and has siuce been corrupted into Sahet. Though the words do not at first look alike, it is probable that the names of the river and the town, Sahet Mabet and Ráipti, were once the same, viz., Sharávati, and derived from Savitri, the sun god; at the disputed era of the Ramáyana, Shrávasti was the capital of Uttara Kusála, the northern province of Rama's empire, which on the division of the kingdom at the death of that hero By Mr, W. C. Benete, C.S. Assistant Commissioner. 36