Page:The Imperial Durbar Album of the Indian princes, chiefs and zamindars.djvu/205

 Dasada.

THE Estate of Dasada is situated in the Jhalawar prant of the Kathiawar Agency, at a distance of II miles from the Patri Railway station. The Talukdars of the Estate trace their descent from the Multani Aualia (a saint) Khwaja Baha'ud-Din Zikaria generally known as- Bahawal^haq Multani.

Nasir-ud'Din, one of the descendants of this Aualia, started on a pilgrimage to Mecca with his family, about the middle of the thirteenth century. In those days, the means of communication and facilities for travelling were far from convenient. Nasir^ ud'Din is said to have started on foot along with a caravan which halted near the Vajesar tank which is situated near Dasada. Here he killed a deer, at which the Hindu chief of Patri took offence, attacked the caravan, and killed all its members. The wife and son of Nasir'ud<Din escaped to Punchasar, which was the capital of Gujrath at the time.

Malek Bakhan, the son of Nasir^ud'Din, was a spirited youth. The murder of his father rankled deep in his memory. When he grew to manhood, he resolved to take his vengeance on the Patri chief. He took an apportunity of meeting him in a jungle when he was out a-huntirig, challenged him to fight, and killed him in single combat. Malek Bakhan knew that king of Ahmedabad hated the Patri chief, and therefore took the head of the chief to the king thereby ingratiating himself in his favour. The king of Ahmedabad took Malek Bakhan under his aegis and deputed him on the mission of putting down the notorious outlaw named Raw Ratan. Malek Bakhan was succesful, at which the Ahmedabad king was mightily pleased. He con' ferred the Estate of Dasada on the victorious Malek Bakhan and made him commander of his army. Malek Zain;. Khan, the present Talukdar of Dasada, is a descendant of this Malek Bakhan.

Malek Zorawar Khan, the father of Zain Khan, died in 1891 A,D., when the latter was only seven years of age. • Under tjhe general policy the management of the Estate was taken up by the Political Agent and .young Zain Khan sent to the Rajkumar Collage. After he had completed his course at Collage he was appointed for some time % to work along with the British Manager to give him an insight into the details of administration, and then lie was put independent, charge of his patrimony.

In spite of the heavy family misfortunes in the loss of all his children and wives one after another, Zain Khan looks after his Estate so assiduously that the Paramount Power at the recommendation of the Political Agent, Kathiawar, raised his status from a sixth class^ Talukdar to fifth class in the year 1910 A.D.

The area of the Dasada Estate is 123 square miles and contains 17,850 inhabitants. Its annual income is Rs. 60,000. The Talukdar pays a tribute of Rs. 12,968 to the British Government.