THE MODERN PERIOD 95 Hindupati, of Panna, was the patron of Mohan Bhatt, as well as of Rup Sahi and Karaji (fl. circ. 1800), the latter being a writer on the art of poetry. Mohan Bhatt attended other courts also. His son was a well-known poet named Padmakar Bhatt (see below), who also visited various courts. The Rajas of Charkhari, named Khuman Singh, Vikram Sahi, and Ratan Singh, were all great patrons of poets. Vikram Sahi (1785-1828) was himself a successful poet. Among his works is a Sat Sat, in imitation of Bihari Lai's great work. The poets who attended his court include Baikal, Man, and Bdl Dev (all fl. 1820). Bihar I Lai, Avadhcs, Rav Rajia, Gopal, Ram Din Tripathi (all fl. 1840) attended the court of Raja Ratan Singh. Surya Malla (fl. 1840), who was at the court of the Raja of Bundi, wrote a long work called the Ba7is Bhaskar, which in the form of illustra- tive verses gives an account of the Kingdom of Bundi. In Baghelkhand, at the court of Rewah, poets were also encouraged both by Maharaja 7^2 5zV?^^ (fl. 1764-1834) and his son Visvanaih Singh (1789-1854). Both these kings not only patronised poets but were themselves authors. Vi^vanath Singh wrote in Sanskrit and Hindi. In Hindi he composed commentaries on the Bij ak of Kabir and on the Vi7iay Patrika of Tulsi Das, as well as a work entitled Ram Cha^idra ki Sawarl. The poetical traditions of this royal family were also main- tained by Vi^vanath's successor, Raja Raghu Raj Singh (1823-1879), who came to the throne in 1858. He was the author of a much admired translation of the Bhagavata Purdna and of a history of Hanuman, entitled Sundar ^atak, besides many other works. Maharaja Man Si7igh (fl. 1850) , of Ayodhya, was another monarch who was both a poet and a patron of poets. The Art of Poetry.— Many of the poets who attended the courts of kings were writers on the art of poetry, and this particular form of composition continued to receive great attention. Gurdhi Pdnde (fl. 1803) wrote an excellent work on the same lines as Ke^av Das's Kavi Priyd. Beni Prainn Bdjpeyi (fl. 1817), a Brahman of Lucknow, whose poetry is full of excellent verses.
