Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 8.djvu/198

BEDUR, OR VEDDAR. At some very ancient period before the Mussulinan invasion of the south, Bedurs had settled in Northern Mysore, and had become vassals of the Bellals, the Hoi Salas, Kurumbars, and Chalukyns; and the tribe, from its warlike spirit and valour, served largely in local armies. It does not appear, however, that they ever spread further north than the Bheerna river. Between the Krishna and the Tumboodra they became very numerous, and, as part of the army of the Beejanugger state, guarded that portion of its dominions from the incursions and encroachments of the Mussulmans. The frontier of the Krishna river was protected by the Bedur principalities of Goorgoonta, Jalihullee, and Deoohoog, the latter being the most powerful. Through the Rachore Dooab were other Bedur principalities, as Kanakgary, Adwani, &c.; knd south of the Tumboodra the strongholds of Chittledroog, Hurpunhullee, and many others, stretching into what is now termed the southern Mahratta country and Mysore.

The most powerful, however, was Shorapoor, which rose to the condition of an independent principality, under the government of the founder of the Beejapoor kingdom, in 1480. Before that the Bedurs had been restricted to the right bank of the Krishna, the northern being in the possession of the Mussulman Rahmany dynasty of Gulburgab and Bedur; but on the declaration of independence by Yoosaf Adil Shah, he induced the Bedurs, by grants of land, to settle on the left bank of that river, and thus opposed Bedurs to Bedurs on a most important part of his frontier. In process of time the Bedurs, thus favoured, increased and multiplied, and they served their Mussulman masters faithfully and well, thus gaining honours, lands, and privileges, all of which were secured to their princes by treaties. When the kingdom of Beejapoor was annexed by Aurungzeeb, the last feudatory of the state to yield to him was the Rajah of the Bedurs, whose capital had not fallen before two assaults by the Emperor in person, and one by one of his most celebrated generals. The Rajah, however, Pam Naik, eventually submitted, under the confirmation of all his former rights, with considerable additions; and through the troublous times succeeding it, and time struggles of the Mahrattas, the Mussulmans of Mysore, and ourselves, for supremacy, the little Bedur state held its place skilfully and prosperously. It was then at the zenith of its power, and maintained an army of 25,000 men. Eventually, however, it became weaker; the Mahrattas annexed many of its outlying districts, and the Nizarn followed their example, and exacted engagements for tribute to which the British Government was made a party. Shorapoor had no friends, no one to watch its interests, and the exactions of tribute became heavily increased, and finally time state utterly broke down, and was taken, too late, under the protection of the Government of India during the minority of the Rajah, and again became prosperous, though with a more limited income. In 1853 the minority ceased, and the country was made over to the Rajah's