Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057352).pdf/347

 SIT 339 The comparison of the proprietary possession in the two periods reveals some interesting facts. In only two parganas the old owners are still found; in that of Gopaman the then proprietary body, the Clawar or Ahhar Chhattris, still retain a portion of their possessions; the Sombansis also now hold part of Sándi. The Bachhil Chhattris who held Basára, Sandíla, Biswán, Sadrpur, Machhrehta, and part of Khairigarh now do not possess any lands in those parganas. Similarly the Bisens have disappeared from Khairigarh and Bheri. Ahírs no longer hold Nirakhár or Garh Qila Nawar It is not that these tribes have gone elsewhere ; they have died out, or become mere tenants-at-will. One or two Chhattri tribes have prospered mightily; of such are the Gaurs who then had only Sitapur, but now have Sitapur, Láharpur, Chan- dra, Hargám, Báwan, Barwan, Sara, in main part; the Chauhan Janwars of Oel, who then had no villages and now bave over 300; the Nikumbb, Katiár, and Jángre, who now bave several parganas and formerly had none. It is, however, the Musalmans who have made the greatest progress. They now hold 1,445 villages in this division. In Akbar's time only Bilyrám is mentioned as being partly the property of the Sayyads. They probably had not more than 50 villages. In fact, as elsewhere remarked, the Musal- mans never aimed at acquiring property in land till the latter end of Akbar's time; and this is the reason that no deeds of mortgage or sale can be found bearing a date prior to his reign. Musalmans then aimed at getting rent-free land granted them for life only. Since Akbar's time, and above all during Alamgir's reign, Musalmans have been gradually acquiring large estates over Khairabad and everywhere in Oudh except in Baiswára. They have spread out from each town—from Sandíla, Sảndi, Shahabad, Bilgram, Mahmudabad, Aurangabad, Kheri ; during Shujá-ud- daula's reign Musalmans held probably two-thirds of the whole country. The reaction which took place siuce Saádat Ali Khan's time deprived them of much of their property, but they still hold estates far beyond the pro- portion which might be expected from their numbers and influence. Another remarkable matter in Khairabad is the fixity of the internal divisions. In a few cases ancient parganas have been broken up into several small ones, but there has been no wholesale uprooting of ancient land marks and redistribution of the lands. The reason is not far to seek. The great taluqdars who acquired possession of eastern Oudh, and who in many cases paid tribute and allegiance to the central Government just when it suited them, considered each man's property as a separate estate, in which the owner was to exercise authority civil and criminal, and for which the Government revenue was to be paid separately. In fact, local government superseded central, and consequently the territorial jurisdictions of local magnates superseded the ancient divisions. The former were very gene- rally called after their owner's name or after his favourite fortalice; he was never satisfied till he had rebaptized the territory and got the new name entered in the Government records. So Partabgarh, Parshádepur, Chá- tampur, Dalíppur, Mobanganj, Bhagwantnagar, Mohanlalganj, were called after various chiefs of south-east Oudh; and Dhingwas, Rámpur, Ateha, Daundia Khera, Haidargarh after their forts; in each casc displacing, split-