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 BAREILL K

139

it takes its name. In 1628, Ali Kuli Khdn was governor of Bareilly, which had now grown into a considerable place. In 1657, Raja Makrand Rai founded the new city of Bareilly, cut down the forest to the west of the old town, and expelled all the Katheriyas from the

neighbourhood.

A

governors followed during the palmy Mughal Emperors but after the death of Aurangzeb, in 1707, when the unwieldy organization began to break asunder, the Hindus of Bareilly threw off the imperial yoke, refused their tribute, and commenced a series of anarchic quarrels among succession

days

of the

of

regular

great



themselves for the supremacy of the District. afforded an opportunity for the rise of a Ali

Muhammad Khan,

leader of Rohilla

a

Their dissensions only

new Muhammadan power. Pathans, defeated

the

Moradabad, and made himself supreme •throughout the whole Kather region. In 1744 the Rohilla chieftain conquered Kumaun right up to Almora; but two years later, the Emperor Muhammad Shah marched against him, and Ali Muhammad was taken a prisoner to Delhi. However, the Empire was too much in need of vigorous generals to make his captivity a long one, and in 1750 he was restored to his old post in Kather. Next year he died, and a mausoleum at Aonla, in this District, still marks his burial-place. Hafiz Rahmat Khan, guardian to his sons, succeeded to the governorship of Rohilkhand, in spite of the opposition of the Emperor, who despatched the Nawab of Farukhabad against him without effect. Hafiz defeated and slew the Nawab, after which he marched northward and conquered Pilibhft and the Tarai. The Oudh Wazfr, Safdar Jang, plundered the property of the Farukhabad Nawab after his death, and this led to a union of the Rohilla Afghans with those of Farukhabad. Hdfiz defeated Safdar Jang, besieged Allahabad, and took part of Oudh but the Wazfr called in the aid of the Marathas, and with them defeated the Rohillas at Bisauli, near Aonla. He then besieged them for four months at the foot of the hills but owing to the invasion of Ahmad Shah Duranf terms were arranged, and Hafiz was made governor of governors

of Bareilly and





Pilibhft.

After the accession of Shuja-ud-daula

as

Wazfr of Oudh, Hafiz

joined the imperial troops in their attack upon that prince, but the

Wazfr bought them took advantage of

off

by a subsidy of

Ahmad

5 lakhs.

Shah’s inroad into the

The Rohilla chieftain Doab to make himself

master of Etawah, and during the eventful years in which Shuja-uddaula was engaged in his struggle with the British power, he continually strengthened himself by fortifying his towns and founding

new

strong-

1770, Najfb-ud-daula advanced with the Maratha army under Sindhia and Holkar, defeated Hafiz and Zabita Khan, and forced

holds.

In

the Rohillas to ask the aid of the Wazfr.

Shuja-ud-daula became surety