Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057352).pdf/46

 38 PAC end of the last century. Purandar Rám Páthak, son of Gopálrám, subse- quently crossed the river, and married into the Bakhtawar Singh. Shiudio Singh. family of Sadhai Rám, Misr, zamindar of Palia, Inchha Singh, in the Fyzabad district, which latter village he Darshan Singh, thenceforth made his home. Purandar Rám had Debi Parsbad Singh, five sons, whose names are marginally detailed. The eldest of these commenced life as a trooper in the old Bengal Regular Cavalry. Whilst Bakhtáwar Singh was serving in this capacity at Luck- now, his fine figure and manly bearing attracted the notice of Nawab Saádat Ali Khan, who having obtained his discharge, appointed him a jamadar of cavalry, and shortly afterwards made him a risáldár. After the death of Saidat Ali, Bakhtáwar Singh secured the favour of Gházi-ud-dín Haidar, the first king of Oudh, which led to his further advancement, and to the acquisition of the life-title of rája This title was subseqently granted in perpetuity by Muhammad Ali Shah, when he also turned the Mehdona property into a ráj, under the following farmán, under date the 13th Rabi-us-sáni, 1253 Hijri. "Whereas the services, intelligence, and devotion of Rája Bakhtawar Singh are well known to and appreciated by me, I therefore confer upon him the proprietary title of the Mehdona estate, to be known hereafter as a ráj, of which I constitute and appoint him the rája in perpetuity, All rights and interests pertaining thereto—such as sír, sáyar jágír, nánkár, abkári, transit dues, &c., as well as a revenue assignment of 42 mauzas, and some smaller holdings, are also gifted to him for ever. He is, more- over, considered the premier rája of Oudh, and all the other rájas are to recognize him as such. All Government dues and revenne from the villages alluded to are released for ever, and no other is to consider him- self entitled to share these bounties with the rája. “The detail of the grant is as follows "1. Cash nánkár, Rs. 74,616-8-9. "2. Muífi and jágír lands, 41 villages, and some smaller holdings. "3. Sir, 10 per cent. (? of the estate) to be revenue-free. “4. Sáyar, including the bazar dues of Shábganj, Darshannagar, and Ráeganj, and all transit duties on the estate, Abwáb faujdári, including all fines levied. "6. Abwab diwání, including periodical tribute, occasional offerings, and fees on marriages and births. "Bakhtáwar Singh then summoned his younger brother Darshan Singh to Court, and the latter soon received the command of a regiment. This was followed in 1822-23 by the appointment of Darshan Singh to the chakla of Salon and Baiswara, and in 1827 to the nizámat of Sultanpur, including Fyzabad, &c. Shortly after this Darsban Singh obtained the title of Rája Babádur for his services to the State, in apprehending and sending in to Lucknow Shuidín Singh, Bahrela, Taluqdar of Surajpur, dis- trict Bara Banki, a notorious disturber of the public peace and revenue defaulter of those days. In 1842 A.D., Rája Darshan Singh obtained the nizámat of Gonda Bahraich, which he had previously held for a short time in 1836, and he then seriously einbroiled himself with the Naipál