Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 2 (2nd edition).pdf/456

 BILASPUR.

446

The Mahanadi, though

only flows for about twenty-five miles along

it

the south-eastern extremity of

the District, forms the centre of the

drainage system of Bilaspur.

A

magnificent river during the rains,

attaining in places a breadth of two miles, the

down

Mahanadi

in

the hot

narrow stream creeping through a vast expanse of sand, which may almost anywhere be forded with ease. Most of the waters of the District flow from the northern and western

season dwindles

hills



to a

but these ranges constitute a distinct watershed, and give birth to

other streams, which, flowing north and west, and leaving Bilaspur behind

them, by degrees assume the dignity of

which

rises in

rushing picturesquely over contains

District

Such are the Son (Soane),

rivers.

a marshy hollow in Pendra, and the Narbada (Nerbudda), the

extensive

rocky heights of Amarkantak. The most of which, however, are

forests,

The

zam'mddr't, or private property.

only large tracts of Government

Lormf and Lamni hills in the and the Sonakhan area to the south-east, the total area of the former being 190,269 acres, and of the latter, 97,503. Until the invasion of the Marathas, Bilaspur was governed History. by the Haihai Bans! kings of Ratanpur, whose annals are lost in the lorest are the wastes spreading over the

north-west,

—

The

mist of antiquity. earliest

line,

are related in the Jaimini

The god, disguised Mayur Dwaja’s body to test his faith. but when all was in two with a saw

(Jaiminiya Aswamedha). half of

be cut

Mayur Dwaja, the Purdna

dealings of Krishna with

recorded prince of the



as a

Brahman, asked

The king consented

for

to

ready, Krishna revealed

showered blessings on the head of the pious prince. From this time until the Maratha invasion, no man used the saw throughout the land. The Rajas at Ratanpur ruled originally over 36 the place of forts, and hence the tract was called Chhati'sgarh, or himself,

and

‘

36

forts.’

But on the accession of the twentieth Raja, Surdeva, about

750 A.D., Chhati'sgarh was divided into two sections; and while Surdeva continued to govern the northern half from Ratanpur, his younger brother, Brahmadeva, moved to Raipur and held the southern From this time two separate Rajas ruled in Chhati'sgarh jiortion. for though nine generations later the direct line from Brahmadeva became extinct, a younger son from the Ratanpur house again proceeded to Raipur, whose issue continued in power till the advent of

the Marathas.

The 36

a tdluk, comprising a

sometimes as feudal

forts

Bilaspur District, ii are 1

reality

villages,

relations

by Surdeva,

8th karkati appears to have been

Dadu Rai about now included in

each the head-quarters of

held sometimes khdm, and or influential chiefs.

Of

compared with the present khdlsd jurisdictions, and 7 are zain'mddtis,Q

the 18 divisions retained

the

were in

number of tenures, by

as

made over

1480, as a dowry to his daughter. Bilaspur, Pandaria

to

Rewa by Raja Of other tracts

and Kawarda on the

west, were