Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057352).pdf/336

 328 SHA "These Nawabs acquired either by purchase, mortgage, fraud, or force every village in the pargana, and held as proprietors till fifty or sixty years ago, when the family began to decay and the taluqa to fall to bits, the old proprietors in a few instances getting back, mostly by purchase from the Nawab's family. The sales made by the Nawabs were generally fol- lowed by possession. There was no question at that time as to whether they had the right to sell. They sold, and the vendees got in and held and the title was respected. In dealing with the transactions of those days one is reminded of the stanza Tlie good old rule sufficeth them, The simple plan, That those should take who have the power, And those should keep who can.» Elsewhere the same officer writes : “The sons of Nawab Diler Khan were four-namely, Kamalud-dín Khan, Chánd Khan, Dildár Khan, and Fateh Muhammad Khan, “The eldest son and his sons have always been known as the "Bari Deorbi Wálas' from the large fort he built, and this appellation still apper- tains to this branch of the family, which is now represented by Sarfráz Husen Khan and Ahmad Husen Khan. The descendants of Chánd Khan are known as the Khera Deorhi Wálas.' Dildár Khan's branch is rcpre- sented by the present taluqdar (of Básitnagar) Nawab Husen Ali Khan." SHAHABAD*-Pargana SHAHABAD-Tahsil SHAHABAD- District HAR- DOI.- Latitude 27°38' north, longitude 79°59'. The chief town of the pargana of the same pame in the Hardoi district. Thornton's account of it is :-"A town on the route from Lucknow to Shahjehanpur, 15 miles south of the latter and 30 miles north-east of Futtehgurh." Tieffenthaler describes it, about A.D. 1770,“ of considerable circuit, and nearly in the middle is a palace of brick, strengthened with towers like a fortress, with a vestibule and spacious covered colonnade. Most of the houses are of brick, and there is a fine mosque built of the same material, and inclosed The town extends a mile from north to south ; its breadth is something less, but of its flourishing state little remains." When visited by Tennant, A.D. 1799, it was an expanse of ruins " that appeared in the form of hills and broken swells crumbling to dust." Heber found it, in 1824, "a considerable town or almost city, with the remains of fortifica- tions and many large houses." According to Tieffenthaler, “it was found- ed by Angad, the nephew of Rama, king of Oudh, and if so; must be of high antiquity, as Rama is considered to have reigned 1600 years B.C.; hence it is sometimes called Angadpur. It was renovated by Diláwar Khan, an Afghan chief, contemporary with Aurangzeb. At present it has a bazár and encamping ground, close to which are two tanks lined with brick. The road to the north or towards Shahjahanpur is good ; to the south-east, or towards Lucknow, very bad. Latitude 27°39', longitude 80°1.' Shahabad, with its population of 18,254, is fourth in the list of Oudh towns and first among the Hardoi ones. The proportion of Muhammadans . By Mr. A. H. Harington, C.S., Assistant Commissioner. by a wall