BAR
257
Fyzabad, Sombansi of Partabgarh, and Gaur of Amethi, send them daughters they marry their own to the Bais and Chauhdns of Mainpuri.
The
great Raikwdr colony of Baundi E£mnagar, deserves more detailed The estates of Baundi Ramnagar (originally Keshw^mau), Rampur, Chahl^ri, Rahwa, Malldpur, up till 1858, extended along both sides of the Gogra for about sixty miles in the districts of Bara Banki, Sitapur, Kheri, Bahraich. Baundi* and Chahlari were forfeited for rebellion, but the others are still owned by Raikwar chiefs. notice.
These Raikwars are said to have originally colonized this part of the country under the orders of Alla-ud-din Ghori ; they came from Raika, in Kashmir. Partab Sah and Dunde Sah settled at or near Sailuk Partab Sah died, leaving two sons, Saldeo and Baldeo. The family was unfortunate. The nephews pretended a prophecy that the uncle must be sacrificed for the future greatness of the family. Propitious signs indicated the right place, and then Dunde Sah, weary of life, held out his head to be struck off by his nephews. Henceforth the family was prosperous. There were two Bhar Rajas ruling on opposite sides of the river, one at Ramnagar Bfil in Bara Banki, one on the eastern bank at Bamhnauti, now Baundi. took service with the former, Sal with the latter each in time acquired the confidence of his master, and then supplanted or slew him. Little more is known of the Raikwar clan in Bara Banki for many years.
Nominally, at any rate, Sailuk which included Ramnagar and Muhammadpur was granted to the Baundi Raja-f" Harhardeo by the Emperor Akbar, but it is not known whether the cis-Gogra Raikwars really remained independent, or not. In 1165 H., A.D. 1751, the Raikwars seem to have headed a great Hiadu movement to shake off the Musalman Government.
Safdar Jang, the wazir, had been absent at Delhi his naib, Newal Rae, had been defeated and killed at the Kali nadi three years before by the Baugash Afghans of Farukhabad, who then overran the whole province except a few of the fortified towns. In 1749, Safdar Jang himself, with an army of 60,000 men, was defeated by them and if at this time the Oudh Chhattris had risen, the Mughal authority might have been overthrown, but they waited till after Safdar Jang, in 1750 A. D., 1164 H., had bribed
or beaten the Rohillas oat of the country.^ tribes gathered themselves together under the leadership of Singh, the Rdja of Ramnagar Dhameri the JanwSr of Balrdmpur, the Bisens of Gonda, and numerous other lords assembled their forces for an attack on Lucknow, now denuded of the troops which had gone into Rohilkhand. The Shekhzadas of Lucknow came out to meet the enemy,
Then the
Anup
obstinate rebellion of the Raikwars seems to have been mainly due to the unfortuthat the Queen of Oudh on being driven from Lucknow, March 1858, threw herfor some months the chivalrous owner self into the fort of Baundi, where she remained became enthusiastic in her cause. + Bahraich Settlement Report, p. 34. t History of the Rohillas pp. 109—112.
Tte
nate
fact,
Imad-us-Saadat, pp.
—
7, 25, 33.
MiU's India. Vol. ll., Dow's Hindustan, "Vol.
p. 328. II., p.
319.
R
